He was 80. One of her adult sons has since contracted a lupus-like disease, says Jordan. He remembers being approached by an official one day while he was working. The sense of community, of belonging, made up for any financial lacking. Now officials worry that they may never find the 87 places reportedly used for dumping of dioxin-contaminated waste oil. But now, she turns indignant, her jaw tightening and eyes narrowing, seething at the people who dare to argue that dioxin never hurt anyone in Missouri. Early 1970s: Waste oil hauler Russell Bliss is hired to remove dioxin from the tanks. Those who returned were instructed to leave, and anyone who hadnt was told to stay away. Bliss son still lives on a Strecker Road property once owned by his father, from which the EPA only a few years ago finally removed more than 900 truckloads of dioxin-contaminated dirt in addition to an estimated 1,500-2,000 barrels of toxic chemicals. As the offers improved slightly, many of the holdouts grudgingly gave in. Actor and comedian Jerry Stiller has died due to natural causes, his son, actor Ben Stiller said in a tweet. The EPA received its own test results on December 23 and delivered a Christmas message to the citizens of Times Beach. But the fire was rekindled, and the remaining soil was burned. Thats why just about every physician will tell his or her patient to stop smoking cigarettes, Schecter says. Natalie M. Bliss, 58, passed peacefully on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, in her home with her husband and daughter by her side. As things stand, Byrne Builders holds an option to buy the land from its current owners, Gerald and Patricia Primm. When asked to comment last week, Monsanto spokeswoman Diane Herndon responded with this prepared statement: No information exists that any dioxin material was hauled by Bliss for Monsanto and so no material from Monsanto would have been sprayed on roads. If the city approves their respective developments, Wurm and Byrne hope to avoid this legal pitfall by having buyers sign a disclosure form saying that they were told in advance of the lands history. Jerry Russell Bliss Dioxin concentrations of one part per billion are considered hazardous. No further actions were taken at these locations. 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. McDonnell Park, which is part of the St. Louis County Parks system, is the most recent dioxin site discovered in the metropolitan area. The citys nearly 2,500 residents were divided about what to do next, whether to stay or to ask for a buyout of their property through the EPAs Superfund. Copyright 2023 SLM Media Group. As of now, no specifics about Russel Flowers involvement in the accident have emerged on the internet. (And if that was the agencys aim, it succeeded; Syntex covered the cost of the cleanup and paid the government $10 million for its trouble.) The cleanup crew immediately sent 592 drums to a landfill in Wright City, Mo., but more than 600 barrels were stored on-site, along with 500 cubic yards of soil. A majority of residents realized that there were no available methods then for cleaning up dioxin, and they didnt see the point of rebuilding homes that had been destroyed by the flood anyway (especially since Times Beach had voted itself out of the National Flood Insurance Program a few years before). Sometimes, Copeland and Bunch would spend a summer day walking the railroad tracks on the west end of town. DNR officials described the location of the dump as a ravine, filled 15 feet deep with rusty barrels. He was hired to dispose of the waste after Northeastern was absorbed by Syntex Agribusiness Inc. Court records show that Northeastern had waste buried on farm land and discharged some waste through its plant's sewage system. Russell Bliss was accused of picking up chemical waste from a plant in Verona in the early 70s, mixing it with used motor oil from service stations, and selling the toxic elixir to horse farms, churches, and small towns as a dust suppressant. She remembers being able to let her kids run free without having to worry. ST. LOUIS -- Waste-oil hauler Russell Bliss, who allegedly sprayed dioxin-contaminated oil around the state in the 1970s, was sentenced Friday to one year in They were also eligible for relocation assistance; if their new house outside of Times Beach cost more than their settlement, the Superfund program would pay part of the difference. State and federal officials ignored the Centers for Disease Control when it confirmed that dioxin had contaminated an Imperial, Mo., subdivision and urged in 1975 that the dirt be moved to protect residents. If she had a couple of drinks at Bucks Place, she could walk home. "Is it in the houses?" It was like everybody was related to everybody, Leistner says. But PCBs have been found in the past along with dioxin at the now remediated sites in eastern Missouri. The residents gathered in front of a hotel in Eureka, crowding around the outdoor pool. The only reference to Times Beach is a single display in a corner of the museum. They all have thyroid disorders. Its a thermometer with one-liners painted across its face. The rugged land has resisted development for a long time, so a rural atmosphere still clings to these verdant