This is especially true for 2,3,7,8tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, which is the most toxic and the one found at Times Beach. 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. They married in California and moved in with his parents, sharing a two-bedroom house on Forest Road. I will bet you two weeks pay there is no dioxin on your streets, she recalls Bliss telling her. Times Beach was on her list, she said. Last Saturday morning, Steve Taylor heard a tapping at his apartment door, a gentle rapping that he hopes to hear no more. Jordan, who has lived in her home for 43 years, recalls the late Odie Greenspon, once operated a breeding farm for trotters at the location of the present park.. Where are they now? Catching up with Mike Bliss A dozen rabbits' ears were swabbed with a 300 ppb dioxin solution taken from contaminated soil residue. On a hunch, one stable owner dug up his contaminated dirt and sold it as landfill for homesites in Imperial. The greatest surface concentrations, 169 ppb, are present in a wooded ravine, which is currently being fenced off. 314-918-3000. Natalies ashes will be spread in a private family ceremony at the barn, her favorite place on Earth. Seven families sued the responsible Realtor, and they were awarded a cumulative settlement of more than $500,000. 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. If theres any dioxin left, it doesnt seem to bother the wildlife. Citizens blame state bureaucrats for deadly delay. In the past, Jerry has also been known as Jerry Russell Bliss and Jerry R Bliss. One residence has had to be evacuated because of interior contamination. Our city adopted a resolution asking them to remedy this problem as quickly and efficiently as possible, says LaGarce. Bliss sprayed dioxin-contaminated oil on unpaved roads, parking lots, truck terminals and horse arenas as a dust suppressant. The second half of the sites name is something of a misnomer, because the locations of the Bliss farm and the other hazardous-waste sites are all outside the Ellisville municipal limits. Natalie is reunited in Heaven with her parents, Robert and Nanon Hyink; her mother-in-law, Evelyn Bliss; and a host of cowboys, cowgirls, and horses that loved her deeply. He was 91. 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. A venerable columnist, McClellan hedges his bets by saying Who knows? about dioxins dangers, rather than drawing any final conclusion. Some communities, worried that former Times Beach residents would bring dioxin with them, put up signs telling them to stay away. In both instances, the allegations were not based so much on environmental concerns as they were on the bottom line. So when the EPA started the process of cleaning up Times Beach, Taylor took a keen interest. She is survived by her devoted Its a difficult position for the city, says Joe Vujnich, Wildwoods director of parks and planning. One of Copelands tasks was to help a waste hauler named Russell Bliss spread used motor oil on the unpaved streets, in an effort to control dust. She had a brand-new leather jacket that had gotten dirty in the flood. Taylor thought that sounded like a bad idea, so he co-founded the Times Beach Action Group to oppose the incinerator. Dioxin concentrations of one part per billion are considered hazardous. 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. May she rest there in peace, and may those who cared for her continue to feel her unconditional love. After a 30-day public comment period, the agency will then decide which means of remediation to pursue. TBAG started its investigation because it thought there had been a coverup by state and federal authorities on the source and extent of contamination in Missouri, says Taylor. 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. Those same officials are now siding with the developers, claiming that the once highly contaminated land is no longer a threat to human health, that it is now safe enough for backyard swingsets and tomato patches. Horses became sick, and eventually, Piatt would bury more than 50 of them. By narrowing its focus to a single, distant source, the EPA effectively eliminated more than a dozen local industries from closer scrutiny in the case even though Bliss also accepted liquid waste from them. Taylor says he is unsure whether he will cooperate with the EPAs request. "We're still paying dearly," local activist Yolanda Bohrer said. The younger Bliss is appealing the denial of his request for a hauling permit from the Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Commission. 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. A boulder sits in the center of her well-manicured front yard, next to an inviting driveway leading to an attached garage. But he also makes some important omissions. 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. The news, on the other hand, broke on the 22nd of December, with no mention of any accident. Officials blame their inaction on scientists who once believed dioxin decays faster than it does. 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. This summer, Bill McClellan of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote a column about Bliss. WebJerry-Russell Bliss, Inc. v. Hazardous Waste Management Comm'n. I would move back in a second., After the flood, he and his brothers began rebuilding immediately. People here tend to talk about the flood more than the dioxin. 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. Our approach is not to destroy it, but to assure public exposure can be limited" to healthy levels. Bliss has accounted for spreading at least 7,000 gallons of dioxin-contaminated oil across the state, but officials fear there was much more. "Then the dioxin scare hit and most said they didn't want to fight it," said Charlie Stone, the park owner. There are few records. She remembers being able to let her kids run free without having to worry. McClellan calls Bliss an intelligent and thoughtful man, and hes stayed in touch with the erstwhile waste hauler over the years. P.O. 