Meramec Caverns to stay closed through holiday weekend

STANTON, Mo. -- Meramec Caverns, a popular Missouri attraction that draws thousands of visitors each year, will remain closed through the Memorial Day weekend because of potentially harmful vapors discovered late last year.

Officials at the attraction about 60 miles southwest of St. Louis had hoped to open by the holiday weekend, but test results are still pending, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. A reopening date has not been determined.

Lester Turilli, Meramec Caverns president and director of operations, said he has been frustrated by the pace of the Environmental Protection Agency's oversight of the cleanup of trichloroethylene after vapors measured above a level indicating they posed a health risk. TCE is a solvent used mainly to remove grease from metal parts. It also is an ingredient in adhesives, paint removers and other products, and is classified as a carcinogen.

The EPA said the vapors in the caverns likely came from a former auto parts factory and a landfill more than 4 miles away in Sullivan, both of which are associated with a Superfund site. The factory owner, TRW, is responsible for the costs of reducing levels of TCE in the caverns. The work is expected to involve improvements to air ventilation systems.

EPA spokeswoman Angela Brees said the concentrations of vapors in the more famous upper portion of the caverns have been reduced, but are still above the levels of health concern.

Turilli said Meramec Caverns has laid off about half of its 100 employees. Visitors still can ride the riverboat and do other things such as take canoe and raft trips, pan for gold, and go zip lining.

But the main attraction, the 80-minute walking tour through the ancient mineral formations and the one-time hideout for outlaw Jesse James, remains on hold.

"It's definitely been a tremendous impact on us financially as well as the entire community, because Meramec Caverns is an anchor to the entire area," said Turilli, who is running as an independent candidate for Missouri governor.

TCE has been detected at Meramec Caverns since at least 2003. Air-flow systems were upgraded, and the concentrations remained acceptable for the next few years.

The EPA lowered the level at which exposure to TCE is believed to pose health risks in 2011. Tests late last year showed the vapors were above the new level.

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com

Pertinent address:

Meramec Caverns, Mo.