Environmental Law Blog
Activist urges Pennsylvania residents to mobilize over TCE spill
Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Lenny Siegel, the executive director of the California-based Center for Public Environmental Oversight, has been urging residents on Church Road to learn more about TCE (trichloroethylene), the Standard Speaker reports. He’s also calling on homeowners to demand that the EPA put the site on the National Priorities List.
There’s good reason. More than 37 properties along Church […]
Montana smelter leaves behind a toxic legacy
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The Anaconda smelter in Montana has left behind a toxic legacy of arsenic and lead in the nearby community of Black Eagle, KRTV-3 reports.
From 1884 through 1980, the Anaconda smelter removed copper from ore mined in nearby Butte. However, it is believed that air pollution caused by the smelter contaminated properties in Black Eagle.
The U.S. […]
Chromium Contamination in Garfield, New Jersey
Monday, August 25th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to test more than 600 homes in Garfield, New Jersey for chromium contamination, The Herald News reports.
Chromium, a cancer-causing chemical, has been found in the basements of homes and commercial buildings. In 1983, 5,460 pounds of chromium leaked from a storage tank at E.C. Electroplating Inc.
In 1994, EPA groundwater […]
Kimesville, NC residents don’t want landfill to expand
Thursday, July 24th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
A proposed plan that would increase the area of a landfill in Kimesville, N.C. to more than five times its current size has nearby residents upset, News 14 Carolina reports.
In “Neighbors worry about local landfill,” reporter Ed Scannell states that the owner of Cobles Sandrock Construction and Demolition Debris Landfill has asked for permission to […]
Residents Link Illness to Charcoal Plant
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 by Todd Hageman
An investigation by reporter Ben Hall of NewsChannel 5 (WTVF -Nashville) raises questions about whether the Wrigley Charcoal Plant in Wrigley, Tennessee is making residents who live nearby sick.
The plant produced charcoal and iron before it closed in 1966. According to “Old Charcoal Plant Blamed for Illness,” it left behind a legacy of underground toxic […]
Landfill owner apologizes to residents for stench
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that officials from Weyerhaeuser, the company that owns a landfill near Toutle, Wash., apologized to residents for the dump’s horrible stench. The putrid scent residents have endured has been described as a mixture of raw eggs and flatulence.
Judging by the waste the landfill accepted – chicken feathers, wall board and bacterial […]
Update on Ottawa Landfill
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
I last wrote about the Ottawa Landfill in LaSalle County, Illinois on March 20. Residents there have been complaining about the rotten egg smell that invariably points to hydrogen sulfide gas – a cancer-causing chemical produced by landfill leachate.
According to My Web Times, the landfill’s owner, Allied Waste, continues to remediate the smell. Despite the […]
Update on EPA testing in St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
On January 30, I wrote that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was testing the soil at a St. Louis Park high school and on at least 200 homes where solvent vapor fumes have been detected. The contaminants that are of the greatest concern are trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene, compounds used in industrial degreasers, metal cleaners and […]
Large-scale industrial leak caused contaminated water plume
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
On March 27, I wrote about the dangerous levels of trichloroethylene found near the Behr Dayton Thermal Product Plant in Dayton Ohio.
The Dayton Daily News now reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that the contaminated groundwater plume was probably caused by an extensive, large-scale industrial leak that occurred within the past 30 […]
Union Pacific weighs groundwater cleanup options in Nebraska
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Three weeks ago, it was discovered that the industrial solvent PCE had contaminated the drinking wells for residents of 25 homes in a Grand Island, Neb., subdivision. Since then, the residents have been drinking bottled water supplied by Union Pacific, KHAS-Channel 5 reports.
Nebraska Solvent Company, which rented the land from Union Pacific, is believed to […]
Contaminated property traps Fort Edward homeowners
Friday, May 2nd, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Three years ago, residents in Fort Edward, N.Y. discovered that their homes were polluted by the cancer-causing industrial solvent trichloroethylene.
Even though their mortgage companies agreed the homes were worthless, property tax rates remained the same. Even though the chemical posed risks to their families, residents could not sell the property to escape.
An article written by […]
Public water will replace contaminated well water in Buncombe County
Thursday, May 1st, 2008 by Todd Hageman
An Asheville, N.C. neighborhood will soon receive water from public lines rather than wells, the Citizens-Times reports.
The decision was made after trichloroethylene was found in wells for homes located in The Oaks subdivision. Even though the TCE levels did not exceed health safety standards, Buncombe County decided to extend the public water lines to the […]
Benzene and Chromium found in Texas sand and gravel pit
Thursday, May 1st, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The Texas Department of Environmental Quality (TDEQ) has found unsafe levels of benzene and chromium in the Ballard Sand Pits, the Caller-Times reports.
Located near Corpus Christi, the state environmental agency has been digging sludge out of the sand and gravel pit only to discover the superfund site is more hazardous than originally thought.
Caller-Times reporter Jamie […]
Kiddie Kollege coming down
Monday, April 28th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
In February, I wrote about Kiddie Kollege, a day care center located in a former thermometer factory. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection discovered that the building located in Gloucester County contained mercury vapors at levels 27 times the acceptable limits. Several children were also found to have elevated levels of mercury in their bodies.
The state […]
Hydrogen sulfide dangers in Bridgeport, Illinois
Monday, April 28th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
According to government reports, high levels of hydrogen sulfide linked to nearby oil and gas facilities have been found in Bridgeport, Illinois.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry recently released a Health Consultation report summarizing tests that were conducted from June 22 to July 19, 2006 after citizens complained about odors. The sample locations […]
North Carolina residents worried about well water contamination
Thursday, April 24th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The Daily Tar Heel reports that people living in the Rogers-Eubanks community, which is located near the Orange County Landfill, are worried that their well water is contaminated.
Although tests have deemed the water potable, Carl Purefoy told reporter Evan Rose that his well water is “swirled with an orange-tinged sediment.” Purefoy and many others aren’t […]
Agency director comments on Florida groundwater contamination
Thursday, April 24th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Tampa Bay Online recently published a commentary by Deborah A Getzoff, the director of the southwest district office of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. She wrote the publication to address concerns raised by some St. Petersburg residents about groundwater pollution near the Azalea neighborhood.
Groundwater contamination was first discovered near the neighborhood between 2004 and […]
As one odor problem fades just outside of Chicago, another intensifies
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 by Todd Hageman
For years, residents living in western suburban Chicago have complained that the Hillsdale Landfill is so smelly that it triggers headaches and makes them sick to their stomach.
