"Then the dioxin scare hit and most said they didn't want to fight it," said Charlie Stone, the park owner. Under crossexamination after Tuesday's testimony, Mr. Lambarth acknowledged that since Jan. 1 this year he has been working for a waste oil concern that is competing with Mr. Bliss for customers. I had to go tell him we did it.. Eventually, it was. [1] [2] [3] Jerry Hicks died November 18, 2011, from cancer. Were hesitant to give this information to an agency that we feel is corrupt. The Callahan dump was discovered in August of that year. Taylors overarching complaint is that the EPAs focus was too narrow. The dioxin content in his mixture was estimated at 350 parts per million. The lots were small, and you needed at least two to build a house. "Only if they said, 'Sid, next week you'll have cancer,' I might worry. This is especially true for 2,3,7,8tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, which is the most toxic and the one found at Times Beach. Bliss testified at a subsequent DNR hearing that materials found at the site had come from Monsantos research lab. "Is it in the houses?" After the discovery of the waste a decade later, Callahan testified in St. Louis County Circuit Court that he had used a lift truck to dump drums of waste, which Bliss had picked up at local industries, on the Callahan property. However, the EPA is expected to release its Engineering Evaluation and Cost Analysis (EE/CA) for the two projects this month. Evening Standard/Getty Images. Bliss has said publicity about his spreading of dioxin to Times Beach and other areas forced him to turn over his waste-hauling business to his son, Jerry. But at this point, I cant really discuss the alternatives. But he was forced to do jail time anyway, on tax-evasion charges, since he didnt report his waste-hauling income to the IRS. Compelling evidence of Bliss misdeeds had been presented only months earlier as a part of the DNRs effort to prevent his son from being granted a hazardous waste haulers license. Mr. Lambarth's testimony contradicted that of a former manager of the Verona chemical plant, who said that Bliss drivers were always furnished protective gear and warned about the hazardousness of the sludge as they pumped it into their trucks. If I had Monsanto as a potential defendant, and had the evidence on them, I certainly would bring them in as a party. While explaining, in meticulous and sometimes graphic detail, all that her children have gone through, Leistner is on the verge of tears, her voice wavering. The bulk of the park is down below, across the river. Were going to have to weigh out a lot of factors. Just little bullshit. Some streets here measured 100 parts per billion--100 times higher than the level the CDC considers dangerous. Nobody knew it then, of course, but that oil contained massive levels of dioxin, far more than the oil sprayed at Times Beach. The only reference to Times Beach is a single display in a corner of the museum. Everyone in attendance says that if the town were reopened tomorrow, they would move back in a heartbeat. So when the EPA started the process of cleaning up Times Beach, Taylor took a keen interest. Yet the poisoning of Times Beach, and 14 other dioxin sites in Missouri and six in Illinois, happened long before that, a deadly legacy by industry and government from an era when there were no comprehensive laws to protect the public from dangers that few had imagined. Although state and federal regulatory authorities all heralded the closing of the incinerator as the end of states toxic legacy, the discovery of the new site draws into question the EPAs prior assumptions about the origins of the dioxin and other hazardous wastes that have long plagued the region. Dioxin concentrations of one part per billion are considered hazardous. As for developer Wurm, he believes the Callahan property has been cleaned up, but hes counting on the findings of state and federal regulators to protect him against any future liability. Many people in town took part in personal-injury lawsuits against the chemical companies. On the other side of the road, at 210 Strecker Rd., developer Larry Wurm of James Properties Inc. is proposing to build Wildwood Ridge, an 11-home development on 7.6 acres of land now owned by Jean Callahan. Sid Hammer, who was chairman of the board of aldermen, became acting mayor, while Leistner became acting chairwoman. April 27 (UPI) -- A Sydney, Australia, woman is trying to solve a mystery after hundreds of dollars' worth of drinks, including Gatorade, Powerade, Coke and Fanta started showing up at her home. On the other side was a small but vocal group of peopleLeistner estimates 50 of Times Beachs 801 familieswho argued that the dioxin wasnt a threat. People here tend to talk about the flood more than the dioxin. For three years, investigators were baffled. Leistner (at right) remembers four churches and four taverns, a perfect balance. We He had acquired an official document detailing suspected dioxin sites across Missouri. You can move it, but you can't get rid of it. Contacted by phone last Friday at EPA headquarters in Kansas City, Martha Steincamp, regional counsel for the EPA, could not provide details on the Bliss-Ellisville cleanups and referred all questions on the matter to Bob Feild, the agencys project manager. After her recent success on Love Is Blind, Bliss can also add reality TV star to her resume. Shea is being dismissed as an alarmist. After Bliss sprayed her stables in 1971, Piatts horses died and her daughter became seriously ill. To gather evidence for her pending civil suit against Bliss, the stable owner followed the waste oil hauler and his drivers along their daily routes. Leistner has four children, three girls and a boy. He reports that exposure to dioxin has certainly not hurt Bliss and that scientists have been mixed on the dangers