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The legacy of
dioxin
FREISTATT VILLAGE BOARD
Action: Awards free internet to fire protection district New: Budget workshop slated for Feb. 20 911: Advisory board delegate stresses need for sales tax vote
Freistatt offers internet to firefighters Late budget workshop scheduled for 2019 BY MURRAY BISHOFF times-news@monett-times.com
Pollution concerns continue around Verona from decades-old plant activity BY MURRAY BISHOFF
R
times-news@monett-times.com
esidents in and around Verona have not forgotten the legacy of dioxin, the toxic chemical produced at the chemical plant in town 50 years ago that led to Herculean clean-up efforts that dragged on through most of the 1980s. By March 15, 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Blue Goose mobile incinerator had destroyed 11,020,771 pounds of contaminated solids and 232,155 pounds of contaminated liquids. That left the public reassured that the dioxin was gone and the threat had passed. That changed in December, 2018. A security fence suddenly rose around the 60-acre Bontrager farm, located downstream from the old chemical plant, now owned by BCP Ingredients, a subsidiary of the Balchem Corporation. An armed guard was hired to keep people out. Heavy equipment began moving in and out of the gated area. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6A
The guard hired by Foth Industries to guard the Bontrager farm, purchased by Syntex, north of the BCP plant, shortly after the farm was acquired in December and fenced from the public at the request of the new owner. The Bontragers’ house, at far right, has since been demolished. Contributed photo
The Freistatt Village Board recently voted to commit its second free internet service to the Freistatt Fire District. Trustee Brenna Schroeder reported Fire Chief Art Mattlage asked her about the possibility of internet service for the fire department. The village secured two free services from Intellilink in return for providing broadcast space from the city’s standpipe. The village office uses one service, while the second had not been committed. Schroeder reported Mattlage would like to use the connection for video training or other professional use. Mike Ortwein, board chairman, noted that with the formation of the fire district, more uses may surface. With no objections voiced, trustees approved the plan. A budget workshop is scheduled for 7 p.m. today to hammer out a spending plan for the 2019 fiscal year, which corresponds with the calendar year. Clerk Deborah Schoen presented a motion proposed by accountant Kurt Krueger with the CPA Group, slightly different from the past, to amend the budget to year-end numbers, needed to prepare the annual report by March 1 for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program, which tracks the village’s ability to repay its water system upgrade loan. Ortwein confessed scheduling the budget had not occurred to him. Schoen said technically the village was not supposed to write checks in the new year without a budget. In other business, board members approved a request by Ortwein for reimbursement CONTINUED ON PAGE 10A
Save My Spot gaining value at Monett Urgent Care
CoxMonett service offers speedy response, evaluation option BY MURRAY BISHOFF times-news@monett-times.com
Vol. 111, No. 98 ©2019 The Monett Times
Two years into operating its own urgent care facility in Monett, Cox Monett Hospital’s program of Save My Spot has gained ground as a resource for helping patients receive medical help even faster. Located at Central Avenue and Cleveland, the Cox Monett Urgent Care has become a valued resource in the community. Recently, the clinic saw 58 patients on a Monday, a record for any day. To cut down on the waiting time, the clinic introduced Save My Spot in April 2018 to enable patients to rest at home prior to heading in for a scheduled visit. According to Janell Patton, Cox Monett administrative director of marketing and planning, the service has filled a need in the community.
SAVE MY SPOT
What: Service at Cox Monett Urgent Care New: Helping improve service to patients Value: Can secure next available spot without sitting in waiting room How: Sign up online
“When a patient cannot get in to see their primary care physician or when they need after-hours care, utilizing Save My Spot is a great option,” Patton said. “Here’s how it works: Before a patient goes to an urgent care or retail clinic, he or she will simply visit coxhealth. com and search for ‘Save My Spot.’ There, patients choose their preferred location, what time he or she would like to arrive, and some basic questions as to the nature of the visit. After submitting the form, they’ll receive a notification that the visit is approved. There is no cost for this service. “While spots may be saved for many illness and ailments, the form is built in such a way that if symptoms indicate an emergency, the
Mendy Pearce, a patient at Cox Monett Hospital’s Urgent Care, filled out papers at the conclusion of her visit that was expedited through use of the Save My Spot program. At right is registration specialist Joyce Patty. Murray
Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com
appointment will not be approved and the individual is told to get help immediately.” After 10 months in use, Save My Spot is gaining more users. On the peak day, when patients had a wait of up to two hours, Save My
Spot was suspended. The hospital has added another full-time person to the urgent care staff to help process all patients as quickly as possible. “Each month, we are seeing an CONTINUED ON PAGE 3A
Page 6A • Saturday, February 23, 2019
The Monett Times
Community
OBITUARIES
Carolyn Hawkins
Carolyn Sue Hawkins, 76, of Pierce City Mo., passed away at Freeman Hospital, Joplin Mo. She was born November 1, 1942, in Pierce City, Mo., daughter of the late Joe and Millie Young. She attended Pierce City School and worked at Jayzee Garment Factory as well as Jumping Jack Shoe Factory for many years. She was an avid reader, enjoyed bird watching, tending to her beautiful roses and spending time with family. Carolyn was preceded in death by her father, Joe Young; her mother, Millie Young; and son, Darel Wayne Hawkins; her brothers, Jay Presley, Jimmy Young, Don Young and Leroy Young; her sisters, Ida Mae Hilker, Norma Jean Dacy, Barbara Reno and Nancy Jane Young. Carolyn is survived by her daughter, Cheryl (Raymond) Mettlach, of Pierce City, Mo.; her son, Scott (Kimberly) Hawkins, of St. Joseph, Mo.; six grandchildren, Eric (Lindsay) Mettlach, Amanda Mettlach, of Pierce City, Mo., David Catherall, of Durham, N.C., Kaylynn Catherall, Jordan Catherall, Rebekeh
Hawkins, of St. Joseph, Mo.; one great granddaughter, Jaelee Mettlach, of Pierce City, Mo.; brother, Carl Young, of Pierce City, Mo., Glen (Mary) Young, of Monett, Mo.; and sisters, Kay Dacy, of Pierce City, Mo., and Marion Knight, of Monett, Mo.; as well as many nephews, nieces, greatnephews and great-nieces. Visitation services for Carolyn Hawkins will be held at Buchanan Funeral Home on Saturday, February 23, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. with funeral to follow at 2:00 p.m. Graveside services will follow at the Pierce City Cemetery. Rev. Scott Hawkins and Dr. Michael Langford will be officiating. Arrangements have been entrusted to Buchanan Funeral Home, Monett, Mo. PAID OBITUARY
BUCHANAN
Funeral Home 301 Euclid Monett (417) 235-3188
www.buchananfuneralhomemonett.com
Springfield, Missouri. Mr. Wormington was born in Springfield on Thursday, September 18, 1980, and was the son of Roy Sr. and Marie (Welsandt) Wormington. Roy was a 1999 graduate of Pierce City High School. He served honorably in the Army National Guard with the 203rd Engineering Battalion and had been deployed to Iraq for 15 months. Roy lived in the Pierce City area his entire life and enjoyed work doing farming, plumbing and contracting and was a tremendous help to his friends and family over the years. Roy’s sarcastic sense of humor will be fondly remembered by all. Surviving Roy is one son, Shane Wormington of Rogers, Arkansas; his mother, Marie Wormington of Pierce City; nine sisters, four brothers and many nieces and nephews. Visitation and memorial services were held on Friday, February 22nd at Lakin Funeral Home in Pierce City. PAID OBITUARY
LAKIN FUNERAL HOME 501 Elm Pierce City 476-2626
www.lakinfuneralhome.com
Eddie Ellis Roy Wormington
Roy Emerson Wormington, age 38, of Pierce City, Missouri, died on Thursday, February 14, 2019, at Cox South Medical Center in
Eddie Dewayne Ellis, 59, of Washburn, died Tuesday, Feb. 19, at his home. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at Washburn First Baptist Church in Washburn. Pastor Glenn Erwin and Pastor Jim Erwin will
conduct the services. Cremation arrangements are under direction of Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Visit www.fohnfuneralhome.com for online obituaries, guestbook and private condolences FOHN FUNERAL HOME Cassville, Missouri 417-847-2141
Larry Barkhoff
Larry Herman Barkhoff, 75, of Purdy, died Tuesday, Feb. 19, at his home. Services were held Friday, Feb. 22, at Fohn Funeral Home in Cassville. Visit www.fohnfuneralhome.com for online obituaries, guestbook and private condolences FOHN FUNERAL HOME Cassville, Missouri 417-847-2141
Lailonie Joseph
Lailonie Rose Joseph, daughter of Joseph Dejean and Karrie (Tripp) Uria, of Cassville, died at birth Sunday, Feb. 17, at Cox-Monett Hospital in Monett. Private family services will be held. Arrangements are under the personal care and direction of Buchanan Funeral Home, Monett.
James Topper
James Eldon Topper, 81, of Mt. Vernon, died Monday, Feb. 18, at his home. A memorial service, under the direction of the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home, in Mt. Vernon, will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Summit Baptist Church. Burial will be at the Summit Cemetery.
Dioxin: Children in vicinity falling ill from well water CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
The Bontragers, an Amish family, for all practical purposes disappeared, and no answers were offered as to who had intervened or why. Officials for both the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the EPA agreed a public meeting would dispel growing concern in the community. No meeting has yet taken place. Those officials acknowledged that BCP plant and surrounding land remain part of an EPA Superfund clean-up site. Mandatory ongoing testing on the grounds and the wells in the immediate vicinity have continued to this day. The EPA creates and posts a detailed report on the site every five years, though many portions of the report about potential problems indicate the work is “ongoing.” New problems not seen previously have surfaced. The report does not indicate that more stockpiles of dioxin have surfaced in the past 30 years. Other chemical-related issues, also believed to have originated with the manufacturing plant, have become the focus on ongoing efforts.
Pollution history
The manufacturer Northeastern Pharmaceutical and Chemical Company (NEPACCO) originally leased the Verona plant from Hoffman-Taff Inc. and its successor, Syntex Agribusiness. NEPACCO used the plant to make hexachlorophene, a bactericide in PhisoHex soap, from April 1970 to January 1972. After NEPACCO closed its operation, Syntex resumed its own operations in Verona. Prior to NEPACCO’s forced liquidation in 1974, facts cited in the 1985 federal lawsuit against NEPACCO and Syntex show various toxic and hazardous byproducts were made at the plant, including trichlorophenol (TCP), an antiseptic and herbicide; dioxin; and toluene, a highly flammable insoluble aromatic liquid associated with paint thinners. According to the lawsuit filed by the EPA against NEPACCO,
the waste byproducts were pumped into a holding tank that haulers periodically emptied. In July 1971, waste hauler Ronald Mills approached the NEPACCO plant manager and proposed disposing of some of the plant’s waste at the James Denney farm, located approximately seven miles from the plant in Pleasant Ridge in Barry County. In 1971, approximately 85 55-gallon drums were buried on the Denney farm. In October 1979, an anonymous tip that hazardous wastes had been disposed at the Denney farm, followed by complaints about the health of cattle on the farm, prompted an EPA investigation. With the help of persons who hauled the barrels, investigators began unearthing deteriorated barrels loaded with dioxin in April 1980. More barrels were found on other farms, in a park in Aurora, and buried on the Syntex property itself. Without a definitive record of where all the material taken from the plant went, no certainty ever existed that all of the TCP, toluene and dioxin was ever found. Tests on the Denney farm found dioxin had penetrated 30 inches below the soil, though none was found in underground wells. Syntex was ordered to pay for the clean-up of the property polluted by the actions of NEPACCO. According to Bob Kick, senior project manager for Foth Infrastructure and Environment, based in Springfield, Syntex was required by the Securities and Exchange Commission to set aside financial resources to address environmental issues at some later date. “The company still exists as a legal entity,” Kick said. “Its purpose is to address legacy issues. They have one person who pays the bills, who is knowledgeable about operations. In terms of doing the work, they draw on companies like Foth and others to run labs and drilling contractors.” As is its practice, the EPA has continued monitoring Superfund sites, regularly
sampling wells in the vicinity. A report is made public every five years. Copies are placed online for public access. Kick said Foth has been asked to run additional tests for substances that present problems for the EPA’s testing system.
Recent developments
The Ben and Linda Bontrager family purchased its farm approximately eight years ago from a bank. They were not aware of any toxic wastes buried on their property. They soon found their well was tested regularly by representatives from Syntex. In 2018, the Bontrager children became ill. According to a close family member, the children recovered when they stopped using the well water. When they resumed using it, they became ill again. The family would not reveal the symptoms of the ailment, but reported the children now in Wisconsin are “improving.” Another Amish family, which preferred to remain anonymous, living near the Bontrager farm, reported their children also became ill. After a doctor advised them to stop drinking well water, those children also improved. “We’d been in communication with Ben and Linda Bontrager for some time to get an access agreement for their property to do work with the well,” Kick said. “We were talking with them about what we were working on and some work we wanted to do, to make sure we did not disturb their cattle. Ben said he was interested in selling, that he had family in Wisconsin and he’d like to move. Bob told us a price. Syntex thought the offer was reasonable, and we made the purchase. They never said anything about illness.” The City of Verona receives all its water from Liberty Utilities, formerly Empire District Electric, from Aurora. Rural wells around Verona lack the shield of protection offered by out-of-town water source. In the 1980s, there was a public well on what is now the BCP plant grounds pro-
viding water to Verona residents. According to Mike Palmer, who ran the system out of Empire’s Aurora office, Empire chose to abandon that well when the dioxin controversy erupted. The well was disconnected from the municipal water system and turned over to the plant to use for fire protection only. Kick noted the Bontrager farm offered valuable territory for Syntex to continue its testing. The property is adjacent to the BCP plant and directly downstream on Spring River. Syntex particularly wanted to track downstream flow of any contaminants, especially in the underground water table. The property purchase opened the opportunity to drill more wells for testing. According to Leonard Greenberger, with the Potomac Communications Group in Washington, D.C., who accompanied Kick, the EPA has never tested the Bontrager farm in general, only the well. Anecdotal history about the extent of the pollution has created widespread suspicion about what officials failed to discover during the clean-up. Amish families alleged there were barrels buried on the BCP plant property next to the border with the Bontrager land, and that there was an old lagoon, also on the plant property, where toxic wastes had been stored. A Verona firefighter as recently as two-and-a-halfyears ago reported that firefighters were told by BCP officials that if they ever had to come onto the plant’s property to stay off one section of land because the soil would “melt their boots.” “I’ve been over every inch of that plant property and my shoes are fine,” Kick said. In 2014, BCP ran a construction project that EPA said “had the potential to change exposure patterns under the current industrial use scenario.” The 2017 EPA report said steps were being taken to develop a restrictive covenant to limit excavation “without prior project specific soil characterization, exposure CONTINUED ON PAGE 7A
Lena Bremer to celebrate her 90th
Family and friends will gather on March 3 to help Lena Bremer celebrate her 90th birthday, which takes place on March 4. Lena Bremer was born on March 4, 1929 in Harras, Thuringer, Germany. In August of 1949 she immigrated to the U.S. and married Wilbert Bremer in Freistatt.