Many were relieved to learn that the landfill’s closing is ahead of schedule. Crews are completing a cap and gas collection system that they hope will end the […]
War of words between Ohio EPA and Countywide Landfill owner
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
For some time now, I’ve been following the controversy surrounding one of the worst dumps in the nation, Countywide Landfill located in East Sparta, Ohio.
According to the Beacon Journal, the relationship between Republic, the dump’s owner, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has become increasingly contentious. Recently, correspondence between the state agency and the owner […]
Legal wrangling over groundwater contamination in Virginia
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
In 2002, the owners of a 165-acre mobile home park in Campbell County, Virginia discovered that the drinking water was contaminated with volatile organic compounds from the Campbell County landfill.
For the next three years, discussions between the county and the owners, Claude and Virginia Royal, did nothing to solve the well water contamination. And so, […]
Polluted groundwater found near Lincoln, Nebraska
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The recent discovery of polluted groundwater in an unincorporated area of Lincoln, Nebraska means that the residents can’t drink the well water.
According to the Associated Press, testing by the Environmental Protection Agency revealed high levels of coliform bacteria and carbon tetrachloride, a chemical that can cause kidney, liver and nervous system damage.
Officials suspect the pollution came […]
Cancer-causing chemicals threaten well water in Oregon
Monday, April 7th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
As many as 300 private wells in Lebanon, Oregon may have been polluted by contaminated groundwater, the Democrat Herald reports.
According to the Department of Environmental Quality, the groundwater is contaminated with the cancer-causing industrial solvents trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE). For about ten years, the DEQ has worked to clean up three dry cleaning sites […]
Hidden Lane Landfill added to Superfund list
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 by Todd Hageman
On Jan. 9, I wrote that the Environmental Protection Agency was considering adding the Hidden Lane Landfill in Sterling, Virginia to its Superfund National Priorities List. From 1971 to 1984, Hidden Lane Landfill operated as an unregulated, privately-owned dump. In 2005, testing revealed that nearby wells were contaminated with TCE (trichloroethylene). TCE is a known […]
Dangerous sewer gases pose problem for Eliot, Maine
Monday, March 31st, 2008 by Todd Hageman
For more than a decade, people living near Bolt Hill Road in Eliot, Maine have been complaining of a foul odor. Recent testing revealed dangerous levels of hydrogen sulfide gas. According to the Seacoast Online, the highest levels of hydrogen sulfide were 250 parts per million.
According to Foster’s Daily Democrat, the town’s Board of Selectmen and lawyers […]
State official calls Crow Lane Landfill owner’s actions “retribution”
Monday, March 31st, 2008 by Todd Hageman
I have been blogging about the plight of the residents living in Newburyport, Mass. who endure the horrible smells coming from the Crow Lane Landfill, owned by New Ventures. Just a day after my last blog entry, the Newburyport News reported that the City was forced to issue a cease-and-desist order to New Ventures for failing […]
FDEP wins Saufley Landfill lawsuit
Monday, March 31st, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Last Friday, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection won a lawsuit against the owner of the Saufley Landfill, the Pensacola News Journal reports.
Escambia County Circuit Court Judge Terry D. Terrell signed a final judgment order which allows the FDEP to take over the landfill’s closing and requires the owner, Louisiana Investment Group, to pay $677,397 […]
Cancer rates among Ohio residents will be surveyed
Thursday, March 27th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
On Feb. 28, I wrote about the dangerous levels of trichloroethylene (TCE) found near the Behr Dayton Thermal Product Plant in Dayton, Ohio as well as the clean-up and monitoring efforts of the City of Dayton and the Montgomery County Health Department.
The Dayton Daily News now reports that city, county and state health officials are reviewing […]
Horrible Smell in Silver Lake, Washington
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Residents living near the Castle Rock industrial dump are complaining of a rotten egg smell which usually points to the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas. According to The Daily News, Weyerhaeuser Co., who owns the dump, is working with officials to operate a new air treatment system. County officials are organizing a public meeting to […]
Florida residents join suit against owner of Joiner Landfill
Thursday, March 20th, 2008 by admin
NEWS RELEASE
March 20, 2008
Milton, Fla. – Forty-nine residents living near the Joiner Landfill have been added to a nuisance and negligence lawsuit filed against Milton-based Joiner Fill Dirt LLC.
The Joiner Landfill was opened as a repository for construction and demolition debris. After Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis, the landfill received gypsum-drywall debris, which produces hydrogen sulfide […]
Update on Land Comp Landfill in Ottawa, Illinois
Thursday, March 20th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
On Feb. 5, I wrote that homeowners living in Ottawa, Illinois are complaining that the odor from the Land Comp Landfill is not only bad, it is getting worse.
In a recent article from My Web Times, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency stated it will prioritize the processing of permits that are needed to start work […]
EPA talks to residents about cleanup in Mobile, Alabama
Thursday, March 20th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Environmental Protection Agency officials spoke to Mobile, Ala. residents earlier this week about possible pollution from an abandoned chrome plating facility, the Mobile Register reports.
The EPA is conducting a site assessment to determine if toxic chemicals from the defunct American Bumper facility on Navco Road have spread into the soil or groundwater of nearby homes. […]
Lawsuit filed against Dickson County, Tennessee for TCE exposure
Thursday, March 20th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The Environment News Service reports that two residents of Dickson, Tennessee and the Natural Resources Defense Counsel have filed suit against Dickson County, and city governments. The suit alleges that TCE from a nearby landfill has contaminated their water supply, and the city and county have not done anything to remove the contamination.
I do not […]
Concerns about water safety in Cottage Grove, Minnesota
Thursday, March 20th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
State officials who declared that the drinking water in Cottage Grove, Minnesota is safer than originally thought were met with a healthy dose of skepticism earlier this month, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.
Officials from the Minnesota Health Department told residents that the level of perfluorobutanoic acid in their water is too diluted to be of any […]
Update on the Glendale Road Landfill in Northampton, Massachusetts
Thursday, March 20th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Last October, I blogged about the concerns that residents had about the Glendale Road Landfill in Northhampton, Massachusetts.
The Republican now reports that on Feb. 29, a $24,999 contract went into effect to pay trained nose sniffers to determine if the continuing odor complains are legitimate. The City of Northhampton is funding this project.