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.. Some, he spread across his own farm. The Callahan dump was discovered in August of that year. WebView the profiles of people named Jerry Russell. It was safe. "Until that time there was only tangential involvement by the EPA working through Missouri state government.". Officials seemed to be acting as if the residents might be contagious. For both PCBs and dioxin, it was a yes. The whole scene was surreal. Worst of all, Piatts two young daughters, who played in the arena as if it were a sandbox, fell ill. Doctors and veterinarians were stumped, but Piatt suspected the spraying was to blame. Denial of Application. Houses were ripped from their foundations. Sometimes, its thought that people are asking for complete safety, complete security. That doesnt exist in this world. When he resigned, Leistner became acting mayor. "Thirty years from now we'll know more about dioxin's effect on people and it may not be as bad as we think, or it might be worse.". She took it to the dry cleaner, but the owners refused her business. WebJERRY RUSSELL BLISS, INC., Petitioner-Appellant and Cross-Appellee, v. THE POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD et al., Respondents-Appellees and Cross-Petitioners. The government estimates there are at least 14,000 hazardous waste dumps around the country that are leaking poisons, and residents in those areas want answers, too. The dispute pitted neighbors, even relatives, against one another, eroding the citys greatest asset, its family atmosphere. Flood stage was 18.5 feet, and the water crested at nearly 43 feet. ", Dave Covert feels bad about what happened. 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. Scapegoats seem to abound here. But what we want is a modicum of honesty.. His acting career began at the age of 12 when he was given a role in the western series The To pad the citys coffers, it stationed a cop with a radar gun out on the highway. It has caused a great deal of concern for people. Some was used in highway roadbeds. The trees are thin, which helps visibility. Wildwood city officials have questioned her credentials, and she says a real-estate agent recently criticized the motives behind her activism. The town is gone, but the people remain. They put up drywall in her house. But if youre in the market for something called a Menopause Meter, youre in the right place. 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. Exposure can cause cancer, immunodeficiency, endocrine disorders, and reproductive and developmental issues, says Dr. Arnold Schecter, a professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health and one of the worlds foremost experts on dioxin. 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. He reported a litany of problems: Documents were lost; samples were mislabeled and switched; a chain of custody was not established. They remembered birds dying. CNN Chicago: Toxic Town: Bliss Transcript 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. By visiting our site, you agree to our privacy policy regarding cookies, tracking statistics, etc. Ive been to Monsanto maybe twenty times, Rollins said. Early 1970s: Waste oil hauler Russell Bliss is hired to remove dioxin from the tanks. Supreme Court of In September 1980, Gov. Though it was rocky at times, their iconic relationship lasted for five years before they called it quits in 1982. April 28 (UPI) -- The PGA Tour's Mexico Open was briefly interrupted when a swarm of bees sent a group of golfers ducking in the grass. McDonnell Park, which is part of the St. Louis County Parks system, is the most recent dioxin site discovered in the metropolitan area. Times Beach was founded, oddly enough, as a newspaper promotion. The EPA intends to cap that area with soil and sod to limit human exposure and soil erosion. Sue OLeary, 76, lived in the Beach for 20 years. russell bliss | stlreporter She wants to let people remember the good times, and she knows that she reminds them of the bad ones. Its clean as a whistle, says Wurm of the Callahan property. At the Lemar site, the dioxin levels are even higher. The legendary and controversial TV host was 79 years old. He drove the truck for Bliss when Times Beach was sprayed. I figure I was homeless for a year and a half, OLeary says. "When I hear people talking about the effects they're feeling now, tears come to my eyes.". 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. After Bliss sprayed the Shenandoah Stables in Moscow Mills in 1971, owner Judy Piatt watched barn sparrows die "by the bushel.". Remedial action is mandated by the EPA in a residential setting at one ppb or higher. JERRY-RUSSELL BLISS, INC Jerry Russell Bliss, Age 66. aka Jerry Bliiss. 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. This is the most ludicrous thing Ive seen since I was given an arrest warrant for burning a log, says Taylor, referring to one of his past acts of civil disobedience. Across the street in the park, a family of four walks with their two dogs along the asphalt trail that skirts the dioxin-contaminated site. When a Missouri assistant attorney general asked the waste hauler in 1977 to identify his top customers, the first words out of Bliss mouth were, Oh, I would say Monsanto.. She took photos, dispatching them along with names of chemical companies and sites he visited to EPA and state officials in 1972. EPA considers itself blameless. Another has a rare form of epilepsy. Over several weeks, 11 cats and four dogs dropped dead nearby. She pleaded for action. Jerry The DNR presented further evidence at the same proceeding that linked the chemical manufacturer indirectly to a 1977 incident in which a Bliss driver dumped toxic chemicals including one exclusively made by Monsanto at a site in Jefferson County. The area has been fenced off and excavated. Among those who doubt the EPAs blanket endorsement is Tammy Shea, a Wildwood resident. Were hesitant to give this information to an agency that we feel is corrupt. "This is the first time anyone ever asked for them," an EPA official told the questioners.
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