is jerry russell bliss still alive

The toxic chemical was contained in waste oil Bliss' company sprayed on roads, parking lots, truck terminals and horse arenas for dust control. That doesnt exist in this world. P.O. 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. Prosecutors said Bliss wrote 27 checks to fictitious people overstating business expenses, thereby reducing his federal income taxes. Copeland didnt know it then, but he had inadvertently contributed to wiping the entire town off the map. Did it get into the water supply? They married in California and moved in with his parents, sharing a two-bedroom house on Forest Road. Finally, Dr. Renate Kimbrough, a CDC toxicologist, suggested testing for dioxin, the only dangerous hexachlorophene byproduct. "When I hear people talking about the effects they're feeling now, tears come to my eyes.". But he was forced to do jail time anyway, on tax-evasion charges, since he didnt report his waste-hauling income to the IRS. Scapegoats seem to abound here. Wurm is referring to Tom Uhlenbrock, who first reported the Wildwood development plans in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on June 11. I know Monsanto was not a viable defendant in this litigation.. (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.) Some was used in highway roadbeds. The whole scene was surreal. Natalies ashes will be spread in a private family ceremony at the barn, her favorite place on Earth. Dioxin clings to dirt and dust particles and officials fear that residents may inhale it or swallow it if they return home. The whole family chewed tobacco. Her house had been ravaged. Some folks arent sure its even there. 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 We do not have the expertise that the U.S. EPA and Missouri Department of Natural Resources have. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. I saw people that lived in the community lose their jobs, their churches, their homes, health problems. The chemical companies, he has always maintained, never told him exactly what he was hauling. Meanwhile, EPA technicians stalk the town in "space suits," sanitary gloves and respirators, digging through muddy homes and debris and taking soil samples to see if the heavy floods washed dioxin-laced mud from the roadsides into homes. She worked as a receptionist at a dental office and became a Times Beach alderwoman in 1981. 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. We feel confident that our investigations were thorough, that we have followed up on every lead that weve been made aware of. 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. Judge him as you will. 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. asked Bill Keffer, the beleaguered EPA engineer in command here. The next day, he was sure that somebody was doing it to get even with him, Leistner says. She lived there for a quarter century, until December 1982, at which point the town was thrown into what she calls the time of flood and dioxin. She has spent the past quarter century telling the Times Beach story. Last Saturday morning, Steve Taylor heard a tapping at his apartment door, a gentle rapping that he hopes to hear no more. McClellan calls Bliss an intelligent and thoughtful man, and hes stayed in touch with the erstwhile waste hauler over the years. Look at the record of decision. It was beautiful., Yes. Its very confusing, the fact that theyve kind of lumped these properties together yet dealt with them differently. She was one of a dozen witnesses called so far this week by attorneys for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, which has denied Jerry Russell Bliss Inc., Mr. Bliss's concern, the hazardous waste transporter license it needs to stay in business. As these families were being made their offers, they were taking the money and running, Leistner says. 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. Those who returned were instructed to leave, and anyone who hadnt was told to stay away. 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. Petitioner asserts: denial deprived petitioner of due process Tests show dioxin in the fish. Or they might go fishing in the river. It is also a probable carcinogen. 67115. She wants to let people remember the good times, and she knows that she reminds them of the bad ones. Town Struggles With Toxic Legacy - The Washington Post The paper had purchased the land from a farmer and rebranded it as a resort, a place for doctors from St. Louis to relax or catch a few fish on the weekend. You can see it, deal with it. But he also makes some important omissions. The agency tested the incinerator to ensure that it was destroying dioxin. If theres any dioxin left, it doesnt seem to bother the wildlife. Six months earlier, shed met a young man named Jerry Akers, a Marine who was home on leave. 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. There are probably a lot of people who are unaware, she adds. Regulatory authorities became aware of the contamination in October. She pleaded for action. Even if he had known that what he was hauling was toxic, there were no laws against what he did. 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. Bliss showed no emotion during sentencing before U.S. Dictrict Judge Clyde S. Cahill. Again, it showed that the incinerator was safe, and again, Taylor found flaws in the testing procedure. "It's literally like trying to piece together a cold trail," said Bill Hedeman, director of EPA's hazardous waste cleanup program. One says, Is it hot in here, or is it just me?. Ellisville If the city allows W.J. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Surveyors have also staked out a section of the park near Jordans residence with bright orange flags. Theres a bumper sticker that says Ignorance is Bliss., They tell stories about the flood. "What is going to happen to us next?" But when it marks the site of one of the nations worst environmental disasters, an embroidered-jean-jacket emporium can feel a little disrespectful. Representatives of the DNR and the Missouri Attorney Generals office were also present. She remembers being able to let her kids run free without having to worry. Stranded bear rescued from Nevada tree using tranquilizer, tarp. Copeland made friends with a kid who went by the name Boner T. Bunch. WebView the profiles of people named Jerry Russell. How deep did it go down? WebJerry Bliss lives in Saint James, MO; previous cities include Ellisville MO and Ballwin MO. A video of a man holding a Black Lives Matter poster in Harrison The residents gathered in front of a hotel in Eureka, crowding around the outdoor pool. One of her adult sons has since contracted a lupus-like disease, says Jordan. 