I do not currently […]
Leaking fuel contaminates creek in North Carolina
Thursday, March 20th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
North Carolina officials have ordered a petroleum storage and distribution facility in Asheville to clean up groundwater contamination and stop polluting a nearby creek with oil. According to the Citizen Times, the order from state environmental officials comes 14 months after the Asheville Oil Company was issued a violation.
Sweeten Creek flows into Swannonoa River, which […]
Resident angry that Massachusetts is not cleaning up Crow Lane Landfill
Thursday, March 13th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
In a scathing letter to the editor of the Newburyport News, resident Jim Stiles accuses the state of Massachusetts of not doing enough to clean up the landfill, and he accuses the state of tying the hands of city officials who want to help. He urges fellow residents affected by the toxic waste from the […]
Saufley Landfill ordered closed; nearby residents join lawsuit
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
NEWS RELEASE
March 11, 2008
Florida officials order hazardous landfill containing hurricane debris closed; nearby residents join suit against landfill owners
Pensacola, Fla. – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has declared that the Saufley Landfill in Pensacola, Fla., is abandoned and will oversee the facility’s closure. In addition, 97 residents living near the landfill have been added […]
Saufley Landfill Ordered Abandoned!
Monday, March 10th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
As part of a team of environmental lawyers, I represent Florida residents who live near the Saufley Landfill in litigation against the landfill owners.
On March 4, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued an Order of Abandonment against Saufley’s owner, Louisiana Investment Group (LIG). The FDEP concluded that:
“LIG has failed to obtain the required permits to operate or close […]
Groundwater monitoring in Merrimac, Wisconsin
Friday, March 7th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
According to the Baraboo News Republic, state and federal agencies have agreed to install monitoring wells near the Badger Ammunition Plant in Merrimac, Wisconsin. Low levels of DNT, a chemical used in the production of explosives, have been detected in the groundwater.
Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger, a local activist group, want additional testing to […]
Problems in ridding Dayton, Ohio homes of hazardous vapors
Thursday, February 28th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Efforts to clean the air and groundwater in and around as many as 10 homes near the Behr Dayton Thermal Products Plant have become problematic because of the construction of the homes, according to the Dayton Daily News.
Most of the homes were recently equipped with an air evacuation system to vent out TCE fumes. TCE […]
ExxonMobil may be to blame for Torrance, Calif. contamination
Thursday, February 28th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The Daily Breeze is reporting that Los Angeles County officials are searching 10 homes in Torrance for possible chemical vapor intrusion. The board chairwoman for the Los Angeles County Regional Water Quality Control Board believes the 750 acre ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery, which sits adjacent to the homes, could be to blame.
Ironically, ExxonMobil has been in […]
Final hearing on $20 million settlement over Goshen, Indiana petroleum spill
Thursday, February 28th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
A final hearing is set for Friday in the settlement of a decade-old case involving a group of residents who accuse 7-Eleven, Inc., MDK Corp. and ENSR Corp. of releasing petroleum from underground storage tanks, affecting the groundwater and soil around the residences, WSBT2 in South Bend, Ind. reports. The settlement provides for both payment […]
Volatile chemical found in East Hampton
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Few people would welcome the idea of showering in contaminated water. But for one family living in East Hampton, that is precisely what happened.
According to an article that appeared on Hamptons.com, about two months ago Robert Morsch and his family detected the scent of acetone in the steam of their shower. Testing by the local […]
Probe launched over the suppression of the Great Lakes report
Monday, February 25th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Last year, the nation’s top public-health agency abruptly halted the publication of a study that linked industrial pollutants to cancer and infant mortality. A Congressional committee wants to know why.
In 2001, the International Joint Commission, an organization responsible for managing the rivers and lakes that lie between the U.S. and Canada, asked for a report […]
Stinky Kansas City landfill ordered closed
Friday, February 15th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
A landfill in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kan. is causing a whole neighborhood to stink like rotten eggs, the Kansas City Star reports. The state wants it shut down — but not until 2010. In the meantime, residents will have to endure the hydrogen sulfide gas which can cause significant health problems. […]
Toxic tsunami threat looms in Colorado
Friday, February 15th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The threat of a toxic tsunami hangs over the Colorado town of Leadville. According to the Associated Press, more than a billion gallons of contaminated water are trapped in a drainage tunnel and abandoned mine shafts in the mountains above the mining town.
An above-average snowpack and a partially collapsed drainage tunnel prompted the Lake County […]
New housing development will sit on top of former Superfund site
Thursday, February 14th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
A Superfund site in suburban St. Louis is about to become the first in the Show-Me state to have homes built on top, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The development will join 26 other communities across the nation constructed on top of a toxic waste site. But some residents in Wildwood aren’t happy about the […]
Illegal landfill in Tennessee is still on fire
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
This is an update to a blog entry I posted on January 4 regarding the smoldering landfill in West Knox County, Tenn.
According to WVLT, homeowners living near the landfill met with Knox County officials. Health officials claim the air quality is safe. Residents aren’t convinced.
Carlene Steenekamp told WVLT reporter Kim Bedford:
“We have symptoms that don’t […]
Safe drinking water is a concern for homeowners in York, S.C.
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Homeowners living near an industrial site in York, S.C. are worried about the safety of their well water, The Herald reports.
That’s because deep and shallow groundwater at the former Metals Protection Co. plant nearby is contaminated with chromium. The soil under the building is also contaminated. The toxic pollution was traced back to leftover rinse water that was […]
EPA studying landfill near Earth City, Missouri
Sunday, February 10th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently studying remediation at the West Lake Landfill, the Suburban Journals reports.
The 200-acre landfill, located near Earth City, Missouri, contains radioactive waste. The radioactive waste was taken from Latty Avenue in Hazelwood and dumped at the landfill in 1973.
The EPA wants to cover the radioactive waste with rocks, clay and […]
A follow-up on the tainted wells in Terra Haute
Thursday, February 7th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
On Dec. 31, I wrote about groundwater contamination in Terra Haute, Ind. The water wells of many residents living near a now-closed plant owned by Standard Register tested positive for perchloroethylene at levels many times higher than allowed for drinking water.
According to The Tribune Star, a public meeting was held on Feb. 5 at Terra […]
Kiddie College must come down
Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Kiddie College, a day care center run out of a former thermometer factory, must be demolished. That’s the conclusion reached by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection after testing showed that concentrations of airborne mercury were more than a 1,000 times higher than state regulations recommend.
The NJDEP recently released a report disclosing the results […]
Pennsylvania residents tapped for public water survey
Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Residents who live near the Ivy Industrial Park received a survey from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The state agency wants to know whether 500 residents affected by groundwater contamination are interested in a plan that would bring public water to their property.
