Meramec Caverns may be closed until mid-summer

Toxic fumes have forced the closing of Meramec Caverns near Stanton, Missouri. until at least mid-summer.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the historic roadside attraction off Route 66 closed March 10 after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found trichloroethylene vapors above the acceptable limit in the caverns.

TCE is a solvent used mainly to remove grease from metal parts but also is an ingredient in adhesives, paint removers and other products. The agency classifies it as a carcinogen, or potential cause of cancer.

The EPA says the vapors probably come from more than 4 miles away at the former TRW/Ramsey facility in Sullivan, where auto parts were made, and the Sullivan landfill. Both are associated with a Superfund site on the EPA’s national priorities list since 2002. TRW is now charged with reducing the levels of TCE in the caverns. The work is expected to involve improvements to air ventilation systems at an unknown cost.

The caves are expected to remain closed until at least midsummer. That means nearly 100 people could be out of jobs at the caverns. The motels, restaurants, Jesse James Wax Museum and other nearby attractions in Stanton that are supported by cave tourists are also expected to take a hit.

Meramec Caverns’ website has posted a message — “We are temporarily closed. We
apologize for any inconvenience. Check back soon for updates” — with no explanation.

The newspaper said TCE has been detected in the caves since at least 2003. Owner Lester Turilli increased the air circulation in Meramec Caverns to knock down the toxin’s levels.

It also is possible the heightened TCE levels might have been exacerbated by recent historic flooding by the nearby Meramec River, which damaged the cavern’s gift shop and restaurant.

More from a report by the U.S. EPA:

Since December 2014, EPA has overseen the implementation of a number of actions intended to address the TCE levels in the cave.  While these actions have shown some merit, they have not demonstrated the ability to achieve and sustain TCE levels below a level of concern. EPA continued to conduct air sampling in the cave throughout 2015.

In February 2016, based on new data from late 2015, the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) recommended to EPA that TCE exposures to employees in Meramec Caverns be stopped until they are brought below levels of health concern.

EPA listed what action will be taken:

TRW will soon begin the installation of upgraded airlock doors inside the cave, evaluate options for separating air in the cave’s adjoining gift shop from contaminated air in the cave itself, evaluate the effectiveness of air cleaning systems, drill one or more ventilation airshafts into back portions of the cave, and implement a comprehensive air sampling and air flow monitoring plan to better characterize human health risks and measure the work’s effectiveness.

At least TRW is paying the ticket on these potential remedies.

A report by a division Centers for Disease Control indicates TCE is nasty stuff:

• Main targets of trichloroethylene toxicity include the central nervous system, kidney, liver, immune system, male reproductive system, and developing fetus
• Available human data provide strong support for trichloroethylene-induced kidney cancer and lesser support for liver cancer and malignant lymphoma in humans.

The EPA also stated TCE is “carcinogenic to humans by all routes of exposure.”

Lester Dill opened Meramec Caverns to the public in 1935. who also is known for inventing the bumper sticker to help promote his attraction to travelers along nearby U.S. 66 and other highways. The caverns supposedly served as a hideout for 19th-century outlaw Jesse James, although it has never been proven. Dozens of billboards (and a few barns) along Interstate 44 and other highways promote Meramec Caverns, and 100,000 people reportedly visit each year.

I admit I’m pessimistic about a summer reopening of Meramec Caverns. Once a toxin gets into an ancient cavern system such as the ones sprinkled throughout Missouri, it’s very difficult to get it out.

I hope I’m wrong.

(Image inside Meramec Caverns by el-toro via Flickr)