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. Among those who doubt the EPAs blanket endorsement is Tammy Shea, a Wildwood resident. A venerable columnist, McClellan hedges his bets by saying Who knows? about dioxins dangers, rather than drawing any final conclusion. Hes been sued repeatedly. 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. Ironically, one of the sources of dioxin is incineration itself. Russell, Jerry W., Saturday, February 11, 2012. Everybody was friendly in Times Beach, she says. 20,000 cubic yards of soil contaminated with 2,3,7,8-TCDD. 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. 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. Were going to have to weigh out a lot of factors. To say that dioxin has never caused anythingI saw it wipe out a whole community, she says. BOX 191606 Our approach is not to destroy it, but to assure public exposure can be limited" to healthy levels. But eventually, it caught up with him. He was 91. Times Beach, which involved burning over 265,000 tons of dioxin contaminated waste from more than two dozen sites in eastern Missouri. Taylor finds Feilds explanation incredulous. "What will happen to my kids in 10 years?". Bliss has accounted for spreading at least 7,000 gallons of dioxin-contaminated oil across the state, but officials fear there was much more. Some communities, worried that former Times Beach residents would bring dioxin with them, put up signs telling them to stay away. Monsanto is where we got the pesticide, the stuff that I thought smelled like bug spray. Even so, he has consistently denied having any knowledge that the materials were toxic. People here tend to talk about the flood more than the dioxin. I didnt have anything to do with their money.. Is Kurt Russell still alive or dead? 2023 - Vim Buzz But the bridge is closed, so you have to drive back out onto Interstate 44 west, go to Eureka, turn around, and come back the other way. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. 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) Will it be cheaper to buy out the town or clean it up?". 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. According to a 1981 IEPA document, Piatt recalled that Bliss possibly obtained waste from Monsanto. The IEPA summary goes on to state: Judy Piatt has a diary and pictures of such activities, but will not release these to (EPA) Region VII on the advise of her attorney., But perhaps the most damning indictment comes from Bliss himself. She serves as a Eureka alderwoman, continuing a career in public service that had been cut short when her stint as mayor of Times Beach ended with the towns abolishment. Sid Hammers wife didnt want to stay in Times Beach, but Sid didnt see anything wrong, Leistner says. WebThe Bliss site is an 11.5 acre tract owned by Jerry Russell Bliss, plus four contiguous properties near Ellisville, Missouri. Its no problem. The requests to develop these two properties have dredged up a litany of questions that have never been adequately answered by EPA officials or by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The younger Bliss is appealing the denial of his request for a hauling permit from the Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Commission. More than 150 beverages delivered to woman's home without explanation. Indeed, it borders on negligence. I look at it this way as a lawyer, says Steincamp. 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. 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. In Times Beach, the dioxin level was more than 100 parts per billion. There are so many bad stories that I cheated people out of their money, Leistner says, her tone turning sharp. WebJERRY-RUSSELL BLISS, INC. is a Missouri Domestic Gen. Business - For-Profit filed on November 15, 1978. This is where you find it, though.. Jerry-Russell Bliss v. Hazardous Waste :: 1985 - Justia Law They had rebuilt before, and they would do it again. She was a wonderful friend, as evidenced by her many visitors. Rock 'n' roll's first great wild man, Jerry Lee Lewis the singer and pianist nicknamed "The Killer" has died. DNR officials described the location of the dump as a ravine, filled 15 feet deep with rusty barrels. There are other holes in the EPAs theory. It had been there for a decade without harming them. The chemical companies paid him to take the sludge, and then he turned around and sold it to somebody else. Eventually, in 1985, there was only one couple left living in the town, George and Lorene Klein. For instance, because some of the toxins at Times Beach were similar to those in Agent Orange, he says, the government might have had an interest in minimizing the Times Beach investigation, to limit its own culpability in Vietnam. Leistner remembers Times Beach kids being ostracized at school. Jerry Springer died Thursday at his home, his family said in a statement shared with Insider. The top level found beneath the surface in Ellisville was 1,173 ppb, according to the EPA. "Under no circumstances would I want to raise a family in Times Beach," said Dr. Gary Stein, a CDC epidemiologist. Indeed, no homeowner in Times Beach has flood insurance because the town voted itself out of the federal flood insurance program. The following quantities of hazardous wastes have been estimated: 1. A federal court jury July 22 found Bliss guilty of over-stating his business expenses for 1976, 1977 and 1978. The environmental activist, who is too young to remember the Selective Service System, and too poor to be concerned about the Internal Revenue Service, had, nevertheless, received a frightening message from a federal agency. Wildwood city officials have questioned her credentials, and she says a real-estate agent recently criticized the motives behind her activism. Whether the 88-year-old wants to be is another story. The same goes for rolling around in dioxin. "If they had, I wouldn't have taken it. 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 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. Were hesitant to give this information to an agency that we feel is corrupt. On a hunch, one stable owner dug up his contaminated dirt and sold it as landfill for homesites in Imperial. 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. Bliss has said he had no idea that toxic chemicals were involved. 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 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 haul included drums laden with cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). A missing page, a missing date, a missing signature. No further actions were taken at these locations. He simply has questions, questions that he believes were left unanswered by the EPAs reluctance to be forthcoming.

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