According to an article in the Times-Tribune, the survey presents a dilemma […]
Methane gas found underneath Michigan park
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The problems are piling up for a Michigan park built on top of a landfill. Central City Park in Westland, Michigan was closed in 2006 after it became public that the soil contained high levels of lead, arsenic and other toxic substances. Now the Associated Press reports that methane gas, often produced by decomposing waste, has […]
Illinois residents upset about landfill’s odor
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Homeowners living in Ottawa, Illinois complain that the odor from the Land Comp Landfill is not only bad, it is getting worse.
According to My Web Times, the residents recently discussed their concerns with the LaSalle County Oversight Committee. “We have to light scented candles in our house because otherwise it smells like your septic tank backed […]
Landfill fumes vex Kentucky residents
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Residents living on Coopertown Road near the Russellville landfill in Kentucky smell rotten eggs. That smell - as many of our current clients and blog readers know - usually signals the presence of hydrogen sulfide.
According to the News-Democrat & Leader, residents like Barry Smotherman have decided to organize. Smotherman has lived on Coopertown road for 16 years […]
Concerned Citizens of Zavalla look for potential polluters
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
For a month now, I’ve been monitoring the pollution problems in Zavalla, Texas. Residents of Zavalla and nearby communities are concerned about the heightened cancer and chronic illness rates. They wonder whether the health problems are linked to toxic contamination.
The Lufkin paper mill and landfill have been the primary suspects for the groundwater pollution. However, the grassroots group, Concerned […]
AmerenIP says site in Illinois is safe but community groups are skeptical
Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
AmerenIP recently released a report stating that the public’s health is not immediately threatened by underground contamination at a former coal plant north of Champaign, the News-Gazette reports. However the test results show the presence of benzene and other contaminants in the soil and groundwater near the property. Ameren has promised to start cleanup by […]
TCE testing in New Jersey
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The Express-Times reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will test two residences in Hellertown, N.J. to determine if trichloroethylene (TCE) may have entered the soil and groundwater. Chemicals containing TCE were used by the former Champion Spark Plug factory from 1930 to 1976 to remove grease from parts.
While I do not currently represent anyone […]
The legacy of industrial waste in New Jersey
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
New Jersey has the dubious honor of hosting 112 Superfund sites — more than any other state in the union. And, as The Press of Atlantic City points out, the number of contaminated properties in New Jersey exceeds 14,000. That doesn’t include another 9,000 properties that might be contaminated but just haven’t been tested.
The article […]
EPA sends mobile lab to Minneapolis suburb
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has three mobile lab buses that it uses to assess contamination across the country. The labs were used after 9/11 in New York City and in the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. Now the labs have been dispatched to the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The soil […]
Texas agency to test for dioxin and other pollution in groundwater and soil
Monday, January 28th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
On Jan. 25, we wrote about the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) plan to test the groundwater in Zavalla, Texas as well as the soil at nearby former paper mill landfill site for toxic chemicals. The Daily Sentinel reports that the tests will look for dioxins, metals, semi-volatiles and volatiles. Dioxin is produced during the papermaking […]
New cancer cases diagnosed near “clean” toxic dump site
Monday, January 28th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
New and alarming questions are being raised about a dump that was once considered the most dangerous in the nation, the Flint Journal reports.
Berlin & Farro Liquid Incineration Inc. dumped toxic waste and sludge at its facility in Gaines Township, Mich. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the dump’s operator buried toxic waste, dumped […]
Chemical companies sued for contamination in Queens
Monday, January 28th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Several chemical companies, as well as a defunct dry cleaning supply business, were sued by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo over contamination of several drinking water wells, Newsday reports.
The suit is an attempt to recover some of the $30 million it will cost to clean up an underground plume of perchloroethylene or PCE, a […]
More TCE problems in New York
Monday, January 28th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The Ithacan Online, the newspaper for Ithaca College in New York, reports that the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and Health will hold a public meeting today to discuss the investigations of TCE in both ground soil, and in the air, at different locations near the college.
In the 1980s, a series of tests in and […]
Firm hired to search for creosote in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Friday, January 25th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The South Mississippi Sun Herald reports that the city of Hattiesburg, Mississippi has hired a private firm to drill in a neighborhood to determine if creosote is in the soil.
Two years ago, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality removed about 13,000 tons of contaminated soil from the neighborhood. However residents fear pollution still exists in […]
Texas officials investigate Abitibi landfill
Friday, January 25th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The Marshall News Messenger reports the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is investigating possible groundwater contamination at the landfill used by the Lufkin Paper mill. As we reported in our earlier blog entry, the Lufkin Paper Mill and the landfill are owned by AbitibiBowater.
Meanwhile the community organization, Concerned Citizens of Zavalla, is creating a […]
FDEP orders Coyote Navarre landfill owner to eliminate odors
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The results of a month-long study on the air quality around Coyote Navarre landfill by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are in, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports. The study reveals that the concentrations of hydrogen sulfide are significant.
As a result, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection advised the landfill owner of the “immediate need […]
Arizona utility failed to warn residents about a dangerous chemical in the water supply
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Residents in the Arizona cities of Scottsdale and Paradise Valley are fuming after a “Reverse 911″ calling system failed to warn them that the dangerous chemical TCE had been found in the water supply and they should avoid using tap water, the East Valley Tribune reports. TCE, or trichloroethylene, is a cancer-causing industrial solvent.
Over 5,000 […]
Tainted water concerns in New Hampshire intensify
Monday, January 21st, 2008 by Todd Hageman
On January 4, I wrote that groundwater in four densely populated counties in New Hampshire contains extremely high levels of MTBE. On January 17, the Boston Globe reported that the drinking water for seven out of 10 mobile home parks in Rockingham County, N.H. is contaminated with methyl tertiary-butyl ether, a gasoline additive.
Joe Ayotte, a […]
Massachusetts landfill owner penalized for odors
Monday, January 21st, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Due to odorous conditions at the Barre Sanitary Landfill, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection fined dump’s owner a total of $26,000 in penalties.
The landfill, owned by Resource Control, Inc. of Westborough, is located in Barre, Mass. MassDEP determined that hydrogen sulfide odors were being emitted from the landfill because of problems with the gas […]
Three New England companies penalized for oil spills
Monday, January 21st, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Oil spills proved costly for three New England companies, the Environment News Service reports. For violating federal oil storage regulations, the Environmental Protection Agency fined Rice Oil Co. of Greenfield, Mass.; Irving Oil Co., a Canadian company with operations in Portsmouth, N.H.; and Attleboro, Mass.-based Mantrose-Haeuser Co.