They were blessed with two children, Mary Gallagher of Springfield, and Jim Bremer of East Longmeadow, Mass. Her family and friends will celebrate her special day with an open house from 3mto 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 3, at the Lions Club Building in Freistatt.
ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA PROGRAM When: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 16 Where: Pierce City Senior Citizens, 104 N. Locust St.
Alzheimer’s, dementia program slated Pierce City Senior Center opens opportunity to public BY MELONIE ROBERTS reporter@monett-times.com
Those who have watched a loved one's personality disappear due to Alzheimer's or dementia know the challenges of dealing with memory loss, behavioral changes and lapses in the thinking processes. For those just learning that someone they love is dealing with these debilitating brain diseases, the Alzheimer's Association will host an educational program from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April
16. The program is free and open to the public. Alzheimer's is a disease of the brain that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. It's impact on the patient and the caregiver can sometimes be overwhelming. This program will teach the difference between Alzheimer's and dementia, Alzheimer's disease stages and risk factors, current research and treatment options to manage symptoms, and provide information about available resources. The program is free, but senior center officials would like those planning to attend to call 417-4762367. The senior center is located at 104 N. Locust in Pierce City.
RECIPE OF THE DAY BALSAMIC CHICKEN WITH RED ONIONS AND POTATOES Prep time: 25 Min. Cook time: 30 Min. 55 Min. Ready in: Servings: 2 INGREDIENTS: n 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, or more to taste n 3 red potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick n 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley n 3 cloves garlic, minced n 2 whole split chicken breasts with skin n kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste n 1 large red onion, cut into wedges n 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 2. Pour 1 tablespoon oil into a baking dish. Arrange potato slices in the bottom of the dish. 3. Mix parsley and garlic together in a small bowl. 4. Season underside of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Loosen skin and push parsley and garlic mixture underneath. 5. Place chicken on top of potatoes in the dish. Arrange onion wedges around chicken. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and balsamic vinegar over chicken. 6. Bake in the preheated oven, basting occasionally with juices, until an instant-read thermometers inserted into the center reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 30 minutes. AllRecipes.com
SUDOKU SOLUTION
<<< ON TOP OF THEIR GAME
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EPA TO HOLD MEETING IN VERONA
Why: To address dioxin, related pollutants still in area When: 6:30 p.m. Aug. 27, Verona High School Precedent: First meeting on issue in over 30 years
EPA to meet on Verona legacy pollution Officials pledge to answer questions over Superfund site BY MURRAY BISHOFF
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Monett, 911 board sign contract for dispatching
Deal extendable for five years as LawCo system takes shape
CENTRAL DISPATCHING CONTRACT What: Monett proposal adopted Details: Higher rate, covers only Lawrence County calls Effective: Oct. 1
BY MURRAY BISHOFF
times-news@monett-times.com
The Monett City Council and the Lawrence County Emergency Services Board have reached terms to continue providing 911 and central dispatching services for possibly as long as five years.
The Monett Council approved the deal at its monthly meeting on Tuesday. The contract takes over after the present contract with the Lawrence County Commission, and the cities of
Mt. Vernon, Miller, Pierce City and Verona all run out after Sept. 30. All are now covered by the county-wide sales tax supporting the dispatching system. According to Bonnie WittSchulte, who serves on the Emergency Services Board, only three providers expressed an interest in serving Lawrence County. One withdrew over the short-term contract and the other did not submit a proposal, leaving only Monett’s offer to consider.
City Administrator Dennis Pyle said the proposal covers all calls attributable to Lawrence County. This excludes the cost of serving the Barry County portion of Monett and calls for agencies serving in more than one county for calls going anywhere other than Lawrence County. This includes non-Lawrence County calls for the BarryLawrence Ambulance District, Monett Rural Fire District and the Pierce City Fire District. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8A
COX MONETT CAMPAIGN RECEIVES MAJOR BOOST
times-news@monett-times.com
For the first time in more than 30 years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a public meeting in Verona on the legacy pollution from the Syntex Agribusiness plant in Verona, and more recent pollution issues that continue in vicinity. According to a public notice issued by the EPA, a “public availability session to provide a site update” will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27, in the Verona High School gym. “Agency representatives will be available to discuss the site and answer questions from the public,” the notice said. A presentation may also be made by EPA officials. The Superfund cleanup site established in and around Verona, including at Baldwin Park in Aurora and the James Denney farm in nearby Barry County, stemmed from the activities of Northeastern Pharmaceutical and Chemical Company (NEPACCO) and Syntex. NEPACCO manufactured numerous highly toxic substances, including dioxin, a compound found in the defoliant Agent Orange. The plant is now operated by BCP Ingredients, which was not involved in the original operation. The Aug. 27 public meeting appears to be the first hosted by EPA since the cleanup of dioxin contaminated soil using the Blue Goose incinerator concluded in 1989. It will be perhaps only the second public meeting held on the subject since buried dioxin and other industrial contaminants began to come to light in 1979. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3A
Donors to Cox Monett Hospital’s Momentum Campaign and the hospital’s community advisory board gathered recently to unveil the updated contributions to the donor board. Pictured, from left, are: Donna Beckett, Community National Bank and Cox Monett Community Advisory Board member; Scott Spain, Jack Henry and Associates; Randy Henderson, First State Bank; Jeanne Garrett and Glen Garrett, First State Bank; Darren Bass, president of Cox Monett; Amanda Lee, First State Bank; Margaret Prim; Jack Prim, CoxHealth board member and Momentum Campaign co-chairperson; Phyllis Garrett, Cox Monett volunteer; Mike Garrett, Cox Monett Community Advisory Board member and Momentum Campaign co-chairperson. Contributed photo
Three $1 million gifts accelerate new hospital effort BY MURRAY BISHOFF
T
times-news@monett-times.com
hree separate $1 million gifts have been made to Cox Monett’s Momentum Campaign, taking the total to $4.6 million towards the $7 million local goal. All the donations help propel CoxHealth Systems’ $42 million project to build a new and modern criticalaccess hospital, taking shape east of Monett, off Highway 60. The 70,000 square foot hospital is due for completion in 2021. The most recent major gift commitments have come from Dayton and Pearl Mackey and Chris and Ginny
CAMPAIGN TO BUILD NEW COX MONETT HOSPITAL
Latest: Local campaign reaches halfway mark How: Two new $1 million donations make $3 million gifts from three families
Fuldner. All are longtime Cox Monett friends and supporters. The other million-dollar donors are Jack and Margaret Prim, who announced their gift at the hospital’s groundbreaking ceremony in May. Prim, past president of the Cox Monett Community Advisory Board and chairman of the board at Jack Henry and
Associates, is co-chairperson of the fundraising campaign. “We are grateful to every donor who has committed to the future of health care for this region,” said Lisa Alexander, president of the CoxHealth Foundation. “Today we give special thanks to Dayton and Pearl and Chris and Ginny for their gifts of $1 million that has helped propel our campaign past the half-way mark and closer to our goal. These gifts will ensure that the community has a hospital prepared to serve for generations to come.” The Mackeys are well-known philanthropists in the Monett area, focused CONTINUED ON PAGE 8A
Police warn of thefts from vehicles in Monett
Ongoing spree crisscrossing town in early morning hours BY MURRAY BISHOFF times-news@monett-times.com
For the past three weeks, Monett police have received reported of thefts from vehicles across the city. “[Thieves] have been hitting groups of neighborhoods, basically checking for unlocked vehicles, rummaging through them, taking whatever they want,” said Officer Lyndsi
Vol. 112, No. 22 ©2019 The Monett Times
THEFTS FROM VEHICLES What: Ongoing incidents for past three weeks How: Taking goods from unlocked vehicles Advice: Lock cars, be wary of suspicious activity
Waltrip. “We’re looking at two to three suspects.” Waltrip characterized the suspected culprits as “young adults, but not children.” Neighborhoods hit have included Brookside Circle, Primrose and
Honeysuckle, and random streets such as Fourth, Dunn and Miller Way on the south side of town. “We’ve been taking five or six reports each day,” Waltrip said. “They’re not damaging vehicles, just finding unlocked ones and going through them.” Incidents appear to take place between 1 and 6:30 a.m. Waltrip said police are seeking footage from surveillance cameras that may further help identify persons responsible for the thefts. Estimates of the value of property lost have reached “easily a couple thousand dollars,” she said.
Waltrip characterized these incidents as crimes of opportunity. Police urge residents to take precautionary action, including: • Lock all vehicles • Roll up windows • Keep valuables out of plain sight • Leave a porch light on “Anyone who finds anything missing, or if their vehicle looks like it’s been tampered with, contact the Monett police immediately,” Waltrip said. “The department has put extra patrols out. People need to be aware of someone acting suspicious being around.”
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Local
Saturday, August 24, 2019 • Page 3A
EPA: New concerns arose in December
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
New concerns about the situation began last December when Foth Infrastructure and Environmental, acting for Syntex, purchased the 60-acre Ben and Linda Bontrager farm downstream from the plant. Foth erected a security fence around the property without explanation. The Bontragers sold the farm after reporting health problems with their children and moving out of state. In February, The Monett Times reported on the purchase, interviewed Foth senior project manager Bob Kick, and detailed new concerns documented in EPA’s five-year report on the Verona Superfund site. These included a growing issue with the spread of an ether-like substance labeled as 1,4-dioxane, not a chemical relative of dioxin but classified as a probable human carcinogen. Quantities of 1,4-dioxane have turned up in 17 of 19 test wells, and been detected at 300 times the regional screening level set by the EPA in two of the test wells sampling the water table downstream from the plant, outside of the Superfund site, including the Bontrager farm. Dioxane did not surface in samples prior to 2008. Its source is unknown, but samples record higher quantities closer to the plant. BCP Ingredients has stated it does not and has never used 1,4-dioxane in its manufacturing processes. No local laboratory has
been found with resources that can measure 1,4-dioxane. Rural residents using well water have been unable to learn if their well water has been affected, or in what quantity. Other residents in the vicinity outside the Superfund site have reported developing health issues, including a report of “handfuls of hair” failing out. City residents are not affected because all the city customers receive water pumped in from Aurora. No federal maximum contaminant level has been established for 1,4-dioxane in drinking water. The five-year report on the Verona site further stated, “Groundwater cancer risks cannot be properly evaluated with existing data because the quantitation limits on the analyses performed for 1,4-dioxane are now too high due to an increase in the cancer potency of 1,4-dioxane.” The EPA issued a written fact sheet site update in March that was mailed to residents within Verona. This appears to be the first fact sheet mailing on the pollution legacy since 1989. The letter did not acknowledge the high levels of 1,4-dioxane found either inside or outside the Superfund site, and only cited one sampling within the regional screening level. The fact sheet also did not acknowledge EPA’s own annual update report on Superfund cleanup sites from 2018. That report expressed concern about deterioration of the cap over dioxin contaminated
soil on the plant grounds itself, potentially exposing current plant employees. The report concluded more research was needed to determine if a health hazard existed from airborne contaminated dust, a question left for further exploration in the next five-year report. A new fact sheet was issued by EPA this week, and it makes no reference to the 1,4-dioxane at all. Officials with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the EPA agreed early this year prior to publication of The Monett Times report that a public meeting would help dispel growing concerns over the legacy pollution, but no meeting developed. State Representative Mike Moon has pushed EPA to hold a public meeting on pollution legacy issues in Verona since April. Moon extended his concerns, as have other area residents, to U.S. Senator Roy Blunt. Concern has also been expressed to the Lawrence County Commission over the potential health issues persisting in Verona. The first and possibly the only public meeting held on the dioxin pollution from the Syntex operation was held by EPA on May 28, 1980, at the Robinson School in Aurora. Former Syntex employees led investigators to numerous caches of buried barrels of sludge contaminated with dioxin, including leaking barrels. Residents in the area have long feared not all of the dioxin has ever been found.
Rodger Wheeler, president of Zeros4Heroes, received a $100 community grant from Aurora’s Youth Empowerment Project Director Kim McCully-Mobley. Contributed photo
Zeros4Heroes receives community grant
Group hopes to meet the needs of local veterans
Rodger Wheeler, president of Zeros4Heroes, received an additional $100 community grant from Aurora's Youth Empowerment Project Director Kim McCullyMobley this summer to continue the efforts to support area veterans and their families. The organization received a $150 YEP grant earlier in the year and earned the additional money during the summer "in order to be able to continue to meet the local needs of our heroes," explained McCullyMobley, an Aurora High School educator. The focus of YEP is to help
empower young people to make positive impacts and build connections and relationships in the communities served. Zeros4Heroes started out six years ago as an idea from Patrick Wheeler, a graduate of Aurora High School and former baseball player. He wanted to figure out a way for the team and the community to combine forces to help veterans and local veterans organizations. Thus, Zeros4Heroes was born as a non-profit foundation focused on helping veterans, their families and those who help and support veterans and their families. The group has hosted giveaways, drawings, dinners and fundraisers. Past proceeds have been used to support the efforts of the: Veterans
Memorial at Maple Park Cemetery, Veterans Drug Court of Lawrence County, the Missouri Veterans Home in Mt. Vernon, Kids of Our Heroes Camp in Barry County, the wheelchair fund for Honor Flight recipients and annual scholarships for Aurora High School graduates. Wheeler is the group's president, while additional board members include: Michele Evans Mowris, Shannon Walker, McCully-Mobley, Chris Rackley and Stephen McKay. Those wanting to support the efforts of Zeros4Heroes can send checks or donations in care of Shannon Walker at the local Chamber of Commerce office, which is housed at the Missouri Pacific Depot in downtown Aurora.
WEEK 1 OF PREP FOOTBALL KICKS OFF >>> See how local teams fared on the gridiron Friday. — PAGE 1B
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INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION IN VERONA
What: EPA hosts first public meeting in 30 years Comments: Doubts raised about cleanup, current danger Response: “You can trust the EPA.”
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RAIN-PLAGUED REPURPOSED FAIRE FINDS SUCCESS ANYWAY
EPA promises to test Verona area wells
Cost is significantly lower than MonettLawrence County 911 proposal
BY MURRAY BISHOFF
times-news@monett-times.com
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3A
What: Barry County Emergency Services has provided a bid for dispatching services for Lawrence County portion of calls that are made to the Barry-Lawrence County Ambulance District in the amount of $18,375 annually, based on a 700-call annual average, compared to Monett/Lawrence County 911 Dispatch, which quoted $42,708 to handle the Barry County calls that came in to its center.
