The Madison County Mines Superfund Site (MCM) is located near Fredericktown in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District, where heavy metal mining has occurred since the early 1700s. Mining began again in 2019, when Missouri Mines (formerly owned by Anschutz) was purchased by Missouri Mining Inc (MMI) and leased to Missouri Cobalt who reprocessed onsite tailings for cobalt and has begun development of the site in anticipation of underground cobalt mining. Environmental Operations Inc., a subsidiary of MMI, concurrently capped the reprocessed tailings under an Administrative Order on Consent for removal actions between EPA and MMI. The entirety of the MCM Site includes all of Madison County and the "Mine LaMotte Tract" in southern St. Francois County. Past mining operations have left at least 13 major tailings and chat deposits from mineral processing operations within the county, and These materials have been transported by water and wind erosion, in addition to transport by human means to settings throughout the county. The tailings and chat contain elevated levels of lead and other heavy metals which pose a threat to human health and the environment. In addition, these deposits have resulted in contaminated soils, sediments, surface water, groundwater, and are impacting ecological systems. As a result of the release of hazardous substances to the environment of Madison County, the U.S. EPA listed the site on the national priority list in 2003 and has been working to control human exposure since that time. The Trustees for Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration released a Pre-Assessment Screen and Determination for the Madison County Mines Site in 2014, an Addendum to the SEMOLMD Assessment Plan in 2015, and are implementing assessment studies currently. The assessment is focused on the Mine La Motte Recreational Area (MLMRA); Anschutz Property; and Hickory Nut Mines. Some restoration activities have been initiated related to reforestation of the floodplain around the Little St. Francis River pile using ASARCO settlement funds. The Trustees settled with ASARCO during bankruptcy proceedings for releases related to their operations at the Catherine Mine and Little St. Francis River tailings.