Rice Oil Co. was fined $157,000 for violations at […]
A TCE site in North Carolina
Monday, January 21st, 2008 by Todd Hageman
According to the Citizen-Times, the EPA has scheduled a public meeting for Jan. 31 to update Asheville, N.C. residents on recent sampling at the former CTS of Asheville plant. Over the summer, groundwater and soil testing found contamination, which prompted extra testing to determine the extent.
An earlier article from the Mountain Express reported that significant […]
Pancreatic cancer cluster in California
Friday, January 18th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
According to the Oroville Mercury Register, 23 people developed pancreatic cancer in the Oroville, California area in 2004 and 2005, nearly double of what was expected. The state director of public health called the rate of cancers “statistically significant” and health officials plan to investigate.
Meanwhile, the Chico News & Review reports that the investigation is […]
Health Worries in New Hampshire
Friday, January 18th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
We may be looking into a case involving coal tar contamination on Liberty Hill in Gilford, New Hampshire. Sixty years ago, coal tar was dumped on a site that would become the residential area of Liberty Hill. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry:
“Hazardous waste sites are a major source of contamination […]
Feds sue Apex Oil over gasoline spill
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Just across the river, a five-week bench trial is underway in East St. Louis, Ill. The federal government is suing Clayton, Mo.-based Apex Oil in an effort to force them to clean up residential areas in Hartford, Ill. that have been plagued with vapors from petroleum spills dating back to the 1940s. The Justice Department […]
Dump’s stench overwhelms Massachusetts residents
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
I wrote about the Crow Lane Landfill in October and earlier this month. It seems the dump is still causing headaches for nearby homeowners. This past weekend, according to an article in the Daily News of Newburyport, the gas extraction and flare system stopped working. As a result, the odor-causing hydrogen sulfide gas was not […]
Indiana homeowners upset after train wreck spills chemicals
Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
More than 70 residents packed a town hall meeting in Far-Westside, Ind., demanding answers about last week’s CSX train derailment, the Indianapolis Star reports. It is estimated that 1,900 gallons of diesel fuel, 27,000 gallons of soybean oil, 21,000 gallons of lubricating oil, and 1,000 gallons of fertilizer were spilled in the accident.
The IDEM is […]
TCE testing begins for two New York towns
Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
State health and environment officials in New York plan to begin underground testing of homes in Endicott, N.Y. and Union, N.Y. They’re looking for signs of a hazardous chemical known as trichloroethylene or TCE, the Press & Sun-Bulletin reports.
TCE is a chemical that was used as an industrial solvent and is linked to illnesses ranging from […]
Residents evacuated after train derailment
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
On Monday, the residents of about 100 homes in Northern Illinois were forced to evacuate after a Union Pacific freight train carrying ethylene oxide derailed, the Northwest Herald reports. Ethylene oxide is a flammable chemical that can cause cancer and kidney damage.
After spending the night in area hotels and in a make-shift shelter at a local […]
EPA assessment of Hidden Lane Landfill in Virginia begins
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will begin a detailed assessment of the Hidden Lane Landfill, the Connection reports.
From 1971 to 1984, Hidden Lane Landfill operated as an unregulated, privately-owned dump in Sterling, Va. In 2005, testing revealed that nearby wells were contaminated with TCE (trichloroethylene). TCE is a known carcinogen that is […]
Texas paper mill may be polluting local aquifer
Monday, January 7th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
A paper mill that played a vital role in ensuring the economic health of a Texas community may now be making the residents physically sick, the Lufkin Daily News reports.
The Lufkin paper mill, owned by AbitibiBowater, covers about 150 acres (including an on-site landfill) next atop the recharge zone for the Yegua-Jackson minor aquifer that supplies water to […]
Buried treasure found in Missouri’s landfills
Monday, January 7th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources recently completed a municipal solid waste study and found that close to half of the items in Missouri’s landfills could be recycled!
According to the study, if recyclable materials were reused rather than dumped, it would save an amount of energy equal to that used by 262,000 homes in a […]
Getting clean water to Peachtree, North Carolina
Friday, January 4th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
After more than 20 years of detecting groundwater contamination, the former owners of Moog Component Group’s facility will be hooking homes to a public water supply and installing monitoring wells, the Asheville Citizen Times reports. Testing earlier in 2007 found levels of the industrial solvent TCE (tetrachloroethylene) as high as 30 times the safe drinking […]
Smoldering landfill in Tennessee keeps residents on edge
Friday, January 4th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Residents living near a smoldering construction and demolition landfill in West Knox County were evacuated because of high levels of carbon monoxide, television station WVLT-8 reports. They have been allowed to return to their homes, but told to keep their bags packed in case they have to be evacuated again.
The landfill appears to be illegal […]
Crow Lane landfill in Massachusetts still uncapped and odorous
Friday, January 4th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Back in October, I blogged about the landfill in Newburyport. The landfill’s construction and demolition debris caused litigation and neighborhood outcry.
The Boston Globe recently reported that the mayor has hired a person to monitor the orders and report new violations to the state and will keep that person on until the landfill is properly capped. Further, […]
MTBE found in New Hampshire wells
Friday, January 4th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
WaterTech Online reports that groundwater in four densely populated counties in New Hampshire - Rockingham, Strafford, Hillsborough and Merrimack - contained elevated levels of MTBE in 30 percent of the public supply wells, and 17 percent of private wells. That is compared to only 18 percent of the public supply wells and 9 percent of […]
EPA pays a visit to Countywide Landfill
Friday, January 4th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Countywide Landfill, one of the worst dumps in the nation, has been a frequent topic of this blog. The latest news is that shortly before Christmas, four officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency paid a visit to the Ohio landfill.
According to The Times Reporter, the EPA officials toured the facility on Dec. 21 and […]
Landfill pollution isn’t just an American problem
Friday, January 4th, 2008 by Todd Hageman
Americans aren’t the only ones outraged over landfill pollution and the empty promises of landfill owners. According to a recent article in the Wakefield Express, residents living near the Welbeck landfill site in Wakefield, England are upset because uncontrolled and harmful gas has escaped from the landfill four times over the last 12 months.