Ambulance board accepts proposal for dispatching
Public meeting on dioxin, dioxane prompts lively exchange
A crowd of 135 people gathered at the Verona High School cafeteria on Tuesday seeking answers to new concerns about legacy pollution in their community. A panel of 14 experts and government specialists attended to answer questions as part of the first meeting in 30 years on the topic, since the Blue Goose incinerator left the area. Residents raised questions both new and old about the dioxin and other pollutants manufactured in Verona at the plant once owned by Syntex Agribusiness. Several locations in and near Verona remain listed on the Superfund list managed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which continues to supervise the legacy pollution remaining. The cleanup of toxic chemicals manufactured in the early 1970s wrapped up in 1989 after the Blue Goose incinerator disposed of more than 11 million pounds of contaminated solids and more than 232,000 pounds of contaminated liquids from 1985 to 1989. Speakers came prepared to address the legacy pollution from dioxin, manufactured in Verona, and 1,4-dioxane, an ether-like gas that was detected in the ground water beginning in 2008. Those in attendance had other concerns, leading to an occasional contentious session that lasted nearly three hours. Among the specialists present were six from EPA, including an attorney, two from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, three from the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services, a toxicologist, a geologist and a grant specialist. Organizers planned to make a presentation, then have one-
AMBULANCE BOARD
BY MELONIE ROBERTS reporter@monett-times.com
for the Repurposed Faire, a project of Monett Main Street, and the second located under the Jerry D. Hall Memorial Pavilion at Fifth and Front streets. Organizers settled on establishing the event’s date for the last weekend in August, regardless of the weather, which has ranged from cold and rainy to sweltering heat, sometimes in the same day. The pavilion mitigated some of that, offering a roof and a rather reliable breeze.
Members of the BarryLawrence County Ambulance District opted to accept a proposal from Mike Phillips, executive director of Barry County Emergency Services, the entity that provides dispatching services for law enforcement, fire response and ambulance call outs. Phillips said cost for dispatching service for the number of calls from Lawrence County residents living in one of the combined service area districts, approximately 700 calls annually, would run $18,375. “There is no cost for the Barry County portion of the calls, as we feel strongly that those calls are already paid with the sales tax we receive,” Phillips said. Valerie Wilson, director of operations for the ambulance district, said 71 percent of their calls originate within the City of Monett, which straddles the Lawrence and Barry County line. Phillips said the cost proposal was based on having two dedicated dispatchers working an average of one hour, 45 minutes per call. Duties include answering and dispatching the call, assisting the ambulance, transports and generation or reports and paperwork associated to the call. The proposal does not include infrastructure costs that may be incurred as the partnership pairs the necessary communications equipment and appends the dedicated radio frequency for the ambulance district. In other business, personnel answered 296 calls for service in June, compared to 266 for
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7A
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Jon Sherwood with Berry Kabobs of Wheaton demonstrated artistic cuisine as he sprinkled and drizzled chocolate toppings on a strawberry and banana kabob for a customer at the Monett Repurposed Faire on Saturday. Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com
Organizers say vendors pleased
BY MURRAY BISHOFF
times-news@monett-times.com
M
onett’s Repurposed Faire unexpectedly ran for only one day this year due to threatening weather forecasts, but organizers are not discouraged and reported a very successful event, even in the shorter time frame. “We ended up cancelling on Sunday because of the anticipated poor weather,” said Ann Saunders, cochairperson of the faire with Cheri Davidson. “We had conversations with all the
MONETT REPURPOSED FAIRE
What: Sixth annual event Saturday, cut short a day by rain Result: Many vendors still had two days worth of sales in one Next: Planning starts for next year
vendors before we made the decision. Everybody said they had a great show on Saturday. Some said they sold more than on both days last year.” This was the sixth year
Local volunteer named national Volunteer of the Year
Richard Cole honored for 15 years of service at Lacoba Homes BY MELONIE ROBERTS reporter@monett-times.com
Vol. 112, No. 25 ©2019 The Monett Times
Richard Cole, from Aurora Baptist Temple ministry, was nominated for American Health Care Association’s 2019 Volunteer of the Year in recognition of his dedication to delivering Bible studies to residents, not only at Lacoba, but at six other area longterm care facilities. He has volunteered about 25 hours per month at Lacoba for 15 years. Cole was awarded the recognition just two weeks after being named Missouri Health Care Association District 4 Volunteer of the Year. “Richard has provided many things for our residents throughout the years, including the distribution of embroidered quilts with personal messages, Christmas gifts and other items commemorating
AWARD RECIPIENT
Who: Richard Cole, volunteer at Lacoba Homes in Monett What: Honored for having made a positive contribution to residents and staff at the care center From: American Health Care Association 2019
holidays and other celebrations,” his nomination letter said. “We recognize the magnitude of his financial generosity has been in the thousands of dollars. Although he is not a minister or clergy, Richard provides spiritual needs for our residents as requested, and many times this has occurred just prior to their passing. All these things are nice and special, but the most important item Richard brings is his binding friendship and the personal relationships he has built with our residents.” In addition, the letter said Cole would bring in entertainers and programs at his own expense, motivating residents who would not normally participate in daily activities to attend. He takes time to visit with
Named Missouri Health Care Association District 4 Volunteer of the Year, Richard Cole visits with Lacoba resident Margaret Whitlock to go over a Bible study lesson he dropped off. Cole has also been named American Health Care Association’s 2019 Volunteer of the Year. Melonie Roberts/reporter@
monett-times.com
every resident, engaging them in conversation and building personal relationships with each individual. If a resident is not eating, Cole will ask what their favorite meal is and purchase the meal immediately. Cole has also observed holidays
with residents and staff, taking them gifts and mementos in celebration. The letter also outlined Cole’s serving as a mentor to young adults, showing them the importance of CONTINUED ON PAGE 2A
The Monett Times
Local
Saturday, August 31, 2019 • Page 3A
EPA: Meeting attendees request EPA test dioxane levels in their private wells
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
on-one conversations with those present at tables, divided into areas of expertise. Verona Mayor Joseph Heck, while providing some of the introduction, appealed to specialists to modify their format and publicly take questions from the audience, then respond so all could hear the same answers. Curtis Carey, EPA public affairs director, agreed. Dr. Brian Zurbuchan, the EPA remedial project manager, provided a technical review of the history of the pollution. He noted the recent activity on the former Bontrager farm, downstream from the 180acre Superfund site on the BCP Ingredients property, that prompted renewed concern over the legacy pollution. Syntex purchased the Bontrager farm after the family left suddenly in November after reporting illness among family members. The property has allowed Syntex to expand its testing for pollutants migrating off the plant site. Zurbuchan noted that the EPA’s 2012 and 2017 five-year reviews deferred a verdict on the site’s protectiveness in light of actions taken to remediate the remaining vestiges of dioxin, pending further data. Evidence did suggest, however, that the ecological risk in Spring River was “negligible” and that the plant and its grounds were safe from the legacy pollution for its workers. Zurbuchan reviewed the different types of dioxins, an unwanted byproduct of the manufacture of herbicides and an ingredient in the wartime defoliant Agent Orange. He noted how the EPA began studying the Verona situation in 1978, before the federal Superfund for such cleanups had been authorized, and how Syntex signed on to participate in 1983. Investigation of the groundwater found volatile organic compounds in shallow parts of the underground aquifer in 1993. Studies did not extend beyond the site until later. Test wells were set up for ongoing assessment. Dioxin has also been found in sediment samples in Spring River, which runs across the Superfund site. Conclusions about the
1,4-dioxane, found in groundwater samples to the north and east of the property, were less d e f i n i t i v e , ZURBUCHAN Zurbuchan said. A stabilizer used for making chlorinated solvents, dioxane mixes with water, unlike dioxin, but like dioxin, dioxane is considered a likely cause of cancer. Zurbuchan said dioxane has been found in four wells at levels of concern, some at 300 times the level deemed safe for contact, though he did not confirm the levels of dioxane in his presentation. He also did not quote the 2017 five-year report that states dioxane has been found in 17 of 19 test wells. Zurbuchan said no wells tested by the EPA beyond the Superfund site showed quantities of dioxane above acceptable levels. Later in the meeting, Zurbuchan said EPA would measure dioxane levels in any private well requested by the property owners. Approximately 30 people in the room raised their hands when asked if they wanted their wells tested. This was a significant gesture. Only a handful of laboratories in the nation test for dioxane, and none have been available on request to local property owners. “We want to look at where your well is and how it’s constructed to see if it’s possible [for dioxane to access it],” Zurbuchan said. Representatives of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources offered to test any other wells for potential pollutants, like bacterial content, not related to industrial pollution. Five property owners subsequently signed a list for that service. Eric Marsh, an associate with Skeo Solutions, provided information about grant programs available to the community for hiring specialists who would help interpret technical documents from EPA or otherwise aid in connecting locals with the cleanup effort. One program would require the organization of a not-forprofit organization to seek the grant money. The other
could be sought by a community group. After the meeting, Steve Kemp, EPA remedial project manager for Verona from 2013-2018, said EPA’s tests of wells on the Bontrager farm and the Kooi farm, across the road from the Bontrager land and both outside of the Superfund site, did not verify the numbers released by Bob Kick, project manager for Foth Industries, the firm acting on behalf of Syntex in the cleanup. Kick said measurements on both farms were in the highest range of dioxane detected. Zurbuchan said EPA had tested five wells outside of the Superfund site repeatedly and found no water sample containing dioxane beyond acceptable levels. Kemp said Foth Industries may have drilled its own test wells, but he felt confident pollution levels remained within acceptable limits. Kemp and Zurbuchan declined to release exact numbers for tests on either farm. They said EPA would only release test numbers to the landowners, considering that data as private. Well tests within the Superfund site are included in the EPA’s five-year reports. If the EPA found legacy pollution had affected land on private property, Kemp said EPA would contact Foth and direct the firm to “address” the situation. If that did not resolve the issue, he said EPA would intervene. Speaking to the crowd, Kemp said he insisted having tests run for more chemicals, even semi-volatiles. Earlier tests had different detection methods, looking for higher thresholds. He pushed to have lower levels used because health effects from the chemicals had not been previously known. Zurbuchan said it is possible dioxane has been present much longer than investigators have detected it. Audience members raised other issues. Patsy DuPlessis, the school nurse, asked if the dioxane had come from BCP, since the company made choline chloride, in the past, a nutritive food additive known to create dioxane as a byproduct. Kemp said EPA had not determined where
Lively exchanges developed during the EPA meeting in Verona on Tuesday. Steve Kemp, former EPA remedial project manager, pointed toward Valerie Wilder, DNR Superfund section chief, for Truman Zinn, who lives near the Denney farm. Zinn expressed doubts over efforts made to maintain the cap on the former dioxin dumpsite. Standing, at right, is Curtis Carey, EPA public affairs director. Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com the dioxane was coming from and was “trying to go through the legal process” to get more answers from the manufacturer. Kemp added that Superfund law does not regulate the discharge of choline chloride. He thought other federal programs may provide other support to regulate such activity. In a public statement to The Monett Times, BCP has denied using or producing dioxane. No one from BCP was present to field questions. Another audience member questioned the company’s practice of land distributing sludge of unknown contents on local fields from its wastewater treatment plant. Elizabeth Kramer, engagement specialist for EPA, reminded the audience the meeting was focused on legacy pollution, and that EPA was not knowledgeable about current plant operations. Others questioned cleanup efforts involving dioxin in the area. These included the failed attempt to break down dioxin in a wastewater treatment plant in Neosho in 1971 and the disposal of dioxin at Syntex’s Springfield plant. The completion of earlier dioxin cleanup efforts around Verona also came into question. One audience member cited the dumping of barrels into a mine shaft in Baldwin Park in Aurora, where barrels out of reach of the cleanup crews in the 1980s are believed to remain. The EPA’s own
five-year reports documenting the presence of an unknown number of barrels, containing unknown contents, that remain buried in the trench overlooking the west side of the Superfund site around the BCP plant. Helen Koehler recounted how her husband, a Syntex employee, saw barrels hauled into the trench, something Syntex initially denied, and how her husband later died of “a rare brain disorder,” which the Koehlers attributed to his contact with dioxin. She questioned how EPA could trust Syntex, and its proxy, Foth Industries, to monitor or clean the site, having caused the problem in the first place. “You can trust the EPA,” Zurbuchan said. “We’re watching everything Syntex does. Trust and verify. We don’t trust anything. We’re not going anywhere. We’ll be here, looking over shoulders to verify.” Other questions turned to the Denney farm, south of Verona, one of the dump sites for dioxin barrels. Truman Zinn, who lives a quarter mile from that farm, said he had been hearing promises that efforts would be made to stabilize the dump site, now overgrown and infiltrated by animals, “for the last 10 years.” He expressed doubts to Valerie Wilder, DNR’s Superfund section chief, that the site has been inspected annually. Wilder, who directed to staffers who made the inspections, conceded the site had deteriorated, and said DNR would seek grant
money from EPA to restore it, since the state had no funds for such a project. Tracy Snodgrass questioned how those who worked on the Blue Goose incinerator wore hazmat suits, and questioned why neighbors were not warned to take precautions. Gene Gunn, senior advisor to the division director at EPA, responded that he provided tours of the Blue Goose, finding it that safe. He asserted that handling of the contents going into the incinerator required precautions, but after that the process was quite safe. Asked what EPA planned to do to make life better for residents around Verona said first, the EPA is going to make sure residents are not drinking dioxane. “We need to find how far the plume extends from the site,” he said. Mayor Heck, in wrapping up the forum, asked the EPA and DNR staffers to return for a second public meeting, possibly as early as next month. Concern had been cited that rural residents in particular did not receive notice of the meeting, or get word long enough in advance. Carey said he would ask his colleagues at EPA to schedule another session, but could not promise when without consultation. In attendance at the session were all five members of the Verona City Council, all three Lawrence County commissioners and State Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove.
LOCAL | PAGE 6A
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Man indicted in murder case
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Cubs on the rising tide, takes huge step in Week 2 play
The Monett Times
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
VERONA POLLUTION ISSUES
What: Attention focusing on 1,4-dioxane New: BCP says its processes not creating pollutant Ongoing: Other states challenging EPA assessment
Verona pollution concerns grow
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Four charged in felony rape, sodomy case Springfield woman allegedly kidnapped, abused for days BY MELONIE ROBERTS reporter@monett-times.com
A Springfield woman was allegedly taken against her will on Aug. 20, and held for two
days at an Everton home, where she was repeatedly raped and forcibly injected with drugs. Don Trotter, Lawrence County Prosecuting Attorney, has filed felony charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy and kidnapping against Zachary Wade, James Maggard Jr., David Browning
(Arnold) and Donnie Willis, all of Everton. Felony charges of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit rape have also been filed against Wanda Maggard, of Everton. In a statement of probable cause, Lawrence County Det. Lt. Chris Berry, who investigated the allegations, said the
20-year-old victim reported that on Aug. 20, she left her home an approximately 9:30 p.m. with her cousin, Wade, 28, stopping at a convenience store to get a soft drink. Wade went into the store and returned with a cup of Dr. Pepper. Within minutes of consuming CONTINUED ON PAGE 3A
Purdy Craft Show hits record size
BCP states choline chloride production not making dioxane BY MURRAY BISHOFF times-news@monett-times.com
Questions about ongoing pollution issues in Verona prompted by the public meeting hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on Aug. 27 have led to new clarifications and further inquiries. It was noted in the meeting that BCP Ingredients, a division of Balchem, makes choline chloride, a food additive, at the Verona plant. Creation of 1,4-dioxane, the ether-like substance detected in groundwater tested below the plant property, has been recognized as a byproduct in the manufacture of choline chloride. How long the dioxane has existed under the Superfund site is unknown. The plant is part of a federal Superfund site because of its historic involvement in the manufacture of dioxin, a defoliant used in the creation of Agent Orange, chemically unrelated to dioxane despite the similar name. According to EPA officials, methods for detecting 1,4-dioxane have improved significantly in the last seven years. Earlier manufacturers using the plant, including Syntex Agribusiness, were also known to produce choline chloride back perhaps as early as the late 1960s. According to Curtis Carey, public affairs director for the EPA, the EPA has been seeking additional information from Balchem on its choline chloride production for its efforts in the Superfund cleanup and monitoring. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3A
Purdy High School students Taylor Lunceford painted hearts on Brylee Hodges at the Purdy Craft Show as a fundraiser to support activities by the school’s Music, Art and Drama (MAD) Club this year. Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com
Aurora man in custody for Monett shooting
Kyle Huse apprehended, denied bond
CAPTURED
Who: Kyle Huse, 31, of Aurora Why: For Aug. 20 shooting of Jason White, 50, of Monett
BY MELONIE ROBERTS reporter@monett-times.com
Kyle Huse, 31, of Aurora, is behind bars after a Lawrence County Sheriffs Deputy apprehended him following a foot pursuit. Huse was taken into custody on Sunday after a Lawrence County deputy responded to the report of a suspicious person on Hwy. 174.