of dioxin, citing a quote from the late Dr. Vernon Houk of the Centers for Disease Control, who once said that the evacuation of Times Beach was an overreaction. WebHIGGINS, Chief Justice. In the past, Jerry has also been known as Jerry Russell Bliss and Jerry R Bliss. OLeary (at right) came back to her house as soon as she could after the flood. It was safe. They had rebuilt before, and they would do it again. Despite evidence of erosion, the EPAs investigation concluded that the fill area of the Callahan subsite was not contaminated (and) that the original objectives of the remedial action had either been achieved through natural processes, or were no longer considered necessary due to the preference expressed by the site owner., Aside from groundwater contamination, the most serious threat to human health posed by the contamination at the Callahan site was airborne migration, according to the EPA. Waste was tracked to the Verona plant. Judy Piatt, who was co-owner of Shenandoah Stables in 1971 when the arena was oiled for dust control, testified that the driver for Russell Bliss, a waste oil dealer, ''told me there was special stuff put in the oil for special customers that would kill flies.''. "We're still paying dearly," local activist Yolanda Bohrer said. 1 killed in shooting at Massachusetts house party, Heavy shelling in Kherson, Kharkiv destroys residences, Cuba postpones International Workers' Day parade over fuel shortages, Democrats, Republicans remain split on debt ceiling plan. Scapegoats seem to abound here. Is it in the ditches? April 28 (UPI) -- A bear stuck in a Nevada tree was rescued by wildlife officials and firefighters who tranquilized the bruin and then caught the large animal in a tarp. Downstream from the Verona plant, dairyman Bill Davis watched eight cows die after they drank from a river a half-mile from the factory where all Missouri's dioxin was once produced. I would move back in a second., After the flood, he and his brothers began rebuilding immediately. Businesses were locating there, Leistner says. Only Bliss actually knows how much he knew about what he was hauling. In August, the EPA warned Imperial residents of a potential dioxin problem, later revealing that it suspected contamination of 40 other sites in Missouri. I dont really think there was enough dioxin down here to do anything, he says. Theres plenty of parking, a playground, and lots of picnic tables. Leistner grew up in Valley Park and moved to Times Beach in December 1956, at age 18. According to a 1981 IEPA document, Piatt recalled that Bliss possibly obtained waste from Monsanto. The IEPA summary goes on to state: Judy Piatt has a diary and pictures of such activities, but will not release these to (EPA) Region VII on the advise of her attorney., But perhaps the most damning indictment comes from Bliss himself. Bliss was the driver of the truck that unknowingly 314-918-3000. Times Beach had paid Bliss $4,900 to spray its streets in 1972. Even so, between picnics with neighbors, river recreation, town dances, and quite a few saloons, life in the Beach, as old-timers called it, was downright pastoral. On any given afternoon, youre bound to see deer wandering in the woods. Some were rescued in boats. She still blames me. At the hearing on the matter, the DNR submitted two contracts between Monsanto and Russell Bliss dated 1975 and 1976, the time period in which Bliss is known to have sprayed Terre Du Lac. Officials blame their inaction on scientists who once believed dioxin decays faster than it does. Stuff flooded in for us to have Christmas like you wouldnt believe, she says. Hed take out the trash in exchange for a free pastry. Wildwood residents originally voted to approve the creation of the municipality to control development, thereby ensuring that greenspace would be preserved. She died less than a year later.. She worked as a receptionist at a dental office and became a Times Beach alderwoman in 1981. Every morning, Bunch would come to the donut shop. Bliss could not be reached for comment. Sometimes, its thought that people are asking for complete safety, complete security. In 1994, the Post-Dispatch reported a dispute involving homebuyers in Turnberry Place subdivision, which abuts the Bliss farm. You didnt have to lock your doors., Velda Pratt, who lived in Times Beach with her husband and four kids, talks about coming back after the flood. Its clean as a whistle, he repeats. Even so, he has consistently denied having any knowledge that the materials were toxic. The only building that remains is a former roadhouse, now a museum and gift shop. ELR Citation: ELR 20492. In both instances, the allegations were not based so much on environmental concerns as they were on the bottom line. Eventually several hazardous-waste sites would be identified in the area by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Natalie M. Bliss, 58, passed peacefully on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, in her home with her husband and daughter by her side. He carries a brown leather briefcase, packed full of documents, many of which he says are classified. If the city allows W.J. Another possible alternative was eliminated in December, when the only available commercial incinerator licensed to accept dioxin-contaminated waste was shuttered in Coffeyville, Kan. The same man was under investigation for spraying dioxin-laced oil on roads across the state in the early 1970s. As the offers improved slightly, many of the holdouts grudgingly gave in. Ive got letters from EPA and DNR also stating that everything is cool on the property. But Wurm says he doesnt want to discuss the project in detail, fearing his plans will be misrepresented. He remembers being approached by an official one day while he was working. EPA considers itself blameless. Jerry Lewis, the legendary actor and comedian, has