Document vBKQ0X3Dz7g09Ydzn0rGRk9KY

uc DATE _ : St BJECT : REFERENCE : TO : S . Nelson - St. Louis B3NJ__ 4-20 25 March 28, 1979 STURGEON, MISSOURI ,c C. F. Callis - B2SA J. S. Metcalf - B2NK J. R. Foehr - B2SA I called Dr. Kay Camine, Region VII EPA Administrator, expressing Monsanto's concern with the continuing unfavorable press coverage of the January 10 chlorophenol spill. I asked if there was anything Monsanto might do to assist them in resolving the problem surrounding this accident/spill. She had the following comments: (1) They have bulldozed a dam which they are confident will prevent any surface run-off from getting into creeks or other navigable streams. (2) The two ponds which contained dead fish have been verified to contain chlorophenol in sufficient levels to have been acutely toxic to fish. (3) Western Environmental Services is going to empty these ponds through a carbon filtration system thereby removing the toxic organics. Kay Camine believes that everything is being done that needs to be done in order to properly secure the spill site. (4) Dr. Camine stated that EPA had engaged Dr. Ryckman of REACT as a consultant to see to the final clean-up. (I called Rick Ryckman and he stated that he had not committed to serve as a consultant, but fully expected that he would agree to contract terms before today is over -- Wednesday, March 28.) (5) Dr. Kay Camine said she appreciated Monsanto's offer of assistance. However, as stated before, she feels that everything is now under control. I told Dr. Camine that although we could not be positive, we felt there was a reasonably good possibility that the chlorophenol would be biodegraded as soon as the weather became warmer. jb enclosure coos 11 ^safto" The newscast cites orthochlorophenol as relating to the deaths of fish and frogs, in a pond, and says that dioxin is the main danger. It also mentions'that EPA has alerted Boone County doctors to report any unusual ailments. G Y :smt Att. Glynn *Young ,/rrX*^ \A>' '. \ i tvr .0 v / / r O'* V- !('I \.* ^I 1,,\**A ' ` !\ /\ V *i 11 *'>\ .1 v S ;/y-~ iA n\ C00812 !(( JUC <* - BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICES, INC. 25 E. Frisco -- Si. Louis, M isso uri C3119 PHONE: 314-961-4112 CLIENT: Monsanto P R O G R A M : E y e w itn e ss News C e n t r a l DATE: 3/22/79 STATION: TIME: CITY: KSD TV 6:00 p.m. ' St. Louis PATRICK EMORY: "Ten weeks ago there was a massive chemical spill in a train accident in the central Missouri town of.Sturgeon. According to Senator Tom Eagleton and people in that area the EPA was much too slow on moving on-decontamination in the region. "Now, at Eagleton's urging, EPA is intensifying its work- * Chris Condon has a report from Sturgeon." CHRIS CONDON: "Today rail craws were rebuilding the right of way. The tank car ruptured right in the middle of town, first spilling along the right of way. After half a mile they finally got the train stopped and most of the twenty thousand gallons of the chemical that Monsanto was shipping out to the West wound up in a farm field.' "It .took -the -EPA" wel 1" over--ar*-month---tQ_.jreinoye tbe contaminated -soiTT~~down to a depth of four feet, along the rigITr~of--way^and in the field. .That field drains into Bill Kemner1s farm. SincTe-- then he has had three calves die and many -fdsh^and frogs in his farm pond are dead. . . - ... . - '' ,TSo far lab tests indicate no chemical involvement in the ^ calves* deaths, but there was enough of the spill detected in the V,farm ponds to account for the fish and the frogs. "The EPA had trouble deciding what to do about the contaminated material, and moved it around, contaminating other areas in Stur geon, particularly on the Kemner farm." MRS* BILL KEMNER: "If the chemical could have at least been cleaned up while things were still frozen then I don't believe we would have had this runoff into our two ponds." CHRIS CONDON: "We know now that the main danger is from a tiny guanity of dioxin that was found in the solution that was spilled. But even the tiniest amount of dioxin can be deadly. Only recently was its presence disclosed. "Less dangerous are the fumes from the Monsanto