She died less than a year later.. Those who returned were instructed to leave, and anyone who hadnt was told to stay away. This time Teasdale made the plea with the TV news cameras rolling. Hammer, for example, wants "proof" that dioxin is dangerous or a fair-market price from the government for his property to move. At the time, the EPA considered anything above 1 part per billion hazardous. JERRY-RUSSELL BLISS v. HAZARDOUS WASTE - Casemine If you looked up, there it was, Copeland says, still giggling about it 40 years later. When everybody was scrambling, because we lived almost to Blakey [Road], farthest away, we didnt think the water was going to come up to us, Purler says. A missing page, a missing date, a missing signature. 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. We decided that we would do it ourselves, so we started taking up a collection to pay to have our streets tested. When the EPA got wind of that, it decided to test immediately, too. We didnt like that, because people were building new homes. But as you see, Bliss drivers consistently stated that Monsanto was a client.. After years of trying, Taylor had finally attracted the interest of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Dioxin is considered a probable human carcinogen and is known to cause reproductive and immunological health problems in animals and humans. Dec 17, 1985) The court holds that the state Hazardous Waste You can move it, but you can't get rid of it. Hazardous materials have been identified in 17 waste disposal locations on the site. WebClay Campbell makeup artist / makeup supervisor / makeup (209 episodes, 1959-1966) Gertrude Wheeler hair stylist / hair styles (173 episodes, 1960-1966) The person told him he could take his tools, but hed have to leave the supplies. BY C.D. In laboratory animals, dioxin causes cancer, birth defects, miscarriages, diseases of the nerves, kidneys, liver and even death at the lowest levels tested, a few parts per trillion in some cases. To broadcast the crimeand thereby maximize the thrillthey stashed their loot atop the towns police station. On December 5, the river jumped its banks, and quickly, the entire town was submerged. After a 30-day public comment period, the agency will then decide which means of remediation to pursue. One year on Halloween, while the men were playing cards, the ladies sneaked away and toilet-papered the chief of polices house. Mrs. Piatt, who said Mr. Bliss had been paid $150 to oil the floor of the arena near Moscow Mills, Mo., described in gruesome detail how pet cats and dogs and a total of 62 horses succumbed to the poisoning and died from 1971 to 1973. Every year, former residents of Times Beach gather on the site to see old friends, tell stories, and inevitably shed a few tears. The liquor store doubled as a tackle shop, selling rods and bait. 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. The way we understand it, Monsanto told EPA investigators that they did not hire Bliss end of story, says Taylor. Bliss disposed of this waste in various ways. Jerry Russell Bliss, Ballwin, MO (63011) - Spokeo One daughter had cancer and endometriosis. It was like everybody was related to everybody, Leistner says. 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. 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. I didnt have anything to do with their money.. In 1994, the Post-Dispatch reported a dispute involving homebuyers in Turnberry Place subdivision, which abuts the Bliss farm. 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. Sid Hammers wife didnt want to stay in Times Beach, but Sid didnt see anything wrong, Leistner says. It was an overstatement, to be sure, but one rooted in factat least until the Great Depression. Fourteen calves either have been stillborn or died shortly after birth, and last week another tumor-riddled cow was slaughtered for dioxin testing by the Food and Drug Administration. Even if he had known that what he was hauling was toxic, there were no laws against what he did. It was nearly a week before people could return to begin the daunting task of rebuilding. It was only by chance that officials discovered dioxin here two weeks ago after interviewing residents who recalled that a trucker had sprayed oil on their dirt roads to keep down dust a decade ago. It was in Illinois and it had a big fence around it. The discovery followed an announcement earlier last year of another suburban dioxin site in Ellisville on Lemar Drive. Jerry Lewis Is Still Alive "There are too many unknowns at this point.". Besides giving the site a clean bill of health without any soil testing, the DNR ignored its own warnings signals. Bliss worked as a Program Manager at Microsoft as well before being promoted to the Sales Operation Lead position at Nayamode. If theyre going to develop the Callahan property, then we need to know exactly what took place there. It was an abortion. Then we left when they drug us out kicking and screaming, she quips. Jerry-Russell Bliss v. Hazardous Waste :: 1985 - Justia Law She had a brand-new leather jacket that had gotten dirty in the flood. 1986), the Supreme Court of Missouri affirmed the decision of a lower court upholding an The activist points out that no PCBs were found in southwest Missouri in the tanks at the Verona, Mo. Joseph P. Teasdale wrote a letter to Monsanto chairman John W. Hanley, requesting that the St. Louis-based chemical company pay for the cleanup. It isnt necessary for the EPA to raid TBAGs files to find this information because the agency already has the original documents in its own archives. Times Beach was founded, oddly enough, as a newspaper promotion. They conveniently avoid the giant ash pit. British man breaks world record with 17 flesh tunnels on his face. Why were they in such a hurry to clean up the Callahan site? 