JACKSON ALDERMEN OK EPA CONSENT DECREE

JACKSON -- The city of Jackson has agreed to pay an estimated $182,000 as its share of the cost of cleanup at the Missouri Electric Works site in Cape Girardeau.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined the soil on the 6.4 acre site at 824 South Kingshighway is contaminated with PCBs, polychlorinated biphenyls, from electrical transformer waste oil that leaked from storage drums.

The site was added to the EPA's Superfund List in June 1988, and became a National Priorities List site on Feb. 21 of this year.

On Monday, Jackson aldermen approved legislation authorizing the mayor to sign a consent decree with the EPA as one of the nearly 300 potential responsible parties (PRPs).

A PRP may be an individual or company that contributed to the contamination problems at a Superfund site. Whenever possible, the EPA requires the PRPs to clean up hazardous waste sites.

"This decree is an agreement between the group of PRPs and the EPA on how the cleanup work will be done and paid for," explained Jackson City Administrator Carl Talley. "With the signing of the decree by the PRPs, the project can now go forward. This will now be a joint partnership effort between PRPs and the EPA to clean up this Superfund site."

Talley said many years ago, Jackson's power and light department sent new and used transformers to Missouri Electric Works for repair and renovation. Because of that work, the city was identified as a PRP.

In other business, the aldermen decided to table action on an application for a 3.2 and 5 percent beer license and original package liquor license for Host Enterprises, Inc., at 1402 Cape Road. Several aldermen said they wanted more information about a reported liquor violation before taking a vote on the application.

The aldermen gave their blessing to a "Welcome to Jackson" sign that will be erected on the south side of East Jackson Boulevard near the Kohlfeld Distributing Co.

Alderman Paul Sander, also the Chamber of Commerce president, said the sign will be similar to signs at the north and west ends of town. He said this sign would welcome visitors entering Jackson from Interstate 55 or Cape Girardeau. Sander said the sign could be up before the end of the year.

Acting City Engineer Rich Bowen reported work on the West Main Street Improvement Project is continuing. Bowen said the contractor plans to remove the existing pavement this week and start laying new pavement next week, weather permitting.