“The deputy located the suspect, who initially gave him a false name,” said Lawrence County Sheriff Brad DeLay. “The deputy recognized the suspect and as he went to cuff him, the suspect fled. The deputy gave chase and caught him.” Huse was wanted in connection with the shooting of a Monett man, 51-year-old
Jason White, that occurred on Aug. 20. In addition, Huse is charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest for felony unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license is revoked or HUSE suspended, and distribution, delivery or manufacture of a controlled substance. He remains in custody at the Lawrence County Jail. He has been denied bond.
Eighth annual Jammin’ at Jolly concert on tap
The Mark Chapman Band headlines entertainment lineup BY MELONIE ROBERTS reporter@monett-times.com
The Mark Chapman Band will headline this year’s entertainment lineup at the eighth annual Jammin’ at Jolly Mill Concert in the Country, starting at 6 p.m. on Sept. 21 at Jolly Mill Park, located near Pierce City. The band performs a variety of
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country, southern rock, acoustic, Americana, Red Dirt, and indie musical styles. The event will conclude with a fireworks show at dark. The memorial concert is in honor of the late Tal Wooten, founder of the Wooten Company, and is underwritten by his wife, Rosalie O’Reilly-Wooten. The park features swings and play structures for children. Those attending are encouraged to take lawn chairs or blankets for comfort, and are invited to bring a CONTINUED ON PAGE 2A
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The Mark Chapman Band will be the headline act at the eighth annual Jammin’ at Jolly Mill Concert in the Park, starting at 6 p.m. on Sept. 21 at Jolly Mill Park, located near Pierce City. The event honors the late Tal Wooten, founder of the Wooten Company, and is underwritten by his wife, Rosalie O’Reilly-Wooten. Pictured are band members Mark Chapman, Randall Wildman, John Anderson and Taylor Dodson. Melonie Roberts/
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Three kinds of people: • Those who don’t know what happened • Those who watch things happen • Those who make things happen!
– COMPLIMENTS OF TOM KERR
Charged: Suspects have history of felony offenses
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
part of the drink, the victim said she felt under the influence of something, and was not able to put her thoughts together. She lost consciousness and only becoming aware when they arrived at someone’s home. The victim reported being in the presence of Arnold, Maggard and Wade, who were injecting themselves with drugs. She said they told her she was doing the drugs, too, and Maggard allegedly forcibly injected her with the drugs as Wade and Arnold held her down. Arnold then allegedly attempted force the victim to perform a sexual act, and the victim bit him. Arnold then allegedly raped the victim. The victim was left the bedroom, at which time Wade allegedly entered the room and started kissing her. The victim said she started to cry, at which point she received another injection. Maggard then allegedly raped and sodomized the victim again, multiple
times. The victim reported Wade giving her a third injection at that point, then committed the same sexual acts again. At times, the victim was restrained with a belt around her ankle. The victim was finally able to dress herself and demanded Wade take her home. At that point, the victim reported receiving a fourth injection and said she felt as if she were dying, passing in and out of consciousness and throwing up. Wade then took the victim in his car and picked up a woman identified as Wanda Maggard, his mother, and traveling to Springfield to allegedly perform “push outs” at various stores. The victim recalled being at a specific supermarket and recognizing a law enforcement official, and trying to get his attention, but she was unsuccessful in that attempt. The victim reported being taken back to
Arnold’s home in Everton, and other people burning trash. She was approached by a woman identified as Amber Willis, who offered her medication for the nausea. Donnie Willis then gave the victim a fifth injection before he allegedly raped her. All suspects in the case have a history of felony crimes. Arnold has been convicted of a 1992 unlawful use of a weapon charge in Ozark County; a 2000 involuntary manslaughter charge in Lawrence County; a 2000 stealing charge in Lawrence County; a 2001 distribution and manufacturing charge in Greene County; a 2014 possession of a controlled substance charge in Lawrence County; a 2015 driving while intoxicated-persistent offender charge in Greene County; and a 2019 unlawful possession of a weapon charge in Lawrence County. Wade has been con-
victed of an undated charge of possession of a controlled substance in Greene County and a 2012 tampering with a motor vehicle charge in Greene County. James Maggard, Jr., has been convicted of a 2016 child abuse charge in Rush County, Kansas; a 2004 second degree assault charge in Dade County; a 2015 manufacture/distribution of a controlled substance charge in Lawrence County; and 2015 operation of a motor vehicle charge in Lawrence County. Willis has been convicted of a 1999 stealing charge and a second degree arson charge in Miller County; a 2005 second degree burglary charge in Polk County; a 2010 forgery charge in Barry County; and a 2011 distribute/manufacture of a controlled substance in Polk County. Wanda Maggard has been convicted of a 2004 forgery charge in Polk County.
ing for BCP Ingredients, responded last week to a query from The Monett Times about BCP’s production of choline chloride and its potential link to the creation of 1,4-dioxane. Freiburger stood by the letter issued by Balchem on Feb. 22 that stated, “the BCP Manufacturing site does not currently and never has used 1,4-dioxane in any manufacturing process.” “BCP does produce choline chloride, a nutrient for human and animal nutrition, at our Verona facility,” Freiburger said. “However, the assumption that all production of choline chloride results in the formation of 1,4-dioxane is inaccurate. When the synthesis of choline chloride is not properly controlled, it can produce 1,4-dioxane as a by-product. However, BCP’s choline chloride production methods do not include or produce the acid catalyst that is required to create 1,4-dioxane. Additionally, we have controls in place to detect the presence of 1,4-dioxane and have yet to detect it as a result of our choline chloride production. “As stated in the EPA’s five-year review and discussed during the public meeting on Aug. 27, the source of the 1,4 dioxane has not been identified. BCP remains fully committed to cooperating with both the EPA and MDNR as they work to identify the source of the 1,4 dioxane. We agree that lack of information can cause concern on this issue and as you know we take our stewardship of the environment and the community very seriously.”
A meeting was held Monday morning at Verona City Hall by a committee of interested persons assembled by Mayor Joseph Heck and Mayor Pro Tem Claude Carr to further study the pollution situation. Concern was expressed over still unreported stockpiles of dioxin, buried in mines and other undisclosed locations. City Attorney Ken Reynolds expressed concern that 1,4-dioxane, a suspected carcinogen, is spreading from the Superfund site. He said the city has reason for concern, even as the EPA declined to acknowledge reports from Foth Industries, the working agent for Syntex, of dioxane reaching 300 times the level of safety set by EPA, since EPA could not replicate the results. EPA tests, reported at the public meeting, show no excessive levels of dioxane outside of the Superfund site, including tests on private land, which the EPA would not release to the public due to privacy issues. Reynolds planned to explore the possibility of finding an independent testing agent that the city could hire. Mayor Heck said he wanted the public to know the city government would continue. Heck posed the question, “Does this constitute a state of emergency?” Moon, also present, said additional information is needed before that determination is made. Those present at the meeting concurred with EPA that even though the source of the 1,4-dioxane is unknown, greater efforts are needed to track its source. According to the EPA’s five-year study, the underground plume of dioxane appears to be moving downstream. The question of how dangerous is 1,4-diox-
ane appears to be at the heart of actions in several states against the EPA. On June 28, the EPA released a draft risk evaluation for 1,4-dioxane. The initial determination found no unreasonable risks to the environment and no unreasonable risks to occupational non-users. The evaluation included no recommended action. Public comment on the risk evaluation remains open until the end of September. According to Environmental Law Monitor, this review comes at the same time that the New York state legislature approved a bill banning consumer products containing 1,4-dioxane. The California Department of Toxic Substances Control held a public workshop on risks from 1,4-dioxane and is considering additional regulation. Environmental Law Monitor expected the EPA would receive a large volume of comment on its proposed rule. In addition, the city of Ann Arbor, Mich., is fighting a three-mile long plume of dioxane from a chemical plant that has been moving since 1984 and is threatening to invade the city’s public water source. The city is seeking input from plaintiffs in the suit against the Gelman Sciences chemical company as to whether the EPA should consider their situation grounds for becoming a Superfund cleanup site. Under an agreement with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Gelman Science has begun pumping ground water, treating it and returning it to the ground in an effort to dissipate the dioxane. No efforts have been taken to date in Verona to dissipate the dioxane.
Verona: BCP addresses manufacturing concerns
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
A Balchem news release dated Aug. 30, 2006, reported the purchase of a choline chloride facility in St. Gabriel, La. In that release, dated two years before dioxane surfaced in Verona under EPA testing, the company reported BCP Ingredients was currently manufacturing choline chloride in Verona. Dr. Brian Zurbuchen, EPA remedial project manager for Verona, told State Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, in an email that choline chloride continues to be made at the Verona plant. Jerome Freiburger, director of manufactur-
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State House Special Election
Resilient Cubs come home
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Legal action threatened over Verona industrial pollution
417 PREDATOR HUNTERS
What: Group based in Springfield that goes after pedophiles Who: Leader is woman named Dani, who founded group a few months ago Now: Group has exposed 14 predators, leading to five investigations
Who are 417 Predator Hunters?
Aldermen divided over next steps, attorney fees BY MURRAY BISHOFF
times-news@monett-times.com
Verona City Council members have revealed a more aggressive stance over industrial pollution issues, as the city appears to be positioning for a lawsuit.
VERONA CITY COUNCIL FOR SEPTEMBER
What: City appears positioning for lawsuit over pollution Reservations: Alderman Buzzard cautions loose spending Action: Adopt new nuisance ordinance with revisions
Paying bills, often not a routine matter in Verona, sparked
an extended discussion on the pollution issue. Aldermen LaDonna Buzzard questioned payment of $1,300 in bills from attorney Ken Reynolds, relating to the city’s response to historic pollution concerns from Syntex Agribusiness. The issues arose from the property where the BCP Ingredients plant is located, and the recently revealed spread of the ether-
Reliving history at Jolly Mill
Area group tracks, confronts men seeking children online for sex editor@monett-times.com
An area group — 417 Predator Hunters — played a big role recently in the arrest and bond revocations of a Monett man. Led by a woman named Dani, whose last name is being withheld due to the nature of her work, 417 Predator Hunters was founded a few months ago and recently confronted Shannon Clayton, 41, of Monett, for allegedly attempting to meet and have sex with a 15-year-old girl in Springfield. “We pose as fake kids online, but after what happened with Clayton, we realized we are able to help real children, too, and that is a motivator,” Dani said. Clayton’s charges in two separate cases involve alleged sex crimes with minors under the age of 16, and even younger at the time the alleged crimes occurred. Dani said when she started the group, she did not have a lot of help. The first exposure she did, of a man named David Eisenhower, was completely solo. “A lot of people reached out to me after that, and I kind of just wanted to do it on my own,” she said. “But, I got a lot of messages from survivors and it really shocked me how many people reached out and said the exposures helped them heal in some sort of way. Even though Greene County [law enforcement] was not involved, I was still helping people.” Now, 417 Predator Hunters has expanded to include another four to five people on the exposure team, plus another four to five decoys.
like substance 1,4-dioxane in the water table, coming from an unknown source. Mayor Joseph Heck asked Reynolds to attend the public meeting with EPA officials on Aug. 27 and a special meeting a Verona City Hall on Sept. 9, attended by Heck, Mayor Pro Tem Claude Carr, State Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, Reynolds and others, but CONTINUED ON PAGE 7A
SILVER DISCOVERY EXPO When: 8 a.m. to noon on Oct. 18 Where: New Site Baptist Church
Second annual Silver Discovery Expo planned
BY KYLE TROUTMAN
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7A
75¢
Breakout sessions every 30 minutes BY MELONIE ROBERTS reporter@monett-times.com
With dogged determination, Cole Perry, 6, turned the hand crank to make a rope at Saturday’s History Day at Jolly Mill. The event featured demonstrations of steam powered equipment and mill grinding operations. Melonie Roberts/reporter@monett-times.com
Area residents will have the opportunity to discover important information for senior citizens and their caregivers at the second annual Silver Discovery Expo, set for 8 a.m. to noon on Oct. 18 at New Site Baptist Church in Monett. Exhibitors will offer resources for completing a health care directive, and information on nursing homes, assisted living and memory care facilities. Blood pressure checks and vital signs will also be offered to attendees. In addition, Dr. Tommy Goode will present information on veterans care, and the Alzheimer’s Association will provide information on Alzheimer’s and dementia. Tara Ransom, with Parks and Jones Elder Care, will discuss ways for seniors to protect their assets, and the Missouri CLAIM Office will offer information on updates on Medicare. Finally, seniors can ask questions about their medication concerns with Ask the Pharmacist. Breakout sessions will take place every 30 minutes CONTINUED ON PAGE 2A
Monett homecoming this week focuses on ‘The Beat’
Parade, coronation, dance on Friday culminates music theme BY MURRAY BISHOFF times-news@monett-times.com
Monett High School is celebrating homecoming this week as the Cubs entertain festivities around the theme, “We Got The Beat.” Homecoming culminates Friday with the homecoming assembly at
Vol. 112, No. 41 ©2019 The Monett Times
MONETT HOMECOMING
What: Celebration this week Theme: ‘We Got The Beat’ Gridiron opponent: East Newton Highlight: Crowning of king, queen at Friday’s game
2:30 p.m. in the school gym, the downtown parade at 4 p.m., the coronation at Burl Fowler Stadium at 6:30 p.m., the gridiron contest against the East Newton Patriots at 7 p.m., and a dance from 9 p.m. to midnight on the mezzanine at CONTINUED ON PAGE 2A
Seniors vying for the Monett High School homecoming crown of queen or king will learn who the winners are on Friday. Pictured, front row from left, are queen candidates: Joanna Bello, Lourdes Morales and Ashley Kurima. Back row are king candidates: Brandon Majors, Ruben Dierker and Junior Villa.