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. "I figure anyone who's been contaminated done been contaminated. As of now, no specifics about Russel Flowers involvement in the accident have emerged on the internet. Petitioner asserts: denial deprived petitioner of due process is jerry russell bliss still alive She worked as a receptionist at a dental office and became a Times Beach alderwoman in 1981. The EPA has long blamed the dispersion of the toxins on Russell Bliss, the salvage operator who sprayed dioxin-contaminated oil on unpaved roads, parking lots and horse arenas as a dust suppressant in the early 1970s. Some folks arent sure its even there. "There may be as many as 70 Times Beaches," said a senior official of the Environmental Protection Agency's hazardous waste cleanup program. Did Times Beach officials know their city was high on the list? Businesses were locating there, Leistner says. WebJERRY-RUSSELL BLISS, INC., Petitioner-Appellant, v. HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, et al., Respondents. The fact of the matter is I dont believe people had evidence on Monsanto. Nowadays, much to its chagrin, all of this tainted history falls under the jurisdiction of the city of Wildwood, which was incorporated in 1995. She still has her family reunions down here. . People magazine profiled their last stand. But at this point, I cant really discuss the alternatives. The version that the developer presented to Wildwood is pretty vague about what happened, Shea says. Truckers crudely called him the hemorrhoid with the Polaroid. He wrote ticket after ticket. The bank that stood between the town and the river was steep and tall. (The market for hexachlorophene collapsed in 1972 when baby powder made with it killed 36 infants in France.). 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. And blah, blah, blah. Three years after the horses died, dioxin was confirmed in dirt Bliss had sprayed. Dioxin concentrations of one part per billion are considered hazardous. Leistner recalls meeting a woman the day that the EPA came to announce the buyout. The discovery of the Lemar and McDonnell sites came after the closing of the controversial Times Beach dioxin incinerator in June, which precluded burning the waste locally. "Why, if it's so dangerous, did the government wait 10 years to warn us?" He had acquired an official document detailing suspected dioxin sites across Missouri. There are other holes in the EPAs theory. Dioxin, its silent, unseen. ), The worst thing is not knowing, Taylor says. She won't ever come back to the white frame house that sits abandoned in this flood-ravaged town of 2,500 after learning that her two sons played in dirt contaminated with one of the most dangerous chemicals known to man: dioxin. The residents gathered in front of a hotel in Eureka, crowding around the outdoor pool. "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.". The agency then backfilled the hole with the same soil that had been stored at the site. "It's literally like trying to piece together a cold trail," said Bill Hedeman, director of EPA's hazardous waste cleanup program. She remembers the camaraderie. 20,000 cubic yards of soil contaminated with 2,3,7,8-TCDD. The toxic chemical was contained in waste oil Bliss' company sprayed on roads, parking lots, truck terminals and horse arenas for dust control. I guess Wildwood is just going to have to look at it from a credibility standpoint, says Shea. Our approach is not to destroy it, but to assure public exposure can be limited" to healthy levels. Look at the record of decision. Now officials worry that they may never find the 87 places reportedly used for dumping of dioxin-contaminated waste oil. After dealing with the revelatory shock, the stress, the mysterious health issues, and the anger from all sides, yes, Marilyn Leistner would like you to remember Times Beach. Leistner holds her own grudges. Taylors overarching complaint is that the EPAs focus was too narrow. Natalie M. Bliss, 58, passed peacefully on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, in her home with her husband and daughter by her side. 'Fog of bees' briefly interrupts PGA Tour's Mexico Open. They received modest settlements, but the victims were required to absolve the defendants of any future liability. After the flood, 40 residents at one trailer park vowed to go home again. It was safe. This is not to say there is no controversy about dioxin. Houses were ripped from their foundations. chemical plant, where the EPA presumes all of the toxins originated. Bliss has refused to cooperate, Lafser said. Then came a 7-Eleven. Kurt Vogel Russell is an American actor. This is where you find it, though.. William Powell was St. Louis Magazine's senior editor from September 2012July 2016. All rights reserved. By visiting our site, you agree to our privacy policy regarding cookies, tracking statistics, etc. Actor and comedian Jerry Stiller has died due to natural causes, his son, actor Ben Stiller said in a tweet. Donna Lopers family moved to Times Beach when she was 6 months old. The problem, however, was that Bliss was also being paid to haul away the sludge from a chemical plant in Verona, Mo., that had stored up dioxin-laced wastes from These practices came to the EPA's attention in 1979 and Syntex entered into a consent agreement to clean up the sites. Its good to put a lot of thought into a process such as this, but when are we going to see some outcome? You want to make sure you do it right, and, in the process of doing it, safeguard the public. In addition to the oil that he picked up at lube joints, he also hauled sludge from industrial facilities. Waiting proved to be a bad move. 