The release […]
Tainted well water in Terra Haute
Monday, December 31st, 2007 by Todd Hageman
For some in Terra Haute, Indiana, the water is not safe to drink. That’s because the well water contains hazardous levels of perchloroethylene, the Terra Haute Tribune-Star reports.
Perchloroethylene is an industrial cleaning solvent with the potential to cause cancer. In 1981, Standard Register Co., a Dayton, Ohio-based company, opened a printing label business in Terra Haute. […]
Suit filed on behalf of homeowners living on top of dump in the news
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
A lawsuit filed by Simon Passanante and the Law Office of Van Kirk McCombs on behalf of the owners of homes built on top of a landfill was featured in the December 16 issue of The News Herald.
The article written by Ryan Burr titled “Landfill Spurs Residents to File Suit: Springfield Subdivision Built at Old […]
The Wall Street Journal highlights hydrogen sulfide and Coyote landfill
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Today’s issue of the Wall Street Journal contains an article about a potential new rule from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that would regulate hydrogen sulfide gas. The article also mentions hydrogen sulfide monitoring at the Coyote landfill in Navarre, Florida.
The story, written by Ilan Brat, is entitled: “A Gas Under Pressure — Health Concerns May […]
EPA investigates Conneaut-North Kingsville landfill in Ohio
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
The Conneaut-North Kingsville abandoned landfill in Ohio may have contaminated water, the Ashtabula Star Beacon reports. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency should know early next year if contaminants exist in an old landfill and whether nearby water wells are at risk, officials said.
According to the story written by staff reporter Mark Todd, state EPA technicians […]
Potential Chromium groundwater plume in Florida
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Professional Dirt Services of Eustis, Florida, reported to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that groundwater samples taken on Sept. 18, 2007, from its Construction and Demolition Debris Landfill (Permit # SO35-0022012-004) contained total chromium concentration in monitoring well 2D of 725 ug/l. The Florida groundwater criteria standard is 100 ug/l. According to FDEP’s Site […]
Whistleblower sheds light on Countywide Landfill problems
Monday, December 10th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
I have been blogging about the Countywide landfill in Ohio for some time now. Last month, an anonymous whistleblower presented a packet of records to the directors of a solid waste management district that addressed the slow response of the state’s environmental protection agency to an underground fire at the landfill.
According to the Times-Reporter, the […]
Kansas town seeks $423 million in pollution trial
Friday, December 7th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Even though BP no longer operates an oil refinery in the small Kansas town of Neodesha, it left behind a legacy of pollution and groundwater contamination, a massive lawsuit claims.
Filed by the city of Neodesha, the suit alleges breach of contract, fraud and that the oil giant is responsible for spills that have contaminated 70 […]
Simon Passanante lawyer featured in Missouri Lawyers Weekly
Monday, December 3rd, 2007 by admin
Simon Passanante lawyer Todd Hageman was featured in the Missouri Lawyers Weekly article titled, “Landfill Litigators: When the wrong kind of garbage comes in, lawyers are hired to sort it out.” (A subscription is required to access the article.)
The Nov. 26 story outlined the procedures lawyers should follow when representing clients involved in landfill litigation. […]
It’s Official: Coyote Landfill is hazardous
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
The Florida Department of Health officially declared the Coyote Landfill a public health hazard, Louis Cooper of the Pensacola News Journal reports. The conclusion was reached after the department monitored the hydrogen sulfide gas levels in the air around the landfill. The federal Environmental Protection Agency is now involved and will conduct more sophisticated testing.
The […]
Jonesboro homeowner wants help cleaning up after landfill
Sunday, November 25th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
For one homeowner in Jonesboro, Ark., the landfill behind his house has become a major headache, reports Rebecca Smith of television station KAIT.
Rick Tribble lives next door to the landfill. Stormwater runoff has not only ruined his yard with clay and other debris, he believes it is a health hazard that has caused his frequent […]
Access to a toxic leak report generates dueling lawsuits
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007 by Todd Hageman
A Cold-War era waste dump in New Mexico has generated dueling lawsuits, the Associated Press reports. The core of the controversy: Whether a report evaluating possible toxic leaks at a hazardous waste site is secret.
On one side of the dispute is the state’s Environment Department. In October, the Environment Department sued to keep secret a […]
Landfill problems in Springfield, Nebraska
Tuesday, November 20th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Finding the Sarpy County landfill in Springfield, Nebraska is easy – just follow your nose.
“Smells like rotten eggs from the landfill. That’s the only thing it can be,” Bob Vierregger said in a KPTM Fox 42 news report that aired on November 14.
The story doesn’t mention hydrogen sulfide. But the potentially dangerous gas smells exactly […]
The news about the Saufley and Coyote landfills spreads
Monday, November 19th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
The Saufley and Coyote landfills were recently highlighted on Rick’s blog, written by The Independent News publisher Rick Outzen. The Independent News is an alternative weekly newspaper serving the Pensacola area.
As part of a team of environmental lawyers, I represent residents who live near the Saufley and Coyote landfills in litigation against the landfill owners. […]
EPA cracks down on Countywide Landfill
Thursday, November 15th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
For the residents of southern Stark County, Ohio, living near the landfill known as the Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility, has been a nightmare. This huge landfill has been the site of underground fires and the source of foul odors.
According to the Akron Beacon Journal, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Countywide to pump […]
Saufley Landfill owner hauled to jail!
Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
On Tuesday afternoon, Saufley Landfill owner Brennon Vinet was hauled to jail after Judge Terry Terrel concluded he had not complied with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s requirements for closing the landfill. Later that day, Vinet was released after paying a $10,000 fine.
You can read the events leading up to Vinet’s jailing in an […]
What’s under your house?
Tuesday, November 13th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
When John and Judy McEachran of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, decided to add a basement to their home, they uncovered an unpleasant surprise. According to KARE-11, the local NBC affiliate, their excavator found pieces of a bridge. And while chunks of concrete and metal aren’t that dangerous, the metal piping was. It contained asbestos.
The Minnesota […]
The hazardous job of garbage collecting
Tuesday, November 13th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
I have been blogging a lot about the effects of landfills on residents who live near them but what about those who work at landfills?
According to a CNN article, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has concluded that garbage collecting is one of the most dangerous jobs a person can do. The article cites statistics […]
Mountainview Landfill in Maryland is cited by state EPA but neighbors remain upset
Tuesday, November 13th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Residents who live near the Mountainview Landfill in Vale Summit, Maryland, are complaining about the pungent odor caused by high levels of methane gas.
