Times Beach

[WILLIAM SANJOUR <SANJOUR.WILLIAM@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV>]

  Russell Bliss is the waste hauler responsible for spreading waste containing
  dioxin in several states resulting in the Superfund site at Times Beach
  Missouri, the PCB dump at Warren County, North Carolina and lots of other
  disasters.
  
  For years the Times Beach Action Group, headed by Steve Taylor, has tried to
  get EPA to investigate other sites where Bliss has dumped wastes, especially
  those wastes from Monsanto, one of America's largest dioxin producers, but
  got no response from the agency.  In a recent meeting of the St. Louis County
  Council he told how he had been trying to get the information he has into EPA
  hands for years and let them know of EPA's lack of response.
  
  Instead of simply asking for his information, which he would have gladly given,
  they sent a letter, demanding all his data (which is voluminous) within five
  days and threatening him with a $25,000 a day fine for each day of
  non-compliance. Note, that in all the years he has been asking EPA to review
  his information, they had never before responded either formally or informally.
  
  The authority cited by EPA for this action under RCRA and CERCLA was
  clearly written by Congress to give EPA authority to search the records of
  suspected polluters and which EPA is now using against citizens trying to
  protect themselves from pollution.
  
  Below is an excerpt from the TBAG press release of 8/25/97.  For a complete
  copy of the press release, which includes Taylor's response to EPA, call
  TBAG at 314-458-5026.   I can send you a fax of the EPA letter and the
  referenced law. 
  
  Bill Sanjour
  
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  William Sanjour
  USEPA 5102G
  Washington, DC  20460
  Voice Mail: 703-603-9931
  Fax: 703-603-9100
  E-mail: sanjour.william@epamail.epa.gov 
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  
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  On Saturday, August 16th, Steve Taylor, co-founder of the Times Beach
  Action Group received a letter from EPA Region VII.  The letter demanded that
  Taylor provide, within five calendar days, all documents pertaining to potential
  dioxin sites in Missouri, or face a fine of up to $25,000 dollars a day.  The letter
  also demanded that Taylor provide information and documents pertaining to
  Monsanto, Wagner Electric and their release of hazardous substances.  In
  addition, the letter demanded the identities of all affiliates of Taylor's who may
  have more information on these subjects.
  
  This demand followed a presentation by Taylor to the St. Louis County Council
  two days prior where he suggested that a Joint Task Force be formed,
  including citizen groups and various agencies, to review all information
  pertaining to possible Bliss-related hazardous waste sites in Missouri.
  
  Taylor offered to provide years of research and documents which not only
  provided sites in which Russell Bliss had sprayed, but also interviews and
  testimonies by Bliss and his drivers. presented to the County was an EPA
  tracking list: which included sites which had been sprayed by Bliss, but action
  had beer. "deferred" without testing.
  
  After years of diligent research, TBAG has compiled thousands of documents
  pertaining to these subject matters.  Part of TBAG's litigation against the
  Times Beach incinerator centered around the lack of characterization of
  contaminants at the Bliss dioxin sites, including their content, extent and
  source.  Many records cite Bliss and his drivers stating that they regularly
  picked up from Monsanto, as well as other sources.  EPA's own documents
  demonstrate that dioxin was found at a Monsanto facility, and that Monsanto,
  as well as Syntex, had produced 2,4,5-T and 2,4,-D. constituents of Agent
  Orange.
  
  All of the documents referenced by Taylor at the Council meeting are in the
  public domain and many were produced by EPA or MDNR, none were
  provided by the agencies themselves but were obtained through other legal
  means.  It has been the experience of many associated with TBAG that
  information is not easily obtained from EPA pertaining to Bliss waste hauling
  activity. Other documents were obtained from records of civil court cases.
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