is jerry russell bliss still alive is jerry russell bliss still alive
Often, Bliss is portrayed as possibly a victim of circumstance, says Steve Taylor, co-founder of the Times Beach Action Group. Look at the record of decision. But despite what McClellan implies, scientists agree that dioxin is dangerous. During the questioning, inmate Scott Rollins, a former Bliss driver, made a stuttering confession that he had picked up waste from Monsanto in Illinois. "We had no authority to do anything until the Superfund law passed in 1980," Hedeman said. For both PCBs and dioxin, it was a yes. A dozen rabbits' ears were swabbed with a 300 ppb dioxin solution taken from contaminated soil residue. Jerry Lewis is, in spite of it all, still alive. Its clean as a whistle, he repeats. 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. If theres any dioxin left, it doesnt seem to bother the wildlife. I think theyve done that.. WebFor the first time Russell Bliss speaks publicly about the accident that forever changed the town of Times Beach, Missouri. After months of testing, the EPA last month disclosed Imperial dioxin levels as high as 350 parts per billion and recommended that six families be relocated so cleanup can begin. A missing page, a missing date, a missing signature. Emmett Copeland moved to Times Beach as a teenager in the early 1970s. State officials have cited Mr. Bliss's role in the dioxin case and other pollution episodes over the last decade as reasons for denying his license. Join Facebook to connect with Jerry Russell and others you may know. 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. Copeland didnt know it then, but he had inadvertently contributed to wiping the entire town off the map. "There may be as many as 70 Times Beaches," said a senior official of the Environmental Protection Agency's hazardous waste cleanup program. We continue to follow up on any information that is provided to us by the public.. Records confirmed Bliss had been there. After Bliss sprayed the Shenandoah Stables in Moscow Mills in 1971, owner Judy Piatt watched barn sparrows die "by the bushel.". Sid Hammer, who was chairman of the board of aldermen, became acting mayor, while Leistner became acting chairwoman. It was beautiful., Yes. 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. 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 Theres plenty of parking, a playground, and lots of picnic tables. Truckers crudely called him the hemorrhoid with the Polaroid. He wrote ticket after ticket. WebJerry Bliss lives in Saint James, MO; previous cities include Ellisville MO and Ballwin MO. People here tend to talk about the flood more than the dioxin. In September 1980, Gov. We would invite the press out, and we would spray-paint the prices on the homes. She has a photograph of a house with $15,800 scrawled across the siding. Only Bliss actually knows how much he knew about what he was hauling. Adjacent to the ravine, in a playing field, dioxin has been found at more than 9.5 ppb. S.C. woman wins $300,000 lottery prize -- her second jackpot in 3 years. The news, on the other hand, broke on the 22nd of December, with no mention of any accident. This site that was discovered over in Ellisville was completely new information, he adds. (Burford would resign a month later, amid allegations of mismanagement of the Superfund program.). first published in the Riverfront Times (St. Louis), March 25, 1998 Once we receive the public comment then well be in the position to move forward with remedy selection. He was 87 years old. Every year, former residents of Times Beach gather on the site to see old friends, tell stories, and inevitably shed a few tears. 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. People doubted that the water would even make it to Riverside Drive. The EPA has refused to reveal the list of alternatives prior to the publication of its EE/CAs, but according to Ellisville city manager Jeff LaGarce, the choices will likely include a technique called thermal desorption, an unproven process that allows the waste to be detoxified on site. Representatives of the DNR and the Missouri Attorney Generals office were also present. As of now, no specifics about Russel Flowers involvement in the accident have emerged on the internet. Jerry Russell Bliss, Age 66. aka Jerry Bliiss. chemical plant, where the EPA presumes all of the toxins originated. And they aren't the only ones angry and confused. One residence has had to be evacuated because of interior contamination. Bliss disposed of this waste in various ways. 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. The shop sells Route 66 everythingshot glasses, piggy banks, polo shirtsand metal prints of old business signs. He isnt here to argue that the Times Beach incinerator spewed poison from its smokestack. The fencing is certainly just an interim measure, while we are preparing the final alternative, says Bob Feild of the EPA. They wanted more money, Leistner says. 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. 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. Bliss sprayed dioxin-contaminated oil on unpaved roads, parking lots, truck terminals and horse arenas as a dust suppressant. TBAG had opposed the project, saying it was unsafe to human health and the environment. But nobody from the federal agency has bothered to walk across the street and inform her about the purpose of these actions. WebClay Campbell makeup artist / makeup supervisor / makeup (209 episodes, 1959-1966) Gertrude Wheeler hair stylist / hair styles (173 episodes, 1960-1966) One day, on a dare, the boys sneaked into a church and pilfered its bell. I know Monsanto was not a viable defendant in this litigation.. 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 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. Past Addresses: Eureka MO, Saint James MO She also remembers the flood. He operates a roadside attraction, a classic car museum in St. James, and he travels to flea markets. As Leistner describes it, Times Beach was idyllic. Stelzer of the Riverfront Times. Schecter uses the analogy of smoking cigarettes. 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. The level of PCBs was low, not a major concern, but the dioxin was a problem. William Powell was St. Louis Magazine's senior editor from September 2012July 2016. Some Times Beach residents evacuated, but many defiantly stayed. Dioxin, its silent, unseen. That the provision of the Superfund law the EPA is using against the environmentalists is normally reserved for attacking corporate polluters hasnt been overlooked. Shipping the waste to Coffeyville would have been prohibitively expensive even if it had remained an option, according to one local official. 