There has been a lead smelter operated in the town for over 100 years although it was producing long before that as it supplied shot for the 1812 war. (Shot Tower?). The smelter, currently owned by the Doe Run Company is the only primary lead smelter left in the United States. Testing by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Missouri Hazardous Waste Program has revealed elevated levels of lead, arsenic, cadmium and other metals associated with smelting in the air, soil, and groundwater in Herculaneum.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herculaneum,_Missouri[/url]