Document 7M2Mqb3a4Bnd0kXn2BO3mJ8LB

TFageT] .. an Solutia Inc.: Anniston Plant Fact Sheet Anniston Plant History The plant was opened in 1917 by Theodore Swann to make manganese for the steel used irrshell casings during WW I- The Swann Chemical Company plant continued to grow and expanded into chemical manufacturing. In 1929 Swann Chemical began manufacturing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which were primarily used as safety fluids in the manufacture of electrical equipment. Swann Chemical Company was purchased by Monsanto Company in 1935. PCB production stopped at Anniston in 1971. In September 1997, Monsanto Company spun off its 10 chemical businesses as a new, independent, stand-alone company named Solutia Inc. Anniston is one of three plants Solutia operates in Alabama. (Decatur & Foley are the other two Alabama locations.) In 1999, the Anniston Plant has 90 employees and is principally engaged in the manufacture of TherminolO fluid, a heat transfer agent. The plant is an OSHA VPP STAR facility. Remediation In 1960 a parcel of land which Alabama Power Company (APCO) needed for a construction project was transferred to APCO in a land swap. The land contained a closed landfill, a fact which was disclosed to Alabama Power and was also delineated and stipulated in the document recording the transfer. In 1993 some seepage was found on the APCO parcel. Alabama Power notified Monsanto and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). Upon examination it appeared that construction activities had cut into the face of the closed landfill. Monsanto reacquired the property and undertook appropriate remedial activities under the direction of ADEM. At about the same time, sampling undertaken for the plant's NPDES permit revealed that trace levels of PCBs were detected in some storm water samples. Further sampling and analysis indicated that PCBs were present in sediments in drainage ditches leading from the plant and lower levels were present in soils in the vicinity of the ditches. In order to facilitate management and control of the impacted soils and sediments, DSW 138405 STLCOPCB4038360 Page 2 Monsanto undertook a voluntary Property Purchase Program to acquire residential properties near the plant. Monsanto also offered relocation to two churches in the area and has purchased some commercial property near the plant. Most of the property owners participated in the Property Purchase Program. Most of the property owners, whether they participated in the program or not, have filed lawsuits. (Monsanto did not require the property owners to release claims to participate in the program.) The cost of the Property Purchase Program has amounted to about $1.5 million. Bethel Missionary Baptist Church accepted Monsanto's offer to relocate the church and build a new church building for its congregation. Solutia provided about $1.7 million for the new church and new furnishings. The new Bethel Missionary Baptist Church was dedicated on March 1, 1998. The Mars Hill Missionary Baptist Church rejected Monsanto's offer of relocation and construction of a new church. The Church filed a lawsuit against Monsanto. That lawsuit was settled in July of 1998, and the settlement provided enough money for the church to construct a new facility and to pay their attorneys. A portion of the congregation continues to hold services in the old church building. Under the oversight of ADEM, Solutia has been engaged in an extensive remediation program on plant property and the properties it acquired in the Property Purchase Program. Over $30 million has been spent since 1993. The remediation program has included extensive construction to control and manage storm water and further construction to contain and manage impacted materials. Solutia is currently undertaking an extensive sampling and analysis program in the off-site areas, including Snow Creek, Choccolocco Creek, and Lake Logan Martin. This program is also under the oversight of ADEM. The results of this characterization will guide Solutia and ADEM in the selection and implementation of appropriate remedial activities in these areas. Litigation Several lawsuits have been brought against Monsanto, alleging both damage to property values and fear of future illness as a result of PCB contamination. At the time of the spin-off in 1997, Solutia agreed to indemnify Monsanto for liabilities associated with the former chemical businesses of Monsanto, and thus Solutia is defending the litigation. There are two major groups of cases--those brought by individuals who lived near the plant and a class action brought by landowners along Choccolocco Creek and around Lake Logan Martin. Two of these cases are scheduled for trial in 1999. Anniston Case: This suit was filed in 1996 on behalf of approximately 2,700 plaintiffs, most of whom are Anniston residents. Trial is currently scheduled to start February DSW 138406 STLCOPCB4038361 Page 3 1, 1999. Plaintiffs allege property damage, personal injury, and fear of future health effects. The case will be heard in Calhoun County Circuit Court. Lake Logan Martin Case: This suit was filed in 1996 on behalf of owners of approximately 4,000 properties along Choccolocco Creek and on Lake Logan Martin. The trial may start in the early summer of 1999. Plaintiffs allege loss of property value and request remediation of the waterways. The case will be heard in St. Clair County Circuit Court. DSW 138407 STLCOPCB4038362