hills, despite the encroachment of affluent subdivisions on the remaining ridgetop farms. For one, Houk made his oft-quoted statement in the early 90s at a convention sponsored by Syntex, the company responsible for the dioxin that Bliss dumped in Times Beach. Indeed, no homeowner in Times Beach has flood insurance because the town voted itself out of the federal flood insurance program. Using a microphone, Burford announced to the people outside that the Superfund would buy their homes at fair market value. You know, hed give Gary (Lambarth) some of these old, old sex magazines. Bliss worked as a Program Manager at Microsoft as well before being promoted to the Sales Operation Lead position at Nayamode. A trio joggers run past them. Join Facebook to connect with Jerry Russell and others you may know. He was 80. Eventually, it was. No (s). She took it to the dry cleaner, but the owners refused her business. The way we understand it, Monsanto told EPA investigators that they did not hire Bliss end of story, says Taylor. It would be better to err on the side of safety, says Shea, than risk exposing people to more hazardous waste by digging foundations on the Callahan property and inadvertently excavating a heretofore undetected layer of toxic waste. She stayed, married, and had two daughters. It went to the rooftop., Boo Sowards, a tall, muscular man wearing a Mizzou T-shirt, jeans, and work boots, grew up in Times Beach. It appears that it is possible that certain leads werent followed up on because they didnt fit their theory of where this waste came from.. "I don't think we're proud of the track record," said Fred A. Lafser, director of Missouri's Department of Natural Resources at one hearing. In the case of Terre Du Lac, the tracking sheet shows a DNR investigator determined that Bliss had oiled the roads on at least one occasion in 1976. The document further states that prior oiling had occurred though (it is) uncertain who did the earlier oiling. Based on this information alone, the DNR concluded that due to the late time period of oiling, sampling for TCDD (dioxin) appears unwarranted. The EPA agreed by ruling that no further action appears necessary at the site. Hes been sued repeatedly. The announcement of the new site came only weeks after the EPA and DNR had completed their controversial incineration project at One says, Is it hot in here, or is it just me?. A federal court jury July 22 found Bliss guilty of over-stating his business expenses for 1976, 1977 and 1978. WebView the profiles of people named Jerry Russell. 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. But for the average person, its still unwise to smoke four packs a day. By mid-1982, the agency was making rounds on the farms and reportedly visited Times Beach as well, but still no one informed the town itself what had happened. So do two of her granddaughters. I had to go tell him we did it.. Some streets here measured 100 parts per billion--100 times higher than the level the CDC considers dangerous. Her children helped walk the horses and worked in the stables, she says. The discovery followed an announcement earlier last year of another suburban dioxin site in Ellisville on Lemar Drive. 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. Leistner recalls meeting a woman the day that the EPA came to announce the buyout. In the short term, the federal agency has settled for containment and fencing off the contaminated areas. "His loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on," the family said. They remembered birds dying. Taylor thought that sounded like a bad idea, so he co-founded the Times Beach Action Group to oppose the incinerator. While the CDC warned residents to evacuate and stay out to avoid dioxin exposure, the jury is still out on its long-term effect on humans, as well as the extent of contamination. ", "I've eaten in it, inhaled it and rolled around in it and I'm in good shape," boasted Mayor Sid Hammer, repairing a neighbor's furnace in mud-caked jeans. 67115 (Mo. 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. 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. A few days after it reopened, the city received the results from its soil tests. The words come easily, honed over decades of repetition. Is Kurt Russell still alive or dead? 2023 - Vim Buzz The dioxin has been traced to six tanker truckloads of waste Bliss picked up in 1971 from the now-defunct Northeastern Pharmaceutical and Chemical Co. in Verona, Mo. "I was only following orders, but I dream about it," he said. The door was locked, and Burford stood in a second-floor conference room. The same goes for rolling around in dioxin. 