Document reaQXXGgyR8Zw0j2XRkBKD7r

10-25-95 04:32PM FROM MONSANTO CHEM CORP P01 - I Sf.L "b i 5**8^ O^M 1 > ) r- '''^;WlIllarn-All*r[l': ,, /'' ' '' v . ; . PoUutioj^iii >.,.p|e4,fay ;1 1; 3 : LE^a%Jy.occa* *- that ' civil. :^hiS.leid^suCKiiday.' . ' ;" ::*^imoa^^a& Yiyvuua ut ciiwiauHcuMu . . ijjjfa&iwi^. ifcfcfetr abw^ythe'ftitvfce," sai&the ' iii|dejr,.thi^Pi!V'.' Dr> Buck'Jbi^ivMa^r^* pw# ' sil^t.how:^ : \ Jades is. minister of tlte.MetrojpjpUten Misiion forthe IUinois .Souths and tte--JkflslwpjiffstebteKSnc* crfthe United Ghnfch of ChnatRe spbte at;tee > annual World Ecology Day sympoteim at' the Uni ' j.yi)aty of Missouri at.St. tonMfv'/l"'- ' -'The a'ytepdsluini 'ijhiyersity'a Internationa Cdnterf^ drew about 200 people, most of them froiti; Sfc Louis aiea'Mghsdiods. ' ;.. iA'*&) . . ".'ftiree fifte-graders firdm ;the, MoKeiyey'. Ele- ' , melitary; Scho^'in^the'I^rfcWay' 0iat^dtwbn ;the . symposium's; enviromnental diaplay nonteat ;far. Jtbe ^Environment.'' 7%e4ted0hte:^te`|i]ndu:y Abbott, ' -:^tiGuebert'and;A^^'.Hfflir;ca)ie,'^:i:;:U; 'r- ' v'^Thp symposium:rri-nn' 'Epyifyjppie^tal Justice: ' '.' piwjijpon* Pove^gjid^ople^^iteatured BeverJ :al aotivistaand wftattj: mtecu|^ve3.;7h<sy;ardjed -l f `;^:4pet)ea powitaQife^ -1 . Jones described a distraught Beat-St.'Louis woman who camt- to -hi9 office one day eoropUiifc, ;;::^^PQJA^XKJf;?aged . Pollution From page one ing of pollution from local industrial plants. "We can't smell it, we can't see it and we can't touch it, but we know itjs there -- because it's killing peo ple in my community," the woman told him, crying. She reported that 25 people on her block had cancer, .then revealed that she had just re ceived a diagnosis of cancer. "Why won't someone pay atten tion to us?'' she asked. "We feel like throw-away people." In a slide show, Jones depicted a . public the privilege to operate.1 . legacy of industrial pollution and gov He cited Monsanto's-progress in ernment indifference in East.Sr. Lou reducing emissions, improving the is. He called on the audience to chal handling of hazardous materials and lenge government and industry to correct, environmental problems there and in St. Louis. Representatives of Monsanto Co. and Mallinckrodt Chemical Inc. cited recently developed programs aimed at cutting pollution and improving relations with residents near their plants. ' "We do the right thing," said Keith Miller, an environmental official with ` establishing links with residents. Ron Harding, vice president of op erations far Mallinckrodt, said the company had reduced emissions to land, air and water by 50 percent since 1987. The company has also formed a community advisory program. "As long as we have poverty, as long as we have industry, we're going Monsanto's W.G. Krummrich Plant, to face the issue of environmental in Sauget, "We go beyond cbmpli- . justice," he said. Industry and resi ance [with pollution regulations]. We dents need to work to solve the prob realize that we are granted by the lems together, he said. DSW J.35280 STLCOPCB4035257 18-25-95 04:32PM FROM MONSANTO CHEM CORP P02 MjdC Co|Uj JeUeville News-Democrat REGIONAL I'kjOo^aiJC, Wednesday, October 18,1995 Page 3B NeweDemocri/Ttm vir NEW SPIRIT. The first of four derelict bulldlnas In the Goose Hill neighborhood was reduced to a heap of rubble Tuesday. Demolition points way to beautification By Rod Hafemelater fl#//9vWe New#*Oemoe/w EAST ST. LOUIS -- Ruby Whitfield watched as the front-end loader crashed into the charred wood and pushed it together into piles, On TUesday morning, Whitfield's derelict prop erty was converted to clear land, with a possible future as a neighborhood flower garden in a pro gram of Operation New Spirit and the Monsanto Fund. "I'm so delighted I feel like shouting!" she said -- and did. "They say good things come to those who wait. And I've been waiting a long time." For almost 50 years, Whitfield has lived in the Goose Hill neighborhood ofEast St. Louis, the 22 blocks along die city's border with National City. She's