JEFFERSON CITY—State Sen. Gary Romine, R-Farmington, who chairs the special interim committee tasked with revitalizing a safe, environmentally conscious lead industry in Missouri, has announced the group will hold its first meeting in early July.

The Missouri Lead Industry Employment, Economic Development and Environmental Remediation Task Force will conduct a public hearing in the Capitol in Senate Committee Room 2 on Wednesday, July 10, at 10 a.m.

The task force is charged with making recommendations to the General Assembly on ways to promote and develop a clean lead industry in Missouri and the economic impact of such an effort. The group will also examine remediation and proposed environmental settlements.

“I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues, representatives from the business community and the public in finding ways to promote a safe lead industry in the state,” said Sen. Romine. “We have an opportunity to foster an environmentally responsible lead industry here in our state, which could have a huge economic impact on Missouri, and that merits exploring.”

Chaired by Sen. Romine, the task force is comprised of three members from both the Senate and House of Representatives.  Senator Ryan McKenna, D-Crystal City, and Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, have been selected as the Senate appointees.  Representative Paul Wieland, R-Imperial, of the 112th District, will serve as vice-chairman, along with Rep. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, of the 116th District, and Rep. T.J. McKenna, D-Festus, of the 114th District, from the House of Representatives. 

The task force will also include two industry representatives, Matthew Wohl and Mark Coomes of The Doe Run Company, who will offer insight to the task force on ways to encourage growth in the state’s lead industry in an environmentally safe manner.

“Mark and I are honored to serve with such an esteemed group of legislators on issues so very important to the future of the industry in Missouri,” said Wohl, vice president-law for The Doe Run Company. “Missouri is home to the largest lead mining district in North America as well as to its full product lifecycle including mining, metal production, battery manufacturing and one of the largest lead material recycling plants in the world. Missouri is uniquely poised to leverage its historical position in the industry to take advantage of new, cleaner technologies that can create jobs.  We are eager to listen to and respond to the needs of Missouri’s communities.”
The group will issue its recommendations to the General Assembly during the 2014 session.

To view the schedule for upcoming committee hearings, click here or visit www.senate.mo.gov.

For more information on Sen. Romine’s committee work, visit his Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov/romine.