product, or- tho-Clilorophcnol. EPA claims to have removed it all, but ten weeks *later the smell is still enough to make people sick. `-`1:/ "Ray Gilpin and his wife had to move out of town for five . r weeks." c o o 8i 3 -' / RAY GILPIN: "Well, it just stopped our breathing where we.;il>:"`P' couldn't get the air." * CHRIS CONDON: "I spoke with one woman who can still smell the stuff even*though she lives on a farm six miles out of town." MRS. RAY FINLEY: "When I come through town, and things like that, when I come through town I have the same problems, the prob lems some of them living here in town with, it chokes me up." CHRIS CONDON: "The mayor of this town of eight hundred peo ple is philosophical about it by how." D.C. WHITE: "I've*got a concern about it. I don11'know`as there any use to worry about it, but we've got it,* we've got to"live with it if we stay." CHRIS CONDON: "The EPA's slow response was ( ) least because never before has there been so large a spill. EPA has belatedly moved many thousands of barrels of contaminated earth from this community out to Kansas.. The agency says the smell should be gone by mid-summer. But it can give no real assurances about that, nor any assurances about the possibility that the dioxin will cause unknown and serious problems in the future. "And only this week the EPA has alerted all doctors in Boone County, asking them to report any unusual ailments in volving the skin, the liver, the kidney, the lungs, the repro ductive organs and any nerve damage. "Chris Condon, Channel Five News, on the Kemner farm, Stur geon, Missouri.11 - r hom LOCA1 iC'N" H U O N L j Glynn Young - BIND oc. sudJECT March 23, 1979 : CHANNEL 5 REPORT ON STURGEON D. R. Bishop R. C. Isham J. J. Spano J*-ERFNCE TO J.' R." Foehr'-* T. L. Gossage E. H. Harbison J. E. McKee J. S. Metcalf J. T. Nolan F. A. Provorny R. A. Stohr Attached is a transcript of a newscast by Channel 5's 6 p.m. news last night concerning .environmental problems at Sturgeon, Mo. The report also appeared on the 10 p.m. news, and a story was carried by KSD-Radio this morning. The newscast cites orthochlorophenol as relating to the deaths of fish and frogs in a pond, and says that dioxin is the main danger. It also mentions that EPA has alerted Boone County doctors to report any unusual ailments. G Y :smt Att. Glynn"Young i t ' i - \j } __: .BROADCAST INFORMA IIUN tHVlUhb, ii\iu. 25 E. Frisco -- Si. Louis. M issouri 63119 PHONE: 314-961-4113 .C L IE N T : Monsanto P R O G R A M : Eyewitness News Central DATE: 3/22/79 ST A T IO N : TIME: CITY: KSD TV 6:00 p.m. St. Louis PATRICK EMORY: "Ten weeks ago there was a massive chemical spill in a train accident in the central Missouri town of Sturgeon. According to Senator Tom Eagleton and people in that area.the EPA was much too slow on moving on decontamination in the region. "Now, at Eagleton's urging, EPA is intensifying its work. Chris Condon has a report from Sturgeon." CHRIS CONDON: "Today rail crews were rebuilding the right of way. The tank car ruptured right in the middle of town, first spilling along the right of way. After half a mile they finally got the train stopped and most of the twenty thousand gallons of the chemical that Monsanto was shipping out to the West wound up in a farm field. "It took the EPA well over a month to remove the contaminated soil, down to a depth of four feet, along the right of way and in the field. That field drains into Bill Kemner's farm. Since then he has had three calves die and many fish and frogs in his farm pond are dead. "So far lab tests indicate no chemical involvement in the calves' deaths, but there was enough of the spill detected in the farm ponds to account for the fish and the frogs. "The EPA had trouble deciding what to do about the contaminated material, and moved it around, contaminating other areas in Stur geon, particularly on the Kemner farm." MRS. BILL KEMNER: "If the chemical could have at least been cleaned nap while things were still frozen then I don't believe we would have had this runoff into our two ponds." CHRIS CONDON: "We know now that the main danger is from a tiny guanity of dioxin that was found in the solution that wasspilled. But