seen it go from a neighborhood of nice, modest homes to one of vacant lots and derelict structures --^ including the former rental home Whitfield owned at 818 N. Second St The house burned down about 18 months ago, leaving behind crumbled and charred remains. The lot quickly became choked with weeds and brush and the trash such lots attract "I tried to keep it up the best 1 could, but it just got away from me," Whitfield said. "I needed help." Help arrived from Operation New Spirit a neighborhood improvement project under the Metro East Church-Based Citizens Organization. Using a SI0,000 grant from the Monsanto Fund, New Spirit iB demolishing four derelict structures in the Goose Hill neighborhood. This is the second SI0,000 grant Monsanto has given New Spirit for cleaning up derelict build ings, In June,-five buildings in the city's Rush City neighborhood were demolished. "I think this is a good example of social responsibility by Monsantosaid Alandra Byrd, with New Spirit. "They were more than willing to help. We're hoping to get donations from other corporations." East St. Louis has identified about 1.600 derelict properties in the city and is beginning a citywide demolition program that is expected to take several years. "We're just doing a few homes at a time," Byrd said. "But it's a start." DSW 135281 STLCOPCB4035258 1,0-25-95 04:32PM FROM MONSANTO CHEM CORP P03 Belleville News-Democrat Wednesday, September 27,1995 Page 3B Neighbors, industry solve pollution woes By Mlks Fftzgtrald & public discussion among envi- MMIbNBm&moau----------------- ronmental activists, industry lead en and government regulators. COLLINSVILLE -- In 1988, Held at the Gateway Convention Monsanto Corp. leaders knew Center, the "Workshop on Good they faced a big problem at their Neighbor Dialogues" drew more Sauget plant Hun 80 participants. The Missis- The year before, the plant dia- sippi River Gateway Initiative and charged 4 million pounds ofpolhr- the St. Louis Regional Commerce tants. Monsanto* lap executives and Growth Asaociation spon- knew they were withm their legal sored the event, rights, but they also knew that a The event* participants said it potential public relations disaster gave them a rare chance to drop loomed. . V . the adversarial stances that often So Monsanto began looking for keep them apart . .. ways to cut Sauget's pollution "I see this as an opportunity for releases. The chemical giant also people to sit down and talk about took a step in a radically new what they're doing," said . direction. It set up one of the first Stephanie Green, an East St Louis community advisory panels. For resident and a member of the Mid- the first time. East St Louis rest- wot Environmental Training dents had Monsanto* eat Institute. The partnership clicked. Over The event's speakers offered the next seven years, the plant's plenty of tips on how other busi- cmxssions dropped by 90 percent, and community srouos can while the advisory board provided work together, a model for other community Keith Miller, Monsanto's gener- advisoiy boards. aj supervisor of environmental Monsanto* aucoess story pro vided the springboard Tuesday for See SEMINAR/4B Seminar- Continued from 3B . safety and health, emphasized that a company must follow up its promis es to the community with action. "You must say what you are going to do, then do it," Miller said. _ Jo Habermas, an activist from Minneapolis, told the audience that information is a key resource in d--litig with industrial polluters. "I cannot overemphasize the impor tance of unbiased technical assis tance," said Habermas, a leader of Citizens for A Better Environment A few audience members, howev er, cited reasons for concern. Fennie Livingston, an assistant state* attorney for St Clair County, noted that earlier this year foe Illi nois General Assembly passed a law that limits to 5500,000 what an indi vidual may receive in punitive dam ages. This limit could do little to deter big polluters, Livingston said. DSW 135282 STLCOPCB4035259