• Survey Responses for Jasper County 10.0% 10.0%

Goal: 500 Responses

Your responses will help us:
Identify possible disease clusters linked to environmental exposures
Understand how pollution may be impacting our health today
Amplify community voices to advocate for environmental justice, cleanup, and funding
Build a clearer picture of how proximity to the Tri-State Mining District, Tar Creek Superfund Site, and other known contamination zones may affect local families. This information will only be used to help identify potential disease clusters and environmental pollution hotspots within Jasper County. It allows us to map health data more accurately in relation to known contamination zones such as old mining sites, factories, or areas impacted by the 2011 tornado.

🔒 Privacy Statement
Your privacy and trust are extremely important to us. This survey includes an optional question asking for your street address or nearest intersection. Your address will never be shared, published, or released to any third party. It will be kept confidential and used solely for research and community health analysis. You are not required to provide your full address to participate. A ZIP code is all that’s needed to contribute meaningfully to this study.

 

Clearing The Air Survey

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Have you ever heard of the Tar Creek Superfund Site?
The Tar Creek Superfund Site, located just 28 miles away, is one of the nation’s most toxic former mining areas. Due to prevailing west-to-east wind patterns, airborne particulate matter, including heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic, can travel into surrounding communities, especially during storms, tornadoes, or dry windy days. Awareness of Tar Creek is critical, as its contamination could pose regional health risks, not just local one.
Did you know that Joplin was ranked the dirtiest city in Missouri in 2021 based on industrial pollution data?
According to data reported to the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), Joplin had the highest volume of toxic chemical releases in Missouri in 2021, largely due to its concentration of manufacturing and mining related facilities. Source: https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program
Your ZIP code helps us understand which areas of Jasper County may be more impacted by pollution or environmental health concerns. This information is essential for identifying patterns and protecting public health. We will never ask for your name or full address unless you choose to provide it.
(This helps us identify possible disease or pollution hotspots. Your address will never be shared and will only be used for community health mapping.) If you're not comfortable sharing your full address, please provide one of the following: the nearest intersection, the name of your neighborhood, the nearest school or landmark.
Certain job sectors, such as manufacturing, mining, and agriculture, can involve high levels of chemical or particulate exposure that may impact respiratory, neurological, or reproductive health. Tracking employment sectors helps identify occupational exposure clusters and better understand the relationship between work environments and community health trends.
The 2011 EF5 Joplin tornado destroyed homes, disturbed soil, and spread debris across wide areas, including potential contaminants like lead dust, asbestos, and legacy mining waste. Understanding who lived in affected zones helps identify possible long-term health risks due to exposure from storm cleanup, demolition debris, or displaced pollutants, especially in neighborhoods built on or near contaminated land.
Please check all medical conditions you are CURRENTLY experiencing.
Please select all medical conditions you have experienced in the last 10 years.
Please check any medical experiences your child(ren) have.
Please check any medical experiences your child(ren) have experienced in the last 10 years.
Has anyone in your household had a miscarriage or stillbirth with no known cause?
Please enter a number from 1 to 100.
Please enter a number from 1 to 100.
Has anyone in your household tested positive for lead poisoning?
Has your property or yard ever been tested positive for lead or heavy metals?
Has your soil been replaced or remediated due to high lead levels in the past 20 years?
Has anyone in your household experienced frequent nausea or metallic taste after gardening or yardwork?
Do your children or pets play in bare soil or unpaved yards on a regular basis?
Have you noticed discolored soil, standing water, or dead patches in your yard that do not resolve over time?
Was your home built before 1978?
Do you have mining chat in your foundation?
Are your HVAC ducts in the floors?
Did you ever play in mining chat or swim in mining holes as a child?
If yes, please provide the best way to reach you (email, phone, or mailing address):

Why We’re Clearing the Air

Source(s):

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6733a7.htm

This survey is part of the Clearing the Air initiative, a community based effort to better understand environmental health concerns across the Tri-State Mining region.

This map was one of the first things that helped me understand my path in life.

In 2017, I experienced a miscarriage. I was told there was no clear explanation, that sometimes these things simply happen. While that can be true, I couldn’t fully accept the idea that there was no reason why.

That experience led me to begin researching infant loss, infertility, and environmental health patterns across the United States. Along the way, I encountered maps showing higher rates of infertility and adverse health outcomes in certain regions, particularly in agricultural states, industrial areas, and communities located near waterways or long standing pollution sources. Seeing those patterns changed how I viewed the world around me.

I wanted to understand the science behind what I was seeing, which led me to pursue education in environmental and geographic sciences, and, eventually, to learn how to create and analyze these maps myself.

Today, Clearing the Air has grown into a multi-community environmental risk and advocacy initiative. Through county specific surveys, we work to document lived experiences related to air quality, odors, industrial activity, and potential environmental exposures. Each survey is tailored to reflect the unique concerns of the community it serves.

Too often, people are told there is “no reason why.” I believe there may be more factors at play than we currently recognize, whether that’s growing up around mining waste, living near landfills or industrial hubs, or long term exposure to environmental pollutants.

If you haven’t already, please consider participating in this survey. Your experience matters, and your voice helps build the data needed to advocate for awareness, accountability, and healthier communities.

Let your voice be heard 🫶💛
Kaylann Loraine