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.. This summer, Bill McClellan of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote a column about Bliss. Among those who doubt the EPAs blanket endorsement is Tammy Shea, a Wildwood resident. 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. Will it be cheaper to buy out the town or clean it up?". There was an appeals process that could net disgruntled residents a few extra dollars. 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. April 28 (UPI) -- An isolated private island off the coast of Scotland is for sale with an asking price of about $188,000. Sometimes, Copeland and Bunch would spend a summer day walking the railroad tracks on the west end of town. They wanted to paint, but she wouldnt let them, told them to go help somebody else. 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. No one listened. A flood, thats real. Just off Strecker Road, in the gully washes that feed into Caulks Creek, the first of thousands of barrels of toxic waste were discovered nearly 19 years ago. One state environmental official then dismissed the CDC as "overly cautious.". There are probably a lot of people who are unaware, she adds. Most of all missing accountability, Stelzer wrote in a piece titled Why the Times Beach Incinerator Should Be Shut Down.. Bliss was, and remains, a clever businessman. Using disguises and borrowed cars, she tailed Bliss and the other drivers who worked for him. He remembers being approached by an official one day while he was working. Using a microphone, Burford announced to the people outside that the Superfund would buy their homes at fair market value. Regulatory authorities became aware of the contamination in October. The only building that remains is a former roadhouse, now a museum and gift shop. She wants to let people remember the good times, and she knows that she reminds them of the bad ones. 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. In September 1980, Gov. Judge him as you will. "This is the first time anyone ever asked for them," an EPA official told the questioners. Its the sort of detail that might make Taylor seem like a conspiracy theorist. '', Mr. Lambarth said that in a 1974 deposition he falsely denied ever hauling chemicals ''because I wanted to keep my job.'' Everybody was friendly in Times Beach, she says. She had a knack for finding the best ice cream shops and loved Dr. Pepper. Scottish Island for sale with asking price of $188,000. Wurm is referring to Tom Uhlenbrock, who first reported the Wildwood development plans in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on June 11. The citys mayor, Joe Capstick, didnt like the sound of PCBs, and he needed to look out for his family, so he resigned and left. Stelzer of the Riverfront Times. Young wonders if a hysterectomy at 23, headaches so severe that medicine can't relieve the pain, her sons' rashes and birth defects in the children of several neighbors came from exposure to the toxic chemical. At that point, the EPA decided incineration would be the best way to remediate the site. But he was forced to do jail time anyway, on tax-evasion charges, since he didnt report his waste-hauling income to the IRS. Its no problem. After her recent success on Love Is Blind, Bliss can also add reality TV star to her resume. No (s). The whole family chewed tobacco. Asked about Wurms criticism, Uhlenbrock says the developer was bent out of shape because he wanted the article to say that the Callahan property never had any dioxin or Russell Bliss on it. Uhlenbrock said he was unable to confirm whether dioxin had been found on the site or whether there was a Bliss connection to the property. "You'd tell people, 'it's got to be a chemical in the horse arena' and they'd look at you like you were nuts," she said. 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. "They'd tell me, 'You can't see it, taste it or feel it.' So Ill just let the record of decision stand for itself, OK? WebJerry Russell Bliss, Age 66. They also had to spend several weeks working on the citys road crew. 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. 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. The greatest surface concentrations, 169 ppb, are present in a wooded ravine, which is currently being fenced off. The town is gone, but the people remain. In his bid for re-election that year, Teasdale also made a campaign stop at the Bliss-Ellisville site to again ask for Monsantos assistance. Taylor says he is unsure whether he will cooperate with the EPAs request. During the questioning, inmate Scott Rollins, a former Bliss driver, made a stuttering confession that he had picked up waste from Monsanto in Illinois. Evening Standard/Getty Images. I'm staying until they make me leave.". It brought a lot of revenue into Times Beach, Leistner says, laughing. Over several weeks, 11 cats and four dogs dropped dead nearby. How deep did it go down? On any given afternoon, youre bound to see deer wandering in the woods. A few days after it reopened, the city received the results from its soil tests. May she rest there in peace, and may those who cared for her continue to feel her unconditional love. 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. [1] [2] [3] Jerry Hicks died November 18, 2011, from cancer. "This is a war to stay on the land you worked and paid for. 