died, his talent agency said Sunday. Scientists disagree about how much it takes to put someone at risk. As a result of a lawsuit that Piatt filed against Bliss and the chemical companies, which eventually netted her family a healthy sum, Bliss was forced to admit his waste-hauling activity and identify the dozens of sites across the state where he had dumped it. In the center of the park is a large mound where the contaminated houses were buried, since only soil was burned. "Bliss told me it couldn't be in the oil because he didn't haul chemicals.". But even in the heat of election season, Taylor is happy to carve out a couple of hours to make his case about Times Beach and the problems he perceives with the cleanup. He spent years lobbying against casino expansion, and hes now the communications director for embattled Rep. Todd Akin. One residence has had to be evacuated because of interior contamination. A venerable columnist, McClellan hedges his bets by saying Who knows? about dioxins dangers, rather than drawing any final conclusion. The trees are thin, which helps visibility. The person told him he could take his tools, but hed have to leave the supplies. During the questioning, inmate Scott Rollins, a former Bliss driver, made a stuttering confession that he had picked up waste from Monsanto in Illinois. Supreme Court of Copeland made friends with a kid who went by the name Boner T. Bunch. Besides giving the site a clean bill of health without any soil testing, the DNR ignored its own warnings signals. Ultimately, there is probably more than one correct answer to that question. It had been there for a decade without harming them. Its good to put a lot of thought into a process such as this, but when are we going to see some outcome? He believes that his grandfathers health suffered as a result of the spraying. Sewer workers discovered the first batch of barrels on the property of the Rosalie Investment Co., near the intersection of Strecker and Clayton roads, in July 1980. Mr. Bliss contends he was not warned the dioxin wastes were hazardous and that his license has been denied unfairly because of past practices that were legal and The walls smelled. She wants to let people remember the good times, and she knows that she reminds them of the bad ones. The liquor store doubled as a tackle shop, selling rods and bait. WebIn Jerry-Russell Bliss, Inc. v. Hazardous Waste Management Comm., 702 S.W.2d 77 (Mo. The residents gathered in front of a hotel in Eureka, crowding around the outdoor pool. In Times Beach, the dioxin level was more than 100 parts per billion. A few days after it reopened, the city received the results from its soil tests. Finally, Dr. Renate Kimbrough, a CDC toxicologist, suggested testing for dioxin, the only dangerous hexachlorophene byproduct. Dioxin is known to cause damage to the human reproductive and immunological systems. BY C.D. During its investigations in the 1980s, the EPA rejected all the sites that Bliss may have sprayed before or after accepting the Verona waste, claiming those locations could not have possibly been contaminated with dioxin from the Verona chemical plant. This is new growth. Well, you know, Leistner says now, Ive never collected.. If theyre going to develop the Callahan property, then we need to know exactly what took place there. Trailers were tossed about like bumper boats. I didnt have anything to do with their money.. Again, it showed that the incinerator was safe, and again, Taylor found flaws in the testing procedure. At the moment, shes trying to find the spot where her house used to be, but with the flower garden gone, shes just not sure. It's fear of the unknown.". An early EPA investigation found portions of the Primm property and three other adjacent parcels to be contaminated. Bliss faces five lawsuits from property owners, officials said, and an unrelated indictment for tax evasion. Did it get into the water supply? No further actions were taken at these locations. What Im going to ask is that they provide the citizens with some level of accountability, because we certainly arent getting it from the EPA and we shouldnt have to depend on the developer to provide it.. People doubted that the water would even make it to Riverside Drive. Most lung cancer is caused by smoking, but most people who smoke dont get lung cancer. Offers were based solely on square footage, which angered the owners of newer, nicer houses. Monsanto is a big, big company. We feel that our residents should not be subjected to having that site next to them for an excessive period of time., On the other hand, the director of the St. Louis County Parks and Recreation Department, expressed unqualified satisfaction with the EPAs handling of the McDonnell Park site. S.C. woman wins $300,000 lottery prize -- her second jackpot in 3 years. Stranded bear rescued from Nevada tree using tranquilizer, tarp. I believe that the whole area there is littered with contamination pockets, she says. In Times Beach, an ex-truck driver for hauler Russell Bliss came forward to retrace his route. The activists appeal to the local governing body follows the public disclosure late last month of the existence of a previously undiscovered dioxin site in Ellisville. For information about the McDonnell Park and Lemar Drive dioxin sites, call Hattie Thomas, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, at 1-800 223-0425. published in the Riverfront Times (St. Louis), Aug. 20, 1997. Defense attorney Charles Shaw said no decision had been made whether to appeal the sentence, which included fines totaling $8,000. Most of all missing accountability, Stelzer wrote in a piece titled Why the Times Beach Incinerator Should Be Shut Down.. By the EPAs count, the Bliss-Ellisville site contained at least seven separate waste-disposal locations.
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