In the Cumberland Times-News, resident Jim Beechie is quoted as saying of the stench:
“When you’re laying in bed and it wakes you up at three in the morning or you have to […]
Four Wisconsin workers may have died from hydrogen sulfide exposure at landfill
Monday, November 5th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Four workers at a C&D landfill in Superior, Wisconsin may have died last Thursday from hydrogen sulfide exposure, the New York Times reports. One worker went down into a manhole with toxic levels of hydrogen sulfide and was overcome by the fumes. A rescuer went down to help and the toxic fumes overwhelmed him. A third, then […]
Tonawanda Landfill becomes a political issue
Monday, November 5th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
I have been blogging about the Tonawanda Landfill in northern New York which contains uranium ore generated from the Manhattan Project. The environmental problem has become a political issue and the Tonawanda News recently asked the candidates for the County Council’s November 6 race to give an opinion as to what should be done with the landfill.
While I […]
Florida’s governor is interested in one of our landfill cases
Friday, November 2nd, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Simon Passanante and the Law Offices of Van Kirk McCombs represent the residents of a neighborhood located near the Coyote Landfill in Navarre, Florida. On October 1, I blogged about the residents’ grassroots efforts urging the governor to do something about the illegal dumping in the landfill near their homes.
On Monday, the Northwest Florida Daily News […]
Saufley landfill owner facing jail and fines?
Wednesday, October 24th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
In an earlier blog, I told you that on June 11, the Escambia County Circuit Court in Florida issued an order imposing contempt sanctions against the Louisiana Investment Group (LIG), owners of the Saufley Landfill in Pensacola, for their failure to properly cap and close the landfill in accordance with Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s […]
Storm runoff at Saufley landfill featured on TV News
Wednesday, October 24th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
The stormy weather is sending more than rain down on residents who live near the Saufley landfill in Florida. As ABC affiliate WEAR-3 reported this week, mud and debris from the landfill is also now washing down on homes located close to the landfill.
The news report also notes that two days before the storm runoff started, […]
Public is given a chance to comment on Grant County Landfill cleanup
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 by Todd Hageman
The Washington Department of Ecology is giving the residents of the town of Ephrata, located Grant County, Washington, a chance to participate in a landfill’s cleanup process.
The Columbia Basin Herald reports that Grant County, the owner of the 125 acre landfill, has over 2,000 drums of buried industrial waste that are believed to be contaminating the […]
EPA proposes adding Virginia’s Hidden Lane Landfill to Superfund list
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 by Todd Hageman
The EPA recently proposed adding the Hidden Lane Landfill in Northern Virginia to the Superfund National Priorities List. A final decision won’t be made until after a sixty-day comment period. That means that March is the earliest the landfill would be added to the list.
The Washington Post reports that residents living near the landfill have been complaining […]
More on the Glendale Road landfill
Monday, October 22nd, 2007 by Todd Hageman
I’ve been blogging about the concerns raised by residents who live near the Glendale Road landfill in Northampton, Massachusetts. Now, “Citizens United for a Healthy Future” has put together a website detailing the landfill’s history and the problems the landfill has created. The website also includes photos of the damage caused by this dangerous landfill.
While […]
Wilma Subra: Environmental Consultant and Chemist
Wednesday, October 17th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Wilma Subra is a chemist who is on an environmental mission. She helps ordinary citizens understand, cope with and combat environmental issues in their communities. For her work, Subra received the MacArther Fellowship “Genius” Award from the MacArthur Foundation in 1999.
In 1981, she formed the Subra Company, a chemistry lab and environmental consulting firm that […]
Citizens continue to complain about inaction on Tonawanda Landfill
Tuesday, October 16th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
The Buffalo News reports that residents near the Tonawanda landfill — used decades ago by the Army’s Manhattan Project as a nuclear waste dumping ground — are pushing government officials to clean the area up.
It appears the residents will need to do a lot of pushing. The Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Army […]
Coyote Navarre Landfill fire photos
Monday, October 8th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
I currently represent a group of concerned citizens in landfill litigation against the owners of the Coyote Navarre Landfill in Florida as co-counsel with Jacksonville lawyer Kirk McCombs. At Coyote Navarre Landfill, fires contribute to the release of various toxic substances into the air and groundwater.
No matter how often I describe the situation, it does not do justice. A picture is […]
Children played on landfill that contains radioactive waste
Monday, October 8th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
For decades, the children of Tonawanda played at the landfill. There were no fences or other barriers to keep the kids who lived in this town just north of Buffalo out. But what neither the children nor their parents knew was that the Tonawanda Landfill contained some of the Manhattan Project’s radioactive waste.
Carleton R. Zeisz, […]
Health studies on Massachusetts landfill continue
Monday, October 8th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
I blogged recently about the landfill in Northampton, Massachusetts. Two studies delving into the health effects of the Glendale Road landfill on nearby neighbors are currently underway. One of the studies is being done by the Massachusetts Department of Health. Cambridge-based Gradient Corp. was also hired by the city to determine whether there are unusually […]
Coyote Navarre health consultation public comment period
Monday, October 8th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has released for public comment a health consultation report for the Coyote Navarre Landfill. The public comment period ends October 28.
As co-counsel with Florida lawyer Kirk McCombs, I represent many of the residents who live adjacent to the Coyote Navarre Landfill site.
To find out if Simon Passanante […]
Countywide Landfill Odor Complaint Filing 101
Monday, October 8th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Recently, I blogged about the Countywide Landfill in Ohio. According to a story in Saturday’s edition of the Akron Beacon Journal, residents lodged 70 odor complaints against the landfill in August and 33 in September.
Some people may wonder how to file an odor complaint. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has a posted a special web page that […]
Tonawanda Landfill Update: Not enough radioactive waste to warrant further action?
Monday, October 8th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
According to the Tonawanda News, local officials say they are taking “quick action” after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers concluded that the Tonawanda landfill in New York does not contain enough radioactive waste to warrant any federal remediation before the landfill is capped.
The Army Corp took that position after the state’s Department of Environmental […]
What are the pollution sources in your neighborhood?
Monday, October 8th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
You can’t always trust home sellers or real estate agents to disclose environmental contamination or nearby pollution sources. It is for that very reason that many of my clients came to me for help in the first place.
Home buyers rely on a qualified home inspector to uncover structural defects. To uncover pollution and contamination, home […]
Countywide Landfill is still burning
Monday, October 8th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency ordered the owners of Countywide Landfill to install a firebreak after it concluded that the underground fire is spreading, the Canton Repository reported.