LaDonna McVay Photography/ Special to The Monett Times
The Monett Times
Local
Hunters: Decoys
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
“The decoys are women who live all over the country,” Dani said. “It’s very time consuming and it’s not an easy thing to do, either.” Since it began, 417 Predator Hunters has completed 14 exposures and contributed to five criminal investigations, all in a span of 2-3 months. All of the exposures have been in Springfield, but Dani said about half of the men reside in Webster, Taney or Lawrence counties. “I believe we were able to assist in the Clayton arrest, and Webster County has filed charges on another one of the men we exposed,” Dani said. “Taney County is looking at what they can do on one of the guys there. It’s kind of uncharted territory since we are civilians who want to do something.” Dani said the turnaround time between first contact and exposure is generally not very long. “Clayton was three days from first contact to the exposure,” Dani said. “He attempted to get the decoy to have a friend drive her to meet at some church across from his house in Monett, but after a couple days, he said he’d find a way to borrow a car and come to Springfield. “We get a lot of exposures on the first day, within the first 24 hours. Others are usually three to four days or a week, but they are all usually pretty quick.” Dani said the group uses a number of apps to reel in predators, all of which require a user be 18-or-older to sign up. Common sites are Plenty of Fish, Tinder, MeetMe and other dating sites. “Our decoy profile always says 18, but our rule is we drop the age within the first five messages, and we receive acknowledgement the person knows he is talking
Wednesday, October 9, 2019 • Page 7A
to a kid,” Dani said. Dani said she got the idea to start the group from seeing other similar groups online. “I used to follow a lot of groups online that do it, and I did a lot of research and have watched hundred of exposures,” she said. “I have a son and a daughter, and it just hits close to home for me. I also had a friend that had something like that happen to them, so it’s nice to be a voice for people who do not have one.” The office of Don Trotter, Lawrence County prosecutor, confirmed the 417 Predator Hunters video of Clayton is what spurred his bond revocations. Although Trotter is thankful for the group’s work, he does worry. “While I admire what 417 does chasing down these guys, they are putting themselves at serious risk,” he said. “This guy [Clayton] didn’t do anything when he was confronted, but one of these days, someone else might.” Dani said that is something she worries about, but she stays prepared. “There is definitely a fear,” she said. “We always take precautions. We are aware things could go wrong at any point, so we try to keep our distance and most of the team carries. We also really do our research before we do an exposure. “I agree [with Trotter]. He’s not wrong. But, we are passionate about what we do, family-oriented and looking our for our community. In the end, we are adults and we are all aware of the risks, but this is really important to us.” For more information about the group, people may visit /www. facebook.com/417ph/ or www.417predatorhunters. com
Cool season grasses promoted plant diversity at Field Day
There’s still much to learn about growing grasses in southwest Missouri. That was the message shared by Amy Hamilton, owner of Hamilton Native Outpost, a commercial producer of seeds who was one of the presenters at Field Day at the Southwest Research Center near Mt. Vernon. Hamilton reported that understanding cool season grasses is an emerging science. She displayed tall fescue, spreading its immense root system to show why the plant holds more water. When grown with hot season grasses, cool grasses provide a chain of forages for animals, and helps in dealing with insects, as 25 percent of insects eat only one plant. “We don’t understand the science of diversity,” Hamilton added. Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com
Verona: City officials looking into soil testing options
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no other council members. “What are we getting [from these meetings]?” Buzzard asked. “What’s our end game?” Heck said Reynolds was exploring getting the city aid for some soil tests around town, independent of state and federal officials and Syntex, and to explore possible health concerns. “Is the city considering a lawsuit?” Buzzard asked. “Yes,” Heck said. “We don’t know where [the 1,4-dioxane] coming from. We believe there’s some other places [the dioxin] is. Our concern is it could be airborne. Personally, I don’t want to live here if
it’s in the soil.” Issues about both pollutants were discussed at length by the EPA at the public meeting on Aug. 27, following revelations in February about new pollution concerns. “I lived through the circus the first time it happened,” Buzzard responded, referring to the revelation of dioxin buried around the area in barrels that came to light in 1980. “People making the biggest stink didn’t care a rat’s ass about the town. I hate to see people creating a stink now. I agree Syntex and EPA dropped the ball. I’m just cautious about proceeding responsibly. “I’m not saying I don’t believe there’s an issue. I don’t want to see thousand and thousands of dollars spent with no proof. There needs to be a plan. We need to be able to justify it. I, personally, am not there. I don’t believe this is a Times Beach.” Buzzard said she had lived in Verona since age 8 and had not seen “weird cancers” associated with industrial pollution. Alderman Denise White countered that there was a high concentration of cancer cases within the community and nearby. “We need to find out what’s going on, and we need to do some testing,” White said. “If we’re sitting on a time bomb, we need to know it.” Heck suggested Buzzard could have a conflict of interest because she works at BCP Ingredients. Buzzard said she expected that, but added her reservations were qualified. “I would not be working there if I believed they were doing something wrong,” Buzzard said. “I believe they should be held accountable. If it’s coming from the plant, they need to be held accountable. In my opinion, it could be in other places.” When it came time to vote on approving the bills, Buzzard abstained. Alderman Sheila Massengill said if the city attorney came to Verona for a meeting, she wanted to know about it at the time, rather than finding out later at the monthly council session. In response, Heck said, “That’s fine.” During a special council meeting on Oct. 3, Massengill suggested hiring a lab to do independent soil testing for contaminants at random locations inside the city limits, sampling the north, south, east and west quadrants. Carr said this was being investigated through efforts by Reynolds, along with funding. In other business, council members agreed to amend the nuisance ordinance to notify both the property owner and the occupant, if dealing with
Following up on the Verona City Council’s purchase of mums for Cannon Park at the September regular meeting, Debbie Pankau and husband Robert from the Wild Clovers 4-H Club planted flowers in the 4-H garden at the park on Saturday, beautifying it for the season. Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com
The completed 4-H garden at Cannon Park in Verona with flowers planted by Debbie and Robert Pankau. Contributed photo
a rental property, in case of a property maintenance violation. Clerk Laura Hazelwood reviewed the ordinance since the revision was proposed in August and discovered another inconsistency. One part of the ordinance gave the owner or property owner seven days to comply, and another part gave 15 days. Aldermen agreed to change both to seven days, and adjusted some copying errors in their motion to adopt the revision. Heck reported the candidate under consideration for the position of building and code inspector had withdrawn. Aldermen agreed to solicit for other interested parties on social media. They also agreed to appoint Tim Jones, former police chief, to the Planning and Zoning Commission. A special council meeting was called for Oct. 3 to address a concern raised by auditor Dawnata Hopkins with the CPA Group to have a second city council member authorized to sign checks. Hazelwood said she and Heck had been signing checks for the past year. She preferred having more distance from the process and not being placed in a position where she would have to sign her own paycheck.
Council members formally approved adding Alderman White to the signatories list in a special meeting on Oct. 3. Hazelwood reported she requested an updated bid for installing gas or electricity to run the heating system in the fire station bay and lines to support a different power source. She recommended the council seek quotes for having the city ordinance book codified and brought up to date with state laws. A cost, she said, would prove helpful at budget time. The last codification took place about five years ago at a cost of more than $10,000. City Hall will close at 2 p.m. on Oct. 16 and be closed for the rest of that work week for Hazelwood to attend a court clerk’s conference in Branson. Aldermen heard a presentation from a representative for Sun Solar about investing in a 30-year arrangement for solar power. They asked for more details and a follow-up at the Oct. 22 meeting. During the special meeting on Oct. 3, council members approved sending the mayor, interested aldermen and Jeff Burleson, interim building inspector, to popup training offered by the Missouri Municipal League in Ash Grove.
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State House Special Election
Cubs head to Mustang country
Kalp, Cupps express their viewpoints in questionnaire
Monett seeking to secure district seed
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New pollution concerns surface in Verona EPA meeting focuses on air emissions from BCP Ingredients
EPA MEETING IN VERONA OCT. 11
New disclosure: Testing for ethylene oxide emissions Health risks: City council members call for illness survey Possible other pollutants: Harmful wastewater spread on fields, lead poisoning of children surface
BY MURRAY BISHOFF times-news@monett-times.com
New sources of industrial pollution ― some old and some recent ― have surfaced through public meetings and disclosures in Verona. Representatives from the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) returned to
Verona on Friday for the second public meeting in two months, in an effort to keep lines of communication open with a community facing more doubts from the Superfund site stretching across its west side. The public gathering raised more concerns rather than relieving issues discussed at a town meeting in August. Benjamin Washburn, public information representative for the EPA, led a five-person delegation of specialists to an unusu-
al daytime emergency meeting of the Verona City Council. Announced on short notice, the meeting nonetheless attracted enough people to pack the council chambers at city hall. Dr. Brian Zurbuchan, the EPA remedial project manager for the Superfund site, said the public attending the Aug. 27 meeting at the Verona school raised three primary concerns. One was a concern over the impact of CONTINUED ON PAGE 7A
A king and his queen
BY MURRAY BISHOFF A collision between a train and a tractor trailer in Aurora on Sunday resulted in no injuries but caused major damage
When: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 Where: Town and Country Supermarket in Pierce City Cost: $30, with most insurance and Medicaid accepted
Flu vaccines now available Residents urged to protect themselves against approaching flu season reporter@monett-times.com
Train hits tractor trailer in Aurora
times-news@monett-times.com
FLU CLINIC
BY MELONIE ROBERTS
Monett High School celebrated its annual Homecoming festivities on Friday night with the crowning of its King and Queen. Junior Villa secured the title of King and Ashley Kurima was named the Queen. Jared Lankford/sports@monett-times.com
Trucker hangs up truck on closed railroad crossing
75¢
TRAIN CRASH IN AURORA
When: Shortly after 8 p.m. on Sunday Where: Morgan Street railroad crossing Result: Major damage to truck
to the truck. According to a release from the Aurora-Marionville Police Department, a 2018 Freightliner driver attempted to
go around the barricades at the Morgan Street railroad crossing, heading north. The crossing had been closed to vehicle traffic for several months. “The trailer became caught on one of the train tracks, and was struck by a westbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad train. Officers were called at 8:16 p.m. following the collision.
The Lawrence County Health Department has announced vaccines are now available for the upcoming flu season. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses, resulting in mild to severe illness. Serious outcomes of flu infection can result in hospitalization or death. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, who are at high risk of serious flu complications, receive vaccinations annually. Vaccines currently available include the Quadrivalent, Flublok and High Dose Senior Strength. “It is especially important for people with long term health problems and weakened immune systems and household members of ‘at risk’ people,” said Janella Spencer, administrator. “The cost of the shot is $30. We are also able to bill Medicare and most insurance.” A flu shot clinic for residents 19 years of age and older will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 at Town and Country Supermarket, located at 110 N. Elm St. in Pierce City. Lawrence County residents may also get vaccinations from 8-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m. every Monday through Friday at the Lawrence County Health Department, located at 105 West North St. in Mt. Vernon. Those paying for the vaccines with insurance or Medicaid are asked to bring their cards with them when they receive their shots. Flu vaccines are also available for children ages 6 months to 18 years and FluMist for children 2-18 years. Cost of the vaccine CONTINUED ON PAGE 6A
Purdy alumnus part of solution for the future
Bellegarde: “I had teachers and advisors who invested in me” BY JORDAN PRIVETT The Monett Times
A 2001 Purdy school district graduate is donating time back to his home town by helping the school build a new website. Susan Funkhouser, Purdy public relations coordinator, said the idea and process of rebuilding a website started when Steven Chancellor was still the Purdy superintendent.
Vol. 112, No. 45 ©2019 The Monett Times
DISTRICT WEBSITE
Who: Purdy school district What: New, user-friendly school district website More: Purdy alumnus giving back to community
“I am not sure of how everything worked in the beginning, but I know that Brandon Bellegarde reached out to us,” she said. “The website that we have currently is powered through Google, which is great, but it does have a lot of limitations on design.” Funkhouser said in her opinion,
the website they have now is functional, but it is not user friendly. “We can send people to the website to get certain information or to follow a link,” she said. “But, as far as it being a place that would attract new people to look into, I don’t feel like it really serves that purpose.” The new website is not only for staff, students or parents, but also for the community. “The home page will be simple, but it will have tabs for parents, students, staff members and for community members,” she said. “So, the home page is very simple but it will direct anyone from that page to
where they need to go.” Purdy school district has put a focus on making the district more open to the community and to be more community-minded. “I feel like one of the challenges of being a small school district is that it comes with a small school stigma of there isn’t a lot going on,” she said. “We definitely want to address that and change it. We want to have a platform that allows new families that are considering moving into the district, as well as our existing families, know how many opportunities CONTINUED ON PAGE 2A
The Monett Times
Wednesday, October 16, 2019 • Page 7A
Pollution: EPA representative addresses major concerns raised by residents
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industrial pollution on private wells, raised in a way that expressed distrust of Syntex Agribusiness, which is conducting well tests. This led EPA to commit to testing wells within two miles of the Superfund site. Zurbuchan said 10-15 wells had been identified within the zone of concern. Testing would begin in December. Secondly, Zurbuchan noted area residents expressed concern about the dioxin cleanup in the 1980s and the lack of maintenance of burial sites, especially the James Denney Farm, where the Blue Goose incinerator operated. He said the evaluation of those locations was nearly complete.