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. Its the sort of detail that might make Taylor seem like a conspiracy theorist. Just little bullshit. To pad the citys coffers, it stationed a cop with a radar gun out on the highway. This is not to say there is no controversy about dioxin. Wildwood currently zones the Strecker Road properties as nonurban, which requires a minimum lot size of 3 acres. You want to make sure you do it right, and, in the process of doing it, safeguard the public. Though it was rocky at times, their iconic relationship lasted for five years before they called it quits in 1982. Finally, Dr. Renate Kimbrough, a CDC toxicologist, suggested testing for dioxin, the only dangerous hexachlorophene byproduct. But what we want is a modicum of honesty.. he asked. ELR Citation: ELR 20492. There are probably a lot of people who are unaware, she adds. Its clean as a whistle, says Wurm of the Callahan property. In August, the EPA warned Imperial residents of a potential dioxin problem, later revealing that it suspected contamination of 40 other sites in Missouri. Hammer, for example, wants "proof" that dioxin is dangerous or a fair-market price from the government for his property to move. She also remembers the flood. "They'd tell me, 'You can't see it, taste it or feel it.' A dozen rabbits' ears were swabbed with a 300 ppb dioxin solution taken from contaminated soil residue. 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. 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. The full history of the Callahan site and the others in the Caulks Creek watershed remains something of an enigma. People were attempting to determine if Russell died in the accident, which was suspected to be a motorcycle accident. At this point in time, I have seen nothing to suggest that there may be additional sites out there, says Feild. The waste oil salvagers list of clients included: Monsanto, Wagner Electric, Union Electric, Carter Carburetor, American Can and the now-defunct Lianco Container Corp., a can manufacturer jointly owned by Libby, McNeil and Libby and Anheuser- Busch Inc. Monsanto created dioxin as a waste byproduct in its chemical manufacturing processes and also exclusively made toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at its Krummrich plant in Sauget, Ill. until 1977. That doesnt exist in this world. Many former residents wish they hadnt been forced to leaveand think they werent adequately compensated when they were pushed out. I look at it this way as a lawyer, says Steincamp. The EPA intends to cap that area with soil and sod to limit human exposure and soil erosion. My (goal) is to have a park that is presentable to the public and that is safe to the public and doesnt put them at any risk. Her second husband died years ago, so she lives alone, unless you count her cat, Sarah Palin. Her house had been ravaged. The Vietnam veterans got a huge settlement, Taylor says. (Despite repeated requests, the agency was unable to comment for this story. As with the gift shop, this would be a fine place to go running or maybe toss a Frisbee, if not for the memory of a community gone up in smoke. Monsanto is a big, big company. By its order dated August 7, 1987, this Court found the NEPACCO defendants, IPC, Russell Bliss and Jerry-Russell Bliss, Inc. jointly and severally liable Byrne Builders Inc. to build Strecker Forest, 31 houses will be constructed on the 18.5-acre tract. It had been there for a decade without harming them. Natalie faced her 20-year battle with Multiple Sclerosis with bravery, grace, and dignity. Our materials are appropriately handled at waste disposal operations., Martha Steincamp, the chief regional counsel for the EPA, concurs with Monsantos professed innocence. Bliss, 49, is believed responsible for spreading much of the dioxin that contaminated at least 31 sites in central and eastern Missouri, including the St. Louis suburb of Times Beach. WebThe Bliss site is an 11.5 acre tract owned by Jerry Russell Bliss, plus four contiguous properties near Ellisville, Missouri. Every morning, Bunch would come to the donut shop. February 13, 2022 1 Min Read. Taylors overarching complaint is that the EPAs focus was too narrow. The chemical companies paid him to take the sludge, and then he turned around and sold it to somebody else. Given these revelations and the luxury of six additional years of hindsight, the lack of prudence exhibited by the EPA and DNR at Terre Du Lac is indeed inexplicable. Jerry-Russell Bliss, Inc., appeals from denial of a license to transport hazardous waste. It's a free country. A missing page, a missing date, a missing signature. Only a small portion of the residents ever made it back. If I had Monsanto as a potential defendant, and had the evidence on them, I certainly would bring them in as a party. (The market for hexachlorophene collapsed in 1972 when baby powder made with it killed 36 infants in France.). Now the fledgling city faces a dilemma: Two developers are asking for zoning variances so that they can wedge dozens of high-priced houses on either side of Strecker Road on parcels of land that were once part of the Bliss-Ellisville hazardous-waste site. She earned a business degree from Maryville University and served as the Treasurer of the family car business as well as a horse trainer. "When I hear people talking about the effects they're feeling now, tears come to my eyes.". If theyre going to develop the Callahan property, then we need to know exactly what took place there. Every year, former residents of Times Beach gather on the site to see old friends, tell stories, and inevitably shed a few tears. They married in California and moved in with his parents, sharing a two-bedroom house on Forest Road. Scapegoats seem to abound here. A Post-Dispatch story dated April 4, 1983, describes the 500 cubic