By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, MO – State and federal officials are warning Herculaneum residents to move away from the nation's largest lead smelter.
They say lead is slowly re-contaminating the soil and air in the Jefferson County town.
But some longtime residents say they can't afford equivalent housing elsewhere.
The Doe Run Company is offering a buyout to residents who live within a certain radius of the smelter.
Officials say people should take advantage of the offer.
But some residents say they had lived near the 111-year-old smelter all of their lives and didn't want to move.