Dioxin, an ingredient in the defoliant Agent Orange and a byproduct of the manufacture of the soap Hexachlorophene, triggered the Superfund cleanup effort after hundreds of barrels of the highly toxic substance were found surreptitiously buried around the countryside. An unknown quantity of barrels remain buried in the west hillside overlooking the BCP plant. Thirdly, Zurbuchan said the ether-like substance 1,4-dioxane raised considerable concern, particularly about its infiltration into the groundwater concentrated around the BCP Ingredients plant. He noted Syntex, the plant owner pri-
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or to BCP Ingredients, was developing work plans for a second phase of cleanup, which he expected to see in “a couple weeks.” After plans were found to meet quality control and “provide data we can make decisions off of,” Zurbuchan anticipated releasing results next spring. Renewed interest in the historic industrial pollution developed at the end of 2018 when Syntex purchased the Bontrager farm, downstream from the BCP plant and threw up a security fence around it with an armed guard. According to Bob Kick with Foth Industries, Syntex purchased the property to conduct better testing on the 1,4-dioxane plume detected in the groundwater under the BCP plant that appeared to be moving north, heading downstream. Measurements of 300 times the safe exposure level to dioxane have been recorded on the Superfund site. Similar numbers were recorded on the Bontrager farm, off site, Kick said, though EPA has not replicated or acknowledged those results. Zurbuchan then introduced Amy Algoe-Eakin, EPA branch chief over air permitting and standards in the air and radiation division. Algoe-Eakin said she had come to report on air emissions from the BCP Ingredients plant, in response to concerns raised privately with officials. Previous EPA reports on the Superfund site had not delved into air emissions. A separate air pollutant report has been done on the BCP plant that is available online. Specifically, AlgoeEakin said the Clean Air Act lists ethylene oxide as a hazardous air pollutant, a chemical regularly emitted from the plant. She also mentioned emissions of other chemicals recorded in high quantities, including carbon monoxide, sulphur oxide, ethylene gly-
col and hydrochloric acid. Emission of another major chemical, chloromethane, had ceased by 2017. Ethylene oxide, a flammable, colorless gas used by BCP to make other products and repackaged as a sterilization tool, has been “identified as a potential concern in several areas across the country.” “[The] EPA and the [Missouri Department of Natural Resources] is committed to ensuring that we are properly characterizing the ethylene oxide emissions and that the testing and validation of emissions are done in a scientific and reliable manner,” AlgoeEakin said. She noted 2014 data had errors in the sources of emissions. Revising that enabled a reduction in calculations for the amounts of ethylene oxide emitted. Algoe-Eakin said the EPA had no estimates on short-term impact from ethylene oxide. A computer model had been developed to calculate its effect over a 70-year period. BCP had hired a third party to test for its emissions, and EPA used numbers from BCP’s leak detection system. However, she confirmed the EPA had no equipment in Verona, or even anywhere in all of EPA’s Region 7, that could measure ethylene oxide emissions from the plant. EPA took its measurements on environmental impact from regional airports, incorporating meteorological data from wind records. “We’re now just beginning to understand [exposure to ethylene oxide],” Algoe-Eakin said. “The science is still growing.” Alderman Claude Carr found none of this comforting. He noted ethylene oxide was known to be quite explosive, and in light of recent lightning strikes, he asserted the town was in considerable danger. He also asserted the plant may be emitting the gas on a regular basis. Alderman Denise White asked what possible effect the gas could have on her over her sevenyear residence in Verona. Algoe-Eakin said studies suggested an impact on breast cancer, but added that was “not an absolute.” Mayor Joseph Heck argued for a community survey showing cancer and other illnesses. White offered to go door-to-door herself and document what people report. Zurbuchan said such a study was outside of the authority of the EPA, which seeks to identify contaminants, their pathways to the public, and to protect health by cleaning up the pollutants. A study like Heck suggested, Washburn said, would fall under the jurisdiction of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. “We’re in a doggone poison situation,” Carr said. “We’re trapped. We want immediate attention.” “Our commitment is to continue to engage with you,” Washburn injected. Zurbuchan added the city could follow up with state officials. Heck went further and asked how the city could secure third-party testing, distrusting both Foth Industries, the working arm of Syntex that provides soil and water tests, and the EPA. It was noted discrepancies had surfaced between test results produced by Foth and EPA. Zurbuchan defended the EPA’s strategy. He described how Foth conducted sampling under approved work plans, and that EPA conducted field supervision to see the sampling was done correctly. Lab results come directly to EPA, rather than accepting a potentially filtered version. He added he was not aware of any funding through EPA to conduct third party testing. Heck noted grant money offered at the last meeting was only available to not-for-profit organizations, and not to the city. City Attorney Ken Reynolds, pressing the city’s case for independent confirmation of evidence, noted EPA nonetheless relied on Foth Industries
for well testing. Washburn responded that the tests met “extensive and robust sampling standards.” Zurbuchan further stressed the EPA presses Syntex into the remediation process to make the responsible party pay for the cleanup. Turning to BCP, Zurbuchan was asked if EPA could independently confirm the declaration by Jerome Freiburger, director of manufacturing for BCP, that the company cleanly produces choline chloride without the waste product of 1,4-dioxane. Zurbuchan confirmed dioxane is a known byproduct of the choline chloride manufacturing process. He said EPA “will continue to evaluate” the situation to see if dioxane is being made, but could not point to a specific confirmation of Freiburger’s statement. Moreover, he explained the continued ground spread of the underground plume of 1,4-dioxane as a possible expansion in a more dilute concentration. BCP’s practices came under further scrutiny under Carr’s assertion that the manufacturer is now hauling sludge from its wastewater operation for distribution on private fields “seven days a week.” Carr said the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ rule that sludge should sit for six days for exposure to sunlight was not being followed, and the sludge was being spread on fields “hot,” penetrating the surface soil. Similar concerns were voiced at the Aug. 27 meeting. A related concern surfaced recently by an account relayed to Carr by local farmer Les Erwin, whose land is located approximately one mile north of Verona and is crossed by the Spring River. Erwin’s father, S.B. Erwin, and other landowners confronted Syntex in the late 1970s over the death of all the wildlife in the river, bringing the DNR into a confrontation that resulted in the shutdown of the plant’s wastewater lagoon, before word of the buried dioxin surfaced. Erwin related how Terra Renewal, a firm contracted by BCP to remove the sludge from its wastewater plant, approached him to spread effluent from the plant onto his fields. The firm provided manifests showing the contents of the effluent, showing nothing harmful. Erwin agreed, and even allowed Kemin Industries, the pet food manufacturer based in Verona, to also spread its effluent for some of that time. From 2012-2014, the distribution went well over 100 acres of land Erwin owned, in three locations. In November 2014, however, Erwin said he saw his fields dying. He had Terra Renewal pull out. A basic soil analysis provided no clues. Going to a local plant food manufacturer with broader connections, Erwin had his land tested more extensively. Those tests turned up manganese, a toxic chemical used as a metal alloy, most commonly in the production of stainless steel. Manganese is documented in the EPA’s 2014 air emissions study from the BCP plant. The specialists explained that manganese, which showed up in none of the documentation provided to Erwin, locks nutrients out of plants. Using suggestions from the lab, Erwin recounted spreading three tons of lime from the Springfield/ Ava quarry on his land the following spring. The next fall, his fields began to recover and have produced well ever since. Erwin credited Terra Renewal for working with him, and admits he went into the situation “with eyes wide open.” His experience left more questions about the land distribution practices of both Verona’s industrial employers. In the last few weeks, what may have been an instance of yet another industrial pollutant surfaced in Verona.
Achraf and Shonda Bali live at 253 S. Third Street, north of the senior citizens apartments. The Bali family includes two 3-year-old twins, Adam and Omar. A late summer storm blew a section of a tree on the north side of the Bali’s property onto a power line, knocking down a utility pole and creating “a big hole.” Liberty Utilities removed the damaged pole but took several weeks to replace it. In the meantime, the children, who liked to play outside, got into the unearthed dirt. Omar was even seen eating the dirt, as some children are known to do. Shonda Bali took her children to Cox Monett Hospital for a checkup. In the process, a blood sample showed Adam had 5 micrograms per decileter of lead, a marginal measurement of lead poisoning. Omar had 2,500 micrograms per decileter. Otherwise they showed no symptoms. Medical staff prescribed a diet with lots of iron, protein and dairy products for both boys, and notified the Lawrence County Health Department. Harry Ballard from the health department visited the family shortly thereafter. The Balis said Ballard tested the dirt and provided them with straw and mulch to cover the exposed earth. Ballard also found lead in the paint of their 1910-vintage home. He gave them a can of special paint to cover the old paint inside. Omar, said his mother, has had the lead in his bloodstream drop to 1,100 mcg/dL. Achraf Bali said the family would like to place a doublewide manufactured home on their property and demolish their old house altogether. They have been pre-approved for a mortgage and hope to work out a variance with the city over a requirement for mobile homes that presently puts that option out of reach financially for them. “We love Verona,” Shonda Bali said. Lead is documented in the EPA’s 2014 air emissions study from the BCP plant. There is speculation that a heavy metal like lead may have been used in the manufacture of Agent Orange to make the chemical stick to living tissue, in the same way traces of mercury are used in vaccines. Unlike other area towns, lead is not known to occur naturally in Verona, where there is no history of mining. The Bali house is located approximately 50 yards from the railroad tracks, which borders the BCP plant. While it is located in a valley-like lot, Achraf Bali said the property is not prone to flooding. Alderman Carr, who visited with the family, said the city council is now looking at places around the city for taking soil samples to identify possible pockets of industrial pollution. The Bali property, he said, has now risen to a high priority position on that list. He noted there are several places in town where a number of homes have had a history of cancer or other illness, notably south of Cannon Park, where he would like to see tests taken. With these concerns in mind at the meeting, Heck challenged Zurbuchan to provide “yes or no” answers and simpler explanations than he gave at the Aug. 27 meeting. “I try not to talk over anybody’s head,” Zurbuchan said. “As far as ‘yes or no,’ most things are not as simple as ‘yes or no.’ I don’t think anyone ever said a Superfund site is not a big deal.” “We are committed to engaging with the community,” Washburn said. “We are committed to doing the right thing.” The delay in coming back to Verona for a second meeting, requested within a month of the first, stemmed from a reluctance to come without additional information, the EPA representatives said. Zurbuchan stressed processes and testing take time. Washburn said a bigger public meeting may be possible sometime in November.
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VERONA CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
New: Pollution issues prompt accusations of improper activity Division: Over depth of issue, how to respond Action: Set meeting dates, continue to employ code enforcer
Verona pollution divides council Contentious exchanges precede new EPA meeting Monday
Fairview woman sentenced to 22 years in prison Victim impact statements reveal victim’s love of family, community
CAMPBELL SENTENCED
What: Found guilty of felony driving while intoxicated involving the death of Nichole Barker, 42, of Mt. Vernon, and leaving the scene of an accident involving a death. Sentence: The maximum of 15 years for driving while intoxicated causing Barker’s death; 7 years for leaving the scene of an accident resulting in a death, to run consecutively.
BY MELONIE ROBERTS reporter@monett-times.com
A 38-year-old Fairview woman has been sentenced to 22 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for the April 22, 2018, hit and run death of a Mt. Vernon woman following an
altercation at a Mt. Vernon bar. Lerenda Campbell was sen-
tenced Friday in Lawrence County Circuit Court to 15 years for driving while intoxicated involving the death of Nichole Barker, 42, of Mt. CAMPBELL Vernon, a Class B felony, and an additional 7 years for leaving the scene of an accident involving the death of Barker, a Class D felony. The sentences will run consecutively. Presiding Judge Jack
Goodman heard victim impact statements from more than a dozen of Barker’s family members, friends, co-workers and civic groups on how the loss of Barker, described as a daughter, mother, hero, role model, aunt, sister, friend, co-worker and community theatre supporter, has forever changed lives of those she loved. Lacey Lutz, Barker’s sister, spoke of how the events of the night will remain burned into CONTINUED ON PAGE 5A
PIERCE CITY HOUSE FIRE GUTS FAMILY HOME
BY MURRAY BISHOFF
times-news@monett-times.com
Months of pressure over how to deal with historical and ongoing pollution issues in Verona spilled over into accusations and heated rhetoric between members of the Verona City Council. Disagreements over how city officials see proceeding on the issue come on the eve of another public meeting scheduled for Monday with representatives of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) at 6:30 p.m. in the school. At the last public meeting on Aug. 27, locals criticized the EPA for inadequately notifying residents in and around Verona. The latest session is seen as an effort to provide more information in an open house setting, allowing residents to ask questions of specialists. Historically, pollution concerns have stemmed from the manufacture of dioxin, a known cancer causing agent, at the Verona plant in the 1970s both as a byproduct of the militaryused defoliant Agent Orange and from the manufacture of the soap Hexachlorophene. This led to a sustained cleanup effort in the 1980s, when hundreds of barrels of dioxin were found buried around the area. BCP Ingredients, a division of Balchem, has manufactured industrial products at the plant since 2001. More recently, concern grew over the spread of 1,4-dioxane, the ether-like substance unrelated to dioxin, found spreading in the groundwater from the Superfund site. Syntex Agribusiness, the owner of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 6A
Firefighters fought their way into the structure fire at 402 N. Pine in Pierce City on Tuesday night, battling through dense smoke. Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com
Couple, baby not present, expected to lose all BY MURRAY BISHOFF
F
times-news@monett-times.com
irefighters from Monett city and rural departments as well as Freistatt joined Pierce City firemen to battle a blaze at 402 N. Pine in Pierce City on Tuesday. Firefighters were dispatched shortly after 7 p.m. and found the home engulfed in smoke. The owner, the Seth Gripka family, was spending family night with Gripka’s mother, Jami Lawrimore, when neighbors called to say the house was on fire. Firefighters remained on scene for more than two hours. Pierce City Fire Chief Allen Stockton said the cause of
the fire was “undetermined,” in part due to heavy damage. At this time of year, Stockton said electrical issues and heating systems are frequent causes of fires. The blaze appeared to originate in the center of the house, between the bathroom and living room. The fire went up walls and spread through the attic. The house had a metal roof that held in the heat. Stockton said that created “bunches of problems,” especially in allowing hot spots to rekindle. The fire even consumed the rafters on the house. Though the structure remained standing, Stockton did not feel that structurally there was enough left to rebuild.
Stockton called in the Red Cross to assist the family. The Barry-Lawrence Ambulance District remained on scene during the blaze. Lawrimore said the family has a new baby but no insurance. She expected the family would be able to salvage very little if anything. A relief fund has been set up at First State Bank of Purdy. Donations can be made at any branch. The account was set up in the name of “Jami Lawrimore, for benefit of her son’s family.” Donations must be specified to that account, which does not have the “Seth Gripka family” name listed.
US Bank closes downtown Monett branch
Staff able to secure jobs at Highway 60 branch BY MURRAY BISHOFF times-news@monett-times.com
Vol. 112, No. 58 ©2019 The Monett Times
Thursday was the last day of business for US Bank’s downtown Monett branch at 522 E. Broadway. “We’re excited and sad, but it’s all good,” said Samantha Hull, branch manager. US Bank’s corporate office issued a statement that the company was expanding its footprint, and in the process, closed the downtown branch. The branch at 832 E. Hwy. 60 will remain open. At one time, US Bank had three branches in Monett, including the First National Bank building at Fourth and Broadway, since sold to Monett Main Street. The branch at Sixth and Broadway is located on the site of the historic Gillioz Theater. The disposition of the employees turned out positively. Hull will continue as branch manager at
US BANK BRANCH CLOSES Result: Services consolidated to Highway 60 branch Last day: Nov. 14 Staff: One leaves, others reassigned, some to new jobs, in Monett
the Highway 60 branch, which she also oversaw. Tina Snow, assistant manager, will move to a new position at the Highway 60 branch. Teller Maria Serrano will also go to the Highway 60 branch in a new position. Mason Anderson, who served as a universal banker, had applied and been accepted for a position with US Bank in Joplin. After discussing his preference to remain in Monett, he was assigned to the Highway 60 branch. James Dean is the only employee to leave. He completed a degree on the Friday notice came of the bank closing. By the following Tuesday, he had been hired by another firm. Hull said the downtown branch building is for sale. Several prospective purchasers have come by to review the facility.