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. McClellan calls Bliss an intelligent and thoughtful man, and hes stayed in touch with the erstwhile waste hauler over the years. By visiting our site, you agree to our privacy policy regarding cookies, tracking statistics, etc. He didnt want to look at all this shit. 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 Callahan dump was discovered in August of that year. It was nearly a week before people could return to begin the daunting task of rebuilding. Natalie M. Bliss, 58, passed peacefully on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, in her home with her husband and daughter by her side. This is especially true for 2,3,7,8tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, which is the most toxic and the one found at Times Beach. Insects fell from the air. The EPA received its own test results on December 23 and delivered a Christmas message to the citizens of Times Beach. Those who returned were instructed to leave, and anyone who hadnt was told to stay away. Taylor finds Feilds explanation incredulous. 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. The area has been fenced off and excavated. He is now 78 and lives just off I-44 near Cuba. 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 commonplace. Man, I loved living down here, he says. Cottages on stilts were replaced with modular homes and even a few brick houses. An EPA tracking sheet lists 29 such sites. 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. How deep did it go down? Instead, she has learned the little she knows from the scant newspaper coverage afforded the subject. Bliss has said he was not told the oil contained dioxin. ELR Citation: ELR 20492. Three parties Jean Callahan, Kisco Co. and Bliss refused to pay for the cleanup. One of her adult sons has since contracted a lupus-like disease, says Jordan. he asked. These days, Bliss, whos in his late seventies, is still finding unique ways to make a buck. Sitting at her dining-room table, gazing out across the hillside through her glass patio doors, she begins. Mennonites came in to help rebuild. On Aug. 7, Taylor asked the St. Louis County Council to assist TBAG by forming a task force to independently investigate possible hazardous waste sites that may have been overlooked in the past by the EPA and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This is not to say there is no controversy about dioxin. A federal court jury July 22 found Bliss guilty of over-stating his business expenses for 1976, 1977 and 1978. The contaminated soil is being stored in a pile at the site and covered with a tarp. The chemical companies, he has always maintained, never told him exactly what he was hauling. "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.". Waste was tracked to the Verona plant. Some of it, he buried in drums. She worked as a receptionist at a dental office and became a Times Beach alderwoman in 1981. McDonnell Park, which is part of the St. Louis County Parks system, is the most recent dioxin site discovered in the metropolitan area. A flood, thats real. Several other sites were created because government agencies failed to prevent removal of tainted soil to other locations. Its clean as a whistle, says Wurm of the Callahan property. 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. She traveled the country to countless rodeos, barrel races, and team ropings, often with her husband and daughter by her side. Crammed into a single bungalow, he and his siblings slept on pallets. Using disguises and borrowed cars, she tailed Bliss and the other drivers who worked for him. The residents gathered in front of a hotel in Eureka, crowding around the outdoor pool. People magazine profiled their last stand. Memories of the eviction are still too emotional. 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. According to the accepted version of events, Bliss obtained the dioxin in 1971 from a plant in southwest Missouri that produced hexachlorophene and a chemical component of Agent Orange, the dioxin-laden defoliant used in the Vietnam War. Would any human being do that?, To be sure, Bliss views himself as a victim in all this. 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. She had a knack for finding the best ice cream shops and loved Dr. Pepper. In Times Beach, an ex-truck driver for hauler Russell Bliss came forward to retrace his route. Her husband, Grover Callahan, worked as a truck driver for the Bliss Waste Oil Co. in the early 1970s. Bliss, 48, who for years made his living hauling hazardous wastes and used oil from factories, has been quoted here as blaming a now-defunct pharmaceutical firm for failing to warn him of the dangers in its waste. 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. 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. Did Times Beach officials know their city was high on the list? WebJERRY RUSSELL BLISS, INC., Petitioner-Appellant and Cross-Appellee, v. THE POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD et al., Respondents-Appellees and Cross-Petitioners. The Registered Agent on file for this company is Evelyn J. Bliss and is located at 149 Strecker Road, Ballwin, MO 63011. Did it get into the water supply? 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. Times Beach, which involved burning over 265,000 tons of dioxin contaminated waste from more than two dozen sites in eastern Missouri. It was described as a 500-year flood. TBAG, for example, acquired some of its more telling evidence from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), which in turn obtained the information from the EPA and DNR. His parents opened a donut shop at the corner of Forest Road and Park Drive, serving Boston creams and coffee to the residents of the tight-knit community, nestled in a valley along the Meramec River, southwest of St. Louis. Whether the 88-year-old wants to be is another story. But when it marks the site of one of the nations worst environmental disasters, an embroidered-jean-jacket emporium can feel a little disrespectful. 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. Staff writer Dale Russakoff contributed to this report. . There are many epidemiological studies that showed health effects in humans exposed to dioxins, says Dr. Hana Pohl, an environmental health scientist at the CDC. 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.
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