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. WebJerry Russell Bliss, Age 66 aka Jerry Bliiss Current Address: ETZR Strecker Rd, Ballwin, MO Past Addresses: Eureka MO, Saint James MO +1 more Phone Number: (314) 580- JRRA +3 phones Email Address: n LITE @att.net +2 emails UNLOCK PROFILE Phone & Email (7) All Addresses (4) Family (8) Social (16) Court (5) And More Phone & Email ( 7) The full-page advertisements boasted that the sweltering heat and discomfort of the city are unknown at Times Beach.. I would move back in a second., After the flood, he and his brothers began rebuilding immediately. Many have relocated with federal emergency help, but hard-headed "river rats," as they call themselves, are rebuilding modest homes in the "Show Me" state. Jerry Stiller has died of natural Ultimately, there is probably more than one correct answer to that question. I saw people that lived in the community lose their jobs, their churches, their homes, health problems. Natalies ashes will be spread in a private family ceremony at the barn, her favorite place on Earth. We In the short term, the federal agency has settled for containment and fencing off the contaminated areas. Jerry Russell Bliss Ive been looking for answers, and I dont know what direction to go in, says Jordan, who was belatedly informed by a neighbor of an EPA informational meeting held on March 12. The level of PCBs was low, not a major concern, but the dioxin was a problem. Times Beach officials called the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but it said it might be a year before it would be able to test. To outsiders, Times Beach residents might as well have bubonic plague. In 1925, folks who paid $67.50 for a six-month subscription to the old St. Louis Times received a tract in Times Beach. The EPA removed the remaining barrels in July 1983. Nebraska students toss water balloons for Guinness World Record. As the offers improved slightly, many of the holdouts grudgingly gave in. asked Bill Keffer, the beleaguered EPA engineer in command here. This is new growth. 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. EPA lab tests Dec. 23 confirmed dioxin on several Times Beach roadsides 100 times higher than that. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. 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. If I thought it was something bad, would I spray it on my own farm where my family is? Bliss asked CNN in 1997, in one of the few extensive interviews hes given. It had been there for a decade without harming them. They were in there in 1981, pulling out barrels and treating them differently from the rest of the waste. Almost 100 horses died agonizing deaths at three horse arenas Bliss visited. Another possible alternative was eliminated in December, when the only available commercial incinerator licensed to accept dioxin-contaminated waste was shuttered in Coffeyville, Kan. That paved the way for final approval of the buyout. Jerry Springer died Thursday at his home, his family said in a statement shared with Insider. 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. Staff writer Dale Russakoff contributed to this report. It has caused a great deal of concern for people. He's mopped up the mud and moved back into his mobile home at the Easy Living Trailer Park with his wife and 5-year-old son. WITNESS SAYS DRIVER LIED ABOUT SPRAYING DIOXIN Jerry Hatcher, the town's heavy equipment dealer, lost a sale when a customer found dust on a tractor tire. And despite McClellans best efforts to engender compassion for him, Bliss remains an unsympathetic character to those affected by his actions. The younger Bliss is appealing the denial of his request for a hauling permit from the Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Commission. Nobody knew it then, of course, but that oil contained massive levels of dioxin, far more than the oil sprayed at Times Beach. An EPA tracking sheet lists 29 such sites. His 1974 deposition was taken several months before state and Federal officials identified dioxin in samples of the horse arena soil and traced the waste to the Verona plant. No one can answer the questions the people of Times Beach are asking. A federal court jury July 22 found Bliss guilty of over-stating his business expenses for 1976, 1977 and 1978. Town Struggles With Toxic Legacy - The Washington Post Jerry Russell Bliss, Inc. v. Pollution Control Board, 138 Ill. App. 3d Bunch lived at Cape Cod, a little motel on the edge of town. Jerry Russell The EPA has taken all those necessary steps and there are no problems relative to any exposures to the public at this point. But if youre in the market for something called a Menopause Meter, youre in the right place. Many in Times Beach were caught in their homes. Bliss was the driver of the truck that unknowingly Shipping the waste to Coffeyville would have been prohibitively expensive even if it had remained an option, according to one local official. So do two of her granddaughters. Aside from a motorcycle and a possibly vintage gas pump, the museum contains items that are fairly similar to those in the gift shop, except that these tchotchkes are ostensibly not for sale. Feild did not return phone calls. We feel confident that our investigations were thorough, that we have followed up on every lead that weve been made aware of. Some of it, he buried in drums. Some streets here measured 100 parts per billion--100 times higher than the level the CDC considers dangerous. He carries a brown leather briefcase, packed full of documents, many of which he says are classified.