The staff of US Bank’s downtown branch is pictured on their last day on the job on Thursday. From left are: Mason Anderson, Samantha Hull, Maria Serrano and Tina Shaw. Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com
Page 6A • Saturday, November 16, 2019
The Monett Times
Local
Verona: Buzard, Carr engage in heated exchange regarding past meetings
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
manufacturing plant in the 1980s, purchased a farm a year ago from the Bontrager family downstream from the plant. Spread of the underground dioxane into ground water is suspected to have made children in the family sick. The family moved to Wisconsin before that could be confirmed. The EPA continues to dispute tests showing the 1,4-dioxane had spread from the Superfund site. Nonetheless, Dr. Brian Zurbuchan, project manager for the Verona Superfund site, said the EPA would test wells of property owners for free. BCP Ingredients manufactures choline chloride at the plant, which may have been made at the plant by previous operators. Dioxane is a known byproduct of the manufacture of choline chloride, though BCP states its process no longer produces it. It is unclear whether any new information will be revealed during the session next week. Zurbuchan said at a meeting with the Verona City Council on Oct. 11 that testing of wells for 1,4-dioxane would not begin until December. At that meeting, however, Amy Algoe-Eakin, EPA branch chief over air permitting and standards in the air and radiation division, revealed new information about ethylene oxide (EO), a chemical regularly discharged by the BCP Ingredients plant. While the science studying effects of EO continues to develop, Algoe-Eakin said EO may negatively impact breast cancer. At the Verona Council’s Oct. 22 monthly meeting, during comments by council members, Alderman LaDonna Buzard, a frequent critic of Mayor Joseph Heck, renewed her complaint that Heck and Mayor Pro Tem Claude Carr have conducted business without the authorization of the full council over the pollution issue. Buzard also works at BCP Ingredients. “Over the last few months, I have grown increasingly more angry about the way things have gone,” Buzard said. “I actually had to go make an appointment with Ken [Reynolds, city attorney] myself to find out what has been going on and what the conversations have been because the people who have been speaking with him have refused to share any of the information that they have been discussing with the rest of the board.” Meetings that Buzard alluded to have continued since the monthly session. A meeting between Heck, Carr, Reynolds and Tyler Merriott, field representative for U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, took place at Verona City Hall on Nov. 1. Buzard told The Times she had
not been informed of the meeting, also attended by a few invited community members and State Rep. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove. Carr told The Times that Reynolds advised him a work session by a a couple council members did not need to be announced to the others, and if less than a quorum of council members attended, the session did not have to be posted as a public meeting. During that session, those present outlined the scope of Verona’s historic and ongoing pollution issues. Reynolds appealed to Merriott to help the city seek funding for independent testing of wells and soil. Information provided by the EPA, taken from tests conducted by Foth Industries for Syntex Agribusiness, was potentially compromised. The city wanted unbiased documentation from a third party to make decisions about its future. Following that meeting, BCP Ingredients issued an invitation to city council members, School Superintendent Tony Simmons, and lawmakers on both the state and federal levels to a special walkthrough open house at the plant, held on Nov. 14. At the monthly council meeting, Buzard expanded on her reservations about the policy pursued by Heck and Carr, having previously questioned legal bills they generated. “I want to reiterate Verona is my home,” Buzard said. “It’s my parents’ home. I went to school here. My son went to school here. Verona is not just my home. It has made me who I am. When someone questions my loyalty, I get a little bit ticked off. “Some people aren’t quite so attached or invested in this town. They’re hoping for a way out that includes a monetary payoff. They want there to be something wrong, and they’re using city resources and money to further their own agenda, while trying to convince you that I’m the one with the conflict of interest. So I’m just asking you to consider if the intentions are good, and that what they’re saying is true, then why are they wanting to withhold information? Why are they keeping everything a secret? Why would they shut people out and not welcome input from everyone? We all have something to offer. We all care about this town. Why, after being told they absolutely cannot withhold information, are they continuing to do so, and working in direct violation of the Sunshine Law? “I don’t understand how someone can say they’re working for or speaking on behalf of this city, when they won’t even have a conversation or accept input from the
elected board of aldermen. They try to convince you that I have a conflict of interest simply because I see things differently than they do. I believe we have a responsibility to people that live here to provide the best quality of life possible within our control. I also believe that we should facilitate communication and information between the community and EPA. However, I believe that spreading unfounded accusations to further a personal agenda is irresponsible and detrimental, and that spending thousands of dollars in city money without additional information — at least for now — is unwarranted. “So my sincere hope was to restore trust in our city government, to be part of a team leading the initiative to bring hometown pride to the forefront, to build our little town back up and to bring people together to build relationships, make improvements and impact each other in a positive way. But that is impossible when people are intent on creating a web of secrets and taking retribution on someone because they disagree with you.” Buzard leveled specific charges at Carr, who has health problems stemming from his work on the Blue Goose incinerator in the 1980s, set up on the James Denney farm to dispose of dioxin manufactured in the 1970s at the Verona plant. Carr revealed at the Nov. 1 meeting that he now has cancer himself. “I haven’t heard any information that warrants spending hundreds of dollars of city money,” Buzard said. “And I happen to know — multiple people have heard — that someone needs to pay. My question is for what?” To Carr, Buzard said, “I know you want a payout. You consider this to be a Times Beach situation.” “This is worse than Times Beach,” Carr responded. “Do you know what that means?,” Buzard answered. “That means there’s no school, no town, nobody lives here anymore. And then you sit there and say you care about this town.” “I do care about this town,” Carr said. “I care
about the people in this town, and the town itself.” For his part, Heck said he remains concerned about pollution in the town. The trench site on the hillside overlooking the west side of the BCP plant, containing an unknown quantity of barrels of unknown contents, was not cleaned up during the dioxin disposal. A 2016 court agreement binding Foth Industries to the cleanup effort revealed in its findings of fact that the trench site remained in use until 1996, though what was stored there remained unidentified. “I would at least like them to dig up the barrels and get them out of here,” Heck said. In public statements, Heck raised questions about what other pollutants may have been abandoned in the city. He questioned whether disturbing the soil around the school for construction of the new gym was safe. Buzard criticized Heck for raising the point right before the community picnic, which she organized and was held on the school grounds. “I said I wanted to get annexed out of the city,” Heck said. “My kids still go to school here. I’ve still got to live here, and if it’s polluted, I want to know. I’m not trying to cause panic. I’m trying to cause concern.” The discussion extended beyond the city limits. Council member Sheila Massengill pointed out the Bontrager farm was not in the city limits, thus not of direct concern to the city. Whether the dioxane represented a threat to residents who still have wells but live in the city, not getting their water from Empire District Electric, was raised by council member Denise White. Audience member Sue Pikari injected the prevalence of illness, another frequently cited talking point in the pollution discussion. Pikari specifically talked about people who have died in town and south of town, near the Denney farm, including her grandmother. “The people out in the country need to be protected too,” Pikari said. “I don’t disagree with you,” Buzard said. “I
don’t disagree that there are issues with people out there. Why is the city spending hundreds of dollars to protect people in McDowell?” “Because this is where it’s coming from,” Carr said. “There obviously is the dioxane issue and they’re looking at where that’s coming from,” Buzard said. The dioxane first surfaced in the ground water in 2008 tests and has increased in territory since then, moving downstream from the plant. At previous meetings Zurbuchan stressed the source of the dioxane remains unknown, though measurements are higher in test wells closer to the plant. In August, Zurbuchan said discharge of 1,4-dioxane may predate BCP operating the plant. EPA air emissions documents have surfaced that show the plant was discharging dioxane into the air in 1993, proving Zurbuchan’s theory. How it got into the ground water remains unknown, though the plant was known to irrigate its wastewater onto a field on the factory grounds. Buzard continued to stress that her doubts about BCP’s complicity in the pollution did not represent a lack of concern or a blanket disregard of wrongdoing. “I have never done anything to protect or defend BCP,” Buzard said. “At this point in time, BCP does not need defending. And, I have never said that I would support them over this community. I did say I have no reason to suspect wrongdoing. I work there. I know people that have worked there for 30-plus years, and they’re fine. They’re trying to get their kids on there, so they’re not horribly concerned. There are people that got big cash settlements, and they’re continuing to buy land all over and around the area. That BCP sits on a Superfund site, and as a company on a Superfund site, they are more closely monitored and tested and subject to more scrutiny than any other company out there. Is there stuff down there? Yes. And they have never said anything about, as far as the EO goes, that’s been there for years. That’s not a secret.” With time for alder-
men comments passed, the council meeting adjourned. Earlier in the meeting, the council approved holding the annual Christmas parade at 2 p.m. on Dec. 7, authorizing the use of city postage and copier for promotion. The November council meeting was slated for 5:30 p.m. on the 19th. Council members approved continuing having Jeff Burleson function as the city’s code enforcement and building inspector for $35 an hour. They agreed to revisit the arrangement in 12 months. Shonda Ball, who lives at 253 S. Third St. with her husband Omar and 3-year-old twins, came before aldermen to formally request a variance from city ordinances for skirting on a doublewide modular home. Ball previously took her petition to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Ball recounted how all of her family members tested positive for high levels of lead after exposure to dirt in their yard. Her only issue was receiving permission to place vinyl siding on the doublewide, costing $6,000 less than metal skirting mandated by ordinance. Aldermen raised no objections to the request, though Buzard questioned whether soil removal might also be needed. She said the Aurora city manager suggested contacting the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for further guidance. Ball said the family hoped to have their new home in place behind their present one in a matter of weeks. They hoped to demolish their small 1910-vintage house themselves, beginning in the spring and finishing by summer. Heck warned her the council expected to see progress and all codes followed.
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Public troubled by inaction at EPA meeting in Verona
Delegation describes slow process testing, analyzing pollution threat BY MURRAY BISHOFF times-news@monett-times.com
A delegation of 13 government officials and two industrial representatives gathered to address about 100 people
SECOND EPA MEETING
On: industrial pollution in Verona area What: EPA reps describe pending tests New: Independent well tester identified Reaction: Public pushback over lack of speedy response
Tuesday in the second meeting in three months with the Environmental Protection
Administration (EPA) in Verona. Speakers provided a broader range of answers over approaches to the historic pollution and ongoing concerns around the Superfund cleanup site, but the lack of prompt action bubbled over in several outbursts from the crowd gathered in the Verona school cafeteria. The meeting used the same format as the Aug. 27 session, placing specialists at tables
where residents could address specific questions in an open house setting. Maps and aerial photographs were posted on the wall and on easels for reference material. A large flat screen TV displayed 17 graphics during the presentation much more clearly than projections at the first session. EPA Public Affairs Specialist Ben Washburn served as moderator for the session. Contrary CONTINUED ON PAGE 6A
MONETT CITY COUNCIL
What: Approves paying off old bonds, buying $1.415 million in new bonds Expected final interest rate: Less than 3 percent New project: Building full intersection on north side of Highway 60 eat Lowe’s Lane
Monett approves Lowe’s Lane intersection New debt expected to be paid off by TIF 2 retirement date
Seniors serve seniors at Golden Age Dinner
BY MURRAY BISHOFF times-news@monett-times.com
EmilyRuth Johnson, center, brought meals to Jerry Stroud, left, and Nancy Stroud during the 46th annual Golden Age Dinner at Monett High School Thursday. Kyle Troutman/editor@cassville-democrat.com
Pierce City School Board filings begin Dec. 17
Trio of Pierce City school board seats up for grabs BY MELONIE ROBERTS reporter@monett-times.com
Pierce City School District patrons interested in filing for one of three open school board seats on the April 7, 2020, ballot may file a declaration of candidacy at the office of the superintendent during normal operating hours of 8 a.m. and 5
PIERCE CITY SCHOOLS
What: Three school board seats to open Filing begins: 8 a.m. Dec. 17 Filing ends: 5 p.m. Jan. 21, 2020
p.m., beginning Tuesday, Dec. 17. The positions are for a three-year terms, and the open seats are currently held by David Jones, Bryan Stellwagen and Greg Drollinger. The office will be closed for the Christmas
LAWRENCE COUNTY TAX VALUATIONS
What: Rose by 1.23 percent over last year Issue: BL Library reports preliminary numbers only Result: Final figures from state auditor have accurate grand total
Correction for LawCo tax figures determined
Library fails to receive final report, prompting error in published totals BY MURRAY BISHOFF times-news@monett-times.com
Vol. 112, No. 61 ©2019 The Monett Times
A missing document in the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library files resulted in confusion over the assessed valuations for Lawrence County, published in The Monett Times. Assessor Doug Bowerman reported valuations had risen by 1.23 percent, comparable to valuation increases recorded in Barry County. Real estate valuations of
$324,635,400 represented an increase of $3.3 million. Personal property valuations totaled $113,742,212, up $1.1 million. The problem surfaced when the Barry-Lawrence Library, which represents all of Lawrence County, failed to get the final assessment totals from County Clerk Tammy Riebe. The only document is the library’s file was the preliminary report from June 27. The preliminary numbers showed a 12 percent drop in real estate valuations and a 6 percent drop in personal property valuations. Gina Milburn, library director, said she never saw CONTINUED ON PAGE 5A
holiday, from Dec. 24 through Jan. 1, 2020. Filing will not take place when school is closed due to inclement weather. Names of qualified candidates will be placed on the ballot in the order of filing, unless candidates file prior to 5 p.m. on the first day of filing. In that case, the district will hold a random drawing to decide the order in which names are placed on the ballot. Filing will end at 5 p.m. on Jan. 21, 2020. The office is located at 300 N. Myrtle St.
The Monett City Council approved paying off its tax increment financing (TIF) debt and issuing new bonds for $1,415,000 to complete the intersection of Lowe’s Lane on the north side of Highway 60. Action followed a recommendation by the city’s TIF Commission on Oct. 10. The $450,000 project will involve building a full intersection, along with signal and lighting improvements as well as possible right-of-way acquisition. City Administrator Dennis Pyle said the intersection will eventually connect with a road built from the new Cox Monett Hospital property to the east. Bond attorney Carl Yates, who has handled all of the TIF bond sales, recounted how the city’s second TIF district was created to manage debt for building infrastructure around the Lowe’s store. At present, $965,000 remains on on bonds last refinanced in 2014. Initially, projections indicated a shortfall in funds to pay off the TIF debt by 2028, when the TIF district legally dissolves. Therefore, the construction of the north intersection was delayed until the revenue stream could handle the additional expense. Now, Yates said, more recent projections show the revenue stream will in fact not only pay for the new project, but also pay off the full debt ahead of schedule. Pyle said the debt may repaid by 2026 “if not sooner.” The Cox Monett Hospital construction happens to coincide with moving forward now. The hospital project benefited the city by having the low bidder for the project, Emery Sapp and Sons, already on site. As CONTINUED ON PAGE 5A
Plans underway for 66th annual Pierce City Christmas Parade Applications available online BY MELONIE ROBERTS reporter@monett-times.com
Plans are underway now for the 66th annual Pierce City Christmas Parade, slated for 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 14, with the theme, “Merry Christmas to All.” Check-in for floats and parade entries will begin at 3:30 p.m. at Pierce and Gibbs streets, where they will be directed to their position in the lineup. Drivers are asked to enter from Myrtle Street onto Pierce. Signs will be posted. Only one award will be given this year, the Mayor’s Award, for best entry. Judging will take
66TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE
Where: Pierce City When: 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14
place from 4:30-5 p.m. at the lineup. This is an evening parade, and lights on entries are recommended. Entries should have their organization’s name visible on both sides of the entry. Drivers are asked to come to a full stop in front of the announcer’s stand for recognition. Driver’s vision should not be impaired by float or entry decorations. All riders should be secured on the float or display
at all times to prevent injuries. Those distributing candy from parade entries are asked to toss the goodies gently at the feet of spectator’s assembled at curbside, and not in the street where children might run out to grab it. Entries are not allowed to display a Santa Claus on their float or in a driven vehicle. All animal entries, equestrian and otherwise, are to remain under owner control at all times. Applications are available online at Pierce City Arts Council – PCAC. For more information, people may call Becky Golubski at 417-4893041 or email beckygolubski39@yahoo.com
Page 6A • Saturday, November 23, 2019
Classifieds
1. Special Notices
9. Services Offered
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Please check your ad the first day of publication. If it contains an error, report it to The Monett Times Classified Department. Errors will be corrected and credit will be issued for the first day of publications only. The Monett Times shall not be liable for any loss or expense that results from the publication (whether published correctly or not) or omission of an advertisement.