yards of soil stored at the Callahan site as being contaminated., A later EPA inspection showed that the land had subsequently subsided and would require stabilization. It was safe. I saw people that lived in the community lose their jobs, their churches, their homes, health problems. But as you see, Bliss drivers consistently stated that Monsanto was a client.. In all, 265,000 tons of dirt from 27 locations would be burned. Leistner (at right) remembers four churches and four taverns, a perfect balance. It was during this period that Bliss was trucking some of the sludge to his own storage tanks where he mixed it with waste oil and sold it for dust control. Although the state hastened to dispose of hundreds of barrels at the Callahan site in the early 1980s, the EPA did not close its case on the property until last September. Bunch lived at Cape Cod, a little motel on the edge of town. Dioxin clings to dirt and dust particles and officials fear that residents may inhale it or swallow it if they return home. Clean ups at both places have remained at a standstill for several months now. The trees are thin, which helps visibility. Bliss The agency tested the incinerator to ensure that it was destroying dioxin. You got to do your homework on these pieces, otherwise youre wasting your time. However, we dont have any information that would suggest there would be. Sid Hammer, who was chairman of the board of aldermen, became acting mayor, while Leistner became acting chairwoman. Current Address: ETZR Strecker Rd, Ballwin, MO. They had rebuilt before, and they would do it again. 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.. From publicly released EPA documents, this much is known: In the winter of 1981-1982, the DNR and EPA excavated more than 1,200 barrels of toxic waste from the Callahan property. 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. Insects fell from the air. The rabbits died. It brought a lot of revenue into Times Beach, Leistner says, laughing. A part-owner of a stable where 62 horses died after dioxin-tainted oil was sprayed testified today before the Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Commssion that the man who sprayed the oil had told her it contained a special fly-killing ingredient. And blah, blah, blah. Dec 17, 1985) The court holds that the state Hazardous Waste As she walks along the path, OLeary points out breaks in the trees. Nobody knew it then, of course, but that oil contained massive levels of dioxin, far more than the oil sprayed at Times Beach. Once we receive the public comment then well be in the position to move forward with remedy selection. Officials seemed to be acting as if the residents might be contagious. We've found it on the shoulders of the roads, but how much is in the roadbed? Bliss faces five lawsuits from property owners, officials said, and an unrelated indictment for tax evasion. [5] Outline of AbrahamHicks' teachings People here tend to talk about the flood more than the dioxin. This is especially true for 2,3,7,8tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, which is the most toxic and the one found at Times Beach. For about a week and a half, that was the biggest topic.. In an effort to control the dust, the city hired waste oil hauler Russell Bliss to spray them down, which he did multiple times between 1972 and 1976. Slowly, the town grew. It's been 30 years since dioxin contamination was discovered in Times Beach, in one of the largest environmental disasters in our nation's history. Jerry Stiller has died of natural 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. Over several weeks, 11 cats and four dogs dropped dead nearby. WebJERRY-RUSSELL BLISS, INC., Petitioner-Appellant, v. HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, et al., Respondents. Former company officials said their warnings were ignored. Suburban builders plan to construct dozens of pricey houses on former hazardous-waste sites, first published in the Riverfront Times (St. Louis)June 23, 1999, Wednesday. Again, it showed that the incinerator was safe, and again, Taylor found flaws in the testing procedure. But this blue-collar town beneath gray granite bluffs on the muddy Meramec River has become a symbol of a national trauma no one seems to know how to control. They wanted more money, Leistner says. Jerry Russell Bliss, Ballwin, MO (63011) - Spokeo Supreme Court of TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Its no problem. When considering deviations from the existing zoning code, the city takes into account several factors, such as the availability of utility services, topography and road conditions, but nothing on the municipal books deals with building houses on top of former hazardous-waste sites. I will bet you two weeks pay there is no dioxin on your streets, she recalls Bliss telling her. In other words, Feild is denying that the EPA itself has even a scintilla of evidence that could help pinpoint any potentially untreated hazardous waste sites in eastern Missouri. I think theyve done that.. Monsanto refused to consider the governors appeal, even though before a federal ban on the chemical the company had been the sole producer of PCBs in North America.
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