The OEPA based its conclusions and orders on an analysis of carbon monoxide levels, temperatures, fissures, landfill settlement, odors as well as other factors such as charred waste. […]
Citizens outraged over New York landfill that contains radioactive waste
Friday, October 5th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Concerned citizens in North Tonawanda, New York are upset about the condition of the town’s landfill. This week, they urged city officials to remediate the Town of Tonawanda landfill which contains radioactive waste dating back to the Manhattan Project, the Tonawanda News reported.
At the city council meeting, one former Tonawanda City School District Board of […]
Landfill litigation news: Ohio High Court rebuffs resident’s appeal
Friday, October 5th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
On Wednesday, Ohio’s Supreme Court refused to hear a Pike Township resident’s objections to a deal allowing expansion of the Countywide Landfill. The ruling means that the township’s deal to allow landfill owner Republic Services of Ohio II to expand in return for building a highway ramp stands, noted an article in the Canton Repository. You can […]
Residents near Massachusetts landfill await health report results
Thursday, October 4th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Whether residents who live near the Glendale Road Landfill in Massachusetts suffer from higher rates of cancer, autism and other ailments is the subject of a report that was to be released last night at a special meeting of the Northampton City Council and Board of Health, according to an article in The Republican.
The health […]
Foul odors and an underground fire at Ohio landfill
Thursday, October 4th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Foul odors and an underground fire are just two of the reasons that the Ohio EPA cracked down on Countywide Landfill in East Sparta, Ohio.
The environmental agency first ordered Republic Services of Ohio II to immediately end foul odors emanating from their landfill on Sept. 6, 2006. Not much happened. Then environmental tests at the […]
Crow Lane Landfill in Massachusetts still emitting hydrogen sulfide
Thursday, October 4th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Crow Lane Landfill located in Newburyport, Massachusetts is still not properly capped and the gas collection system wells are not operational. As a result, hydrogen sulfide gas has been released and is generating a rotten-egg smell. More than 150 complaints from nearby residents have been filed with state and city officials. Many of the residents […]
What Missouri is doing to keep its landfills safe
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007 by Todd Hageman
If you’ve been reading my environmental blog, you’ve been able to follow our work combating dangerous landfills in Florida. Many of those problems were caused when waste was dumped in those landfills after a natural disaster. But that doesn’t mean the problem couldn’t be happening here in Missouri. It can.
Back in August, the Missouri Department […]
Navarre residents ask Florida’s governor to close Coyote Landfill
Monday, October 1st, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Simon Passanante and the Law Offices of Van Kirk McCombs represent the residents of a neighborhood located near the Coyote Landfill in Navarre, Florida. This landfill caught fire in March 2005 which allowed hydrogen sulfide and other contaminants to be released into the air. The smell of the noxious fumes continues to linger in the […]
Report discusses health hazards at Saufley landfill
Monday, October 1st, 2007 by Todd Hageman
The Florida Department of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has issued an updated Health Consultation Report for the Saufley Landfill. The entire report on the hydrogen sulfide health hazard posed by the landfill can be found here. For questions, please contact Todd Hageman toll […]
Landfill fire in West Virginia
Saturday, September 29th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
On September 24, a fire broke out at a Raleigh County landfill in West Virginia. The Raleigh County Solid Waste Authority says the trash started smoldering around 5:00 a.m., but wasn’t discovered until a little before 7:00 a.m. WVVA-TV reported that the landfill fire was put out by covering the fire with dirt.
Simon Passanante has […]
China declares war on toxic exports
Friday, August 24th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
CNN reports that the Chinese government issued a directive vowing to closely monitor and reverse past practices that have allowed toxic exports into the United States and other countries.
Of course, the campaign won’t remove toxic toys and other products that have already reached the United States. Hopefully this is not just hollow rhetoric. Future actions […]
Yet another toxic toy recall
Thursday, August 23rd, 2007 by Todd Hageman
CNN Money reports that another round of toys made in China have been recalled due to excessive lead in the paint.
This time, the recall includes SpongeBob SquarePants journals, Curious George and Thomas and Friends’ spinning tops, and children’s jewelry. The U.S. companies involved in the Consumer Product Safety Commission recall include: Martin Designs, Buy-Rite, Schylling […]
According to CNN, Lead Laced Bibs are Still for Sale at Toys ‘R’ Us
Monday, August 20th, 2007 by John Campbell
According to a recent CNN story, vinyl baby bibs which contain lead are continuing to be sold at Toy ‘R’ Us and Lisa Kline stores despite testing by two labs which revealed elevated levels of lead. (To read the entire story, click here) Both the New York Times and the Center for Environmental Health tested the bibs […]
Why lead paint in toys?
Friday, August 17th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
Twice now, Mattel has recalled millions of toys worldwide that were manufactured in China because they contained dangerous levels of lead paint. Since we’ve known about the dangers of lead in paint since 1978, when the Consumer Products Safety Commission issued a ban on paint containing more than .06 percent of lead, why are we still seeing […]
Even MORE toxic toys
Tuesday, August 14th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
The bad news continues for Mattel and toys imported from China. Even more toys were discovered to contain dangerous levels of lead paint. These toys are most dangerous for kids aged 0-6 because they are in their “pica” years – a period when they could chew on the toys and ingest lead into their bodies. […]
Saufley landfill owner ordered to overhaul stormwater system
Monday, August 13th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
The owners of Saufley Landfill, located in Pensacola, Fla., must overhaul its stormwater system. As WEAR-TV reported, Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection found that too much runoff is escaping from the property.
Erosion and runoff at the site could mean hazardous waste exposure and hydrogen sulfide generation. Hydrogen sulfide is an explosive, poisonous gas that can […]
Saufley landfill owner held in contempt
Wednesday, August 8th, 2007 by Todd Hageman
On June 11, the Escambia County Circuit Court in Florida issued an order imposing contempt sanctions against the Louisiana Investment Group, owners of the Saufley Landfill in Pensacola, for their failure to properly cap and close the landfill in accordance with Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s rules and regulations.
Circuit Court Judge Terry D. Terrell ordered a progressive […]
Sierra Club threatens to sue ten companies over lead-laden goods
Thursday, August 2nd, 2007 by Todd Hageman
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Sierra Club sent demand letters to ten U.S.-based companies - including Target and Dollar General – asking them to notify the EPA of the health risks associated with their products. The companies imported and/or distributed products made in China, which is already facing global scrutiny over exporting toys containing lead. The […]