CURBOW APPLIANCE Repair. All makes & models. Reliable, responsive, reasonable. Mon-Fri 8-5. 417-236-0700.
9. Services Offered CHIMNEY SERVICES: Fireplace and stove sales and services since 1992. Insured. Call 417-236-4993.
DOSS APPLIANCE Repair Service: Service all major brands, prompt, experienced service, affordable rates. Call anytime 417-235-6314. FOR ALL of your heating, air conditioning and sheet metal work, call Monett Sheet Metal, 235-7116. SIDING & TRIM, Replacement Windows, guttering, entry, storm & garage doors. Over 35 yrs. experience, local references provided. Ken R Mitchell 417-838-2976 Free estimates.
9. Services Offered
9. Services Offered
Thrasher FencinG and
General repair
Residential • Chain Link • Vinyl and Wood Fences Decks • Remodeling Licensed & Insured
Tom Thrasher
417-678-2588
Free Estimates
16. Help Wanted
30. Apartments for Rent
DOCTOR’S OFFICE, will train, full/part time, standing position. Apply Tuesday, Nov 26 & Dec 3, 10:30-12:30 at 211 East Bond St, Monett.
EFFICIENCY ALL electric, includes refrigerator, oak cabinets. $425 a month all utilities paid. Monett. Available Now! 235-9839.
25. Real Estate For Sale FOR SALE 40 acres open and tillable, road frontage on two sides at the corner of FF and 1170 in Aurora, MO. $180,000. Call 417-818-2040. PUBLISHER’S NOTICE: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. SIX ACRES for sale by owner. Monett Schools. 417-693-3535.
26a. Mobile Homes for Rent FOR RENT mobile home in quiet country park, Monett. 2 bedroom and 1 bathroom. $425 + deposit. Call 839-1930 or 235-6564.
29. Houses for Rent FOR RENT 2 bedroom 1.5 bath newly remodeled townhouse with w/d hookups located in Pierce City. 417-669-3880. HOUSE FOR rent in Monett. Large 2 bedroom, 1 bath, front porch, partial basement, and detached car garage. $550 + deposit. Call 839-1930 or 235-6564. I HAVE very nice rental homes, varied number of bedrooms, the city of Monett. Call Max Easley at 417-235-6871 or 417-693-1024.
29a. Duplexes For Rent
MOVE IN special. Large 2 and 3 bedroom apartments. Microwave, dishwasher, w/d hookups, walk in closets. Storage closet on balcony. Truck parking available, family atmosphere. Small pets ok. Water, sewer and trash paid. Close to Wal-Mart. Aurora, MO. 417-229-2871.
31. Rooms for Rent J & T ECONO Rooms to Rent. Weekly low rates - No pets. Cable TV, refrigerator, microwave. 417-489-6000.
32. For Rent BUSINESS RENTAL or lease. 1000 Square Feet. Contact: 913-645-2638.
33. Miscellaneous for Sale FACTORY DIRECT Mattress. Now open in Monett. 209 3rd St. 235-5681.
46. For Lease OFFICE SPACE for rent: 505 E. Broadway. East end of The Monett Times building. 1,425 sq. ft. $900 a month utilities included. Contact Glenna Kraft, Crown Double K Realty, 417-235-5231.
55. Storage CROSSLAND STOR-ALL. Across East of Wal-Mart. 10 buildings, 7 sizes. 235-3766. FRIEZE’S STORAGE- 10 Sizes plus outside storage. Gated at night. Phone 417-393-9662. WAREHOUSE SPACE for rent: 505 E. Broadway. Back of the Monett Times building. 3,000 sq. ft. $350 a month. Contact Glenna Kraft, Crown Double K Realty 417-235-5231.
902 WASHINGTON, Monett. 2 BR, 1-1/2 BA, kitchen appliances, w/d hookup. Private patio and garage. $525 rent, $525 deposit. References, 1 year lease, no smoking, no pets. 417-737-0132.
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Public Notice advertising plays a unique role both in American history and in the process by which this country’s democracy is preserved. Its one premise is that people must be informed if they are to govern themselves competently. Public Notice advertising first came into being with the Congress of 1792. That body, recognizing its responsibility to the people, required the Postmaster General to advertise for bids for the construction of new post offices. From that inauspicious beginning to the publication requirements in federal, state and local laws today, government officials have come more and more to understand their obligations to inform the public through Public Notice advertising. Newspapers over the years have been the vehicle by which these obligations have been fulfilled. They will continue to be as long as the public demands that it be informed frequently and by the best means possible.
EPA: Third-party company contracted to test wells
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to the August gathering, the EPA conducted extended p u b l i c ity through mailings notifying the ZURBUCHAN public of the event. B r i a n Zurbuchan, EPA remedial project manager for Verona Superfund, ALGOE-EAKIN served as the principal speaker. Zurbuchan reported the EPA planned to sample private water wells within a two-mile radius of the source of the historic pollution, the industrial plant operated by BCP Ingredients since 2001. He said the two-mile radius was a starting point and could be revised if test results warranted it. Zurbuchan said the EPA was contracting with an independent third party company, Tetra Tech, a major government contractor, to test wells around Verona. The EPA would pay for the tests to ensure no conflicts of interest. Efforts had begun to survey the area to identify all the private wells. Access agreements were available to give landowners the chance to grant the EPA the right to enter private property to make tests. Well testing became an issue when knowledge spread that 1,4-dioxane, an ether-like gas, was spreading underground and penetrating the ground water. Zurbuchan acknowledged measurements of dioxane 100 times the proscribed safety level have been found at the Superfund site. Zurbuchan said the EPA continues to develop plans for testing so that the EPA will have “confidence in the data” when gathered. The number of wells in the two-mile perimeter is unknown. Zurbuchan said after completing the area survey, the EPA would contact property owners over a three-week perform to schedule an appointment, then need another 30 days to receive results from the lab. Then, letters with results would be mailed, the whole process taking approximately twoand-a-half months. Pollution tests would remain private. The EPA has pledged to release general information about pollution levels if discovered, as was done at the meeting. To date, Zurbuchan said, five private wells had been tested, two detecting dioxane but below levels of concern. This extended timeframe for testing began to generate alarm in the audience. One area resident asked if her family, with elderly and children occupants, should be drinking bottled water. She also wondered if the family’s livestock was at risk. “I would not be concerned in the short time drinking water from a private well,” Zurbuchan said. Moreover, Zurbuchan said the EPA would take another look at the James Denney farm, located seven miles south-southeast of Verona, where the Blue Goose incinerator had been located from 1984 to 1989. Around 90 barrels of waste from the plant, many containing the known carcinogen dioxin, were found buried on the farm and subsequently destroyed. Dioxin was created in the early 1970s by the North Eastern Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals Company, (NEPACCO), then operating at the Verona plant. Zurbuchan said the dioxin came from the manufacture of the soap Hexachloraphene. Approximately 13 million pounds of solids were eliminated by the incinerator. The burial site was capped in clay and considered cleared. At the time, the EPA identified 14 residential wells in the vicinity of the farm and tested them.
A crowd of more than 100 people seated in the Verona school cafeteria listened to closing comments by Verona Mayor Joseph Heck and Brian Zurbuchan and Ben Washburn, from the EPA, during a special meeting on Monday. Murray Bishoff/times-news@ monett-times.com
Zurbuchan said the EPA would test wells in the vicinity again and had begun discussion with Syntex Agribusiness, the owner of the plant following the manufacture of dioxin, about maintaining the cap on the Denney farm. In one case, a tree had grown up through the cap, compromising its integrity. The 1,4-dioxane, which has reached the groundwater by unknown means, remains a mystery as to its origin, or whether its underground supply is being replenished as the underground plume appears to expand. Zurbuchan said dioxane has been found in shallow groundwater only. Syntex, directed to lead the cleanup, will conduct further geo-probing — going down 35 to 40 feet — to better understand the underground geology. That will help determine how the contaminant will behave over time as part of a remediation plan still in development, Zurbuchan said. Air quality measurements from various plant operators over the decades have shown 1,4-dioxane at the plant site prior to BCP’s operation. On this occasion, two representatives from BCP Ingredients were present to answer questions from the public. Jeremy Christian, environmental safety manager for BCP, said it is his belief that choline chloride, an agricultural nutrient whose manufacture has been known to produce dioxane, has been made at the plant continuously since the factory opened in 1962, long before the EPA was created in 1970. Jerome Freiburger, director of manufacturing for BCP, said he does not know how dioxane could come from BCP’s process. Choline chloride comes from combining pure ingredients, he said, with no waste, and tested for purity by Underwriters Laboratories.
Air pollution concerns
Going beyond the ground water issues, Amy Algoe-Eakin, EPA branch chief over air permitting and standards in the air and radiation division, made her second appearance in Verona. She previously attended a meeting with the Verona City Council on Oct. 11. Algoe-Eakin review the EPA’s strategy for reporting air pollution emissions, which tracks 187 chemical groups. She identified ethylene oxide (EO) as a major plant emission tracked in the National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA). EPA records showed the plant emitted 2,269 pounds of EO in 2018, and nearly double that in each of the previous four years. EO is considered to be a human carcinogen, particularly impacting breast cancer. Algoe-Eakin’s presentation in October sparked vocal concern, and her presentation this week did so again. Mayor Joseph Heck, whose wife is a breast cancer patient, questioned the value of the model that assesses exposure over a 70-year period, when a shorter-term impact would prove more useful. Michelle Hartman, with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, backed up Algoe-Eakin’s description that NATA is an assessment of potential risk, not an absolute measure. Algoe-Eakin said EO was colorless and tasteless, likely to have no outdoor odor. Residents expressed
more concern about what they could smell. Claude Carr, mayor pro tem, described a “sweet, etherlike” odor in the air, more evident at his home on the south part of town when the wind blows from the north, over the plant on the west edge of town. Carr noted he had been exposed to toxins while working at the Blue Goose, and there were others like him more susceptible to exposure by fresh contact. A rural resident who identified her residence on Farm Road 1180, in Barry County, said land application of effluent from the BCP plant on farmland had made the air “very bad” in that area, causing sore throats and creating problems with well water. Zurbuchan introduced Kevin Hess, Missouri Department of Natural Resources water pollution section chief in Springfield, previously consulted over this issue. Hess said all land applied materials undergo inspection. Once classified as fertilizer with the Missouri Fertilizer Board, however, it falls under an exemption as an agriculture process. The odor too would be exempt from regulation. Nonetheless, Hess said he was getting samples from the complainant to confirm no other issues were involved. “We can test the chemicals,” Hess said. “There’s nothing we can do about the odor.”
Audience dissatisfaction
Answers from the speakers pledging eventual information without explaining or resolving public concerns made the audience progressively more restless. Sue Pikari went so far as to claim barrels had actually been buried in Spring River. She identified another resident as dispatcher to crews that hid the barrels in the countryside and claimed that woman could lead the way to caches still undiscovered. “You people need to get your asses in gear and get something done,” Pikari said, receiving a round of hearty applause from the crowd. Max Blood, a resident living north of BCP plant, recounted talking to Ben Bontrager a year ago. The sale on Bontrager’s farm to Syntex, the erection of a 10-foot fence around the property and the hiring of an armed guard precipitated renewed concerns about the pollution issue. The closest neighbor to the Bontrager farm, Blood said one of the armed guards told him Syntex, based in Palo Alto, Calif., had concerns about squatters taking possession of the land and house there, thus justifying the heightened security. City Attorney Ken Reynolds challenged the squatting fear as “nonsense,” particularly when Missouri law requires 10 years of maintenance to make such a claim under adverse possession. With the size of the fence and the hiring of an armed guard, Reynolds declared, “There’s something else going on.” Zurbuchan’s claim that the fence was erected to prevent “criminal activity” in the unoccupied buildings prompted laughter from the audience. Syntex spokesman Bob Foth said the land was purchased to expand testing for dioxane. The plume appears to be moving north, downstream
from the plant. Zurbuchan confirmed dioxane does not occur naturally and is “connected to activities at the plant” and “didn’t happen all at once.” He added, “It’s very difficult and expensive to determine where it’s coming from.” Reynolds discounted the cost issue, as the cleanup expense is the responsibility of Syntex. “We can’t ask them to do something that’s not reasonable,” Zurbuchan said. “We have to allow them the opportunity to do the work before we do it ourselves.” Carr challenged the decision in 1989 to leave barrels buried in a trench overlooking the west side of the BCP plant. The trench site remained in use for further disposal until 1996. Carr asserted the EPA was “afraid to touch” the site. “There’s some uncertainty about what was buried in the trench,” Zurbuchan confirmed. However, he added the EPA had just finished six rounds of quarterly sampling from wells around the trench. He expected a plan to come out of that study, and results would be released once the study had been finalized. Carr also challenged Zurbuchan’s assertions that the well on the Bontrager farm was inadequate. Carr referred to records from the well company that the well dated only to 2011. Zurbuchan said the casing had nonetheless collapsed on the well. New information did not dispel assertions that the Bontragers had become ill from their well water and that dioxane measurements in their well were far above levels of concern. The EPA has discounted those claims and stated it cannot reproduce numbers of dioxane contamination reported through Syntax’s agent, Foth Industries, in February. Zurbuchan stressed that the Superfund cleanup process is an ongoing effort, revised as technology advances. Better detection methods for dioxane have led to new approaches. Spring River has been sampled extensively, and no concerns found. Every five years, remedies undergo review and conditions are assessed for changes. New testing represented a continuation of that effort. For BCP’s part, Jeremy Christian said the company, a division of the international chemical company Balchem, is poised to spend $10 million to expand the plant in Verona. Those plans remain on hold in light of concerns about pollution. “We’re committed to the community,” said Jerome Freiburger for BCP. “We hope to grow the plant for a new building to make choline chloride. We’d definitely like to see this solved.” The EPA had six representatives present, including Gene Gunn, senior advisor to the division director. Four representatives were present from Missouri DNR, and three from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, all all which attended in August. For further information, questions about Superfund issues were directed to Elizabeth Kramer, EPA engagement specialist, at 913-551-7386 or Kremer. Elizabeth@epa.gov. Air quality questions were directed to Ben Washburn at 913-551-7364 or Washburn.Ben@epa.gov.