even the tiniest amount of dioxin can be deadly. Only recently was its presence disclosed. '* "Less dangerous are the fumes from the Monsanto product, ortho-Chlorophenol. EPA claims to have removed it all, but ten weeks later the smell is still enough to make people sick. "Rav Gilpin and his wife had to move out of town for five weeks." C00814 RAY GILPIN: "Well, it just stopped our breathing where wc : I h A Jihvp la.im rriril hi.... .rfii.H i n . rA .f< iit liliv e lim in a tin ') v e it 'M n e t lU t lo n i. U n ln t e t lU ib t c o h u i u i Are e n d o t e li In n .w c n th m ri. P r o p e l ria m o ) jre couldn't get ttie air." CHRIS CONDON: "I spoke with one woman who can still smell the stuff even*though she lives on a farm six miles out of town." MRS. RAY FINLEY: "When I come through town, and things like that, when I come through town I have the same problems, the prob lems some of them living here in town with, it chokes me up." CHRIS CONDON: "The mayor of this town of eight hundred peo ple is philosophical about it by how." D.C. WHITE: "I've got a concern about it. I don!t'know-as there any use to worry about it, but we've got it,- we've got t o 'live with it if we stay." CHRIS CONDON: "The EPA's slow response was ( ) leastbecause never before has there been so large a spill. EPA has belatedly moved many thousands of barrels of contaminated earth from this community out to Kansas., The agency says the smell should be gone by mid-summer. But it can give no real assurances about that, nor any assurances about the possibility that ,the dioxin will cause unknown and serious problems in the future. "And only this week the EPA has alerted all doctors in Boone County, asking 'them to-report any unusual ailments in volving the skin, the liver, the kidney, the lungs, the repro ductive organs and any nerve damage. "Chris Condon, Channel Five News, on the Kemner farm, Stur geon, Missouri." -- r - f~ i/ c r ame--location--phqnei R> s . Nelson - St. Louis B3NJ 4-2025 3ATe inject , reference T : January 12, 1979 TANK CAR SPILL NEAR COLUMBIA, MISSOURI 1/12/79, 8:00 AM telephone between RSN/MAP conversation File 1. Monsanto has taken air samples in the immediate area surrounding the chlorophenol spill. Early samples indicate exposure level to be less 1 ppm chlorophenol and 1/10 ppm phenol. Mike Pierle reports that these are below the OSHA exposure levels. 2. EPA has estimated that there is some level of soil contamination over an area of 10 yards wide by 1,000 yards long. Mike was not able to substantiate the level of contamination referred to. It is presumed that this may mean that some drippage from the tank car while still in motion may have contaminated the track bed until it came to its final resting point. 3. Contrary to early reports of this material seeping into the ground, it appears that most of it has crystallized on top of the ice layer and therefore should be easily recovered into drums. Little to no groundwater contamination is expected. 4. Lime has been placed over the major portions of the spill area to neutralize the phenol and also reduce the odors that had been given off. 5. EPA Region VII, who are at the site of the spill, have given their permission to move railroad ties, sand and some lime used'for barricading >n /-/? SsJ//,to the Wright City landfill. However, the state still has to give their approval to this mode of disposal. 6. The material, which has crystallized and is directly in contact with the ground ice, will be picked up and placed into drums along with the neutralizing lime. The disposition of this material has not been ' decided at this point. coosi 07- File 'Page 2 January 12, 1979 7. This morning, as well as yesterday morning, since I talked to Mike Pierle I informed him that MIC has visited and approved the Wright City landfill (Bob's Home Service) and KIES, at Wichita, Kansas. We strongly recommended that this material not be taken to either of the two landfills near Kansas City since they have been frequently closed due to litigation and poor performance as viewed by the state EPA. It is our opinion that the soil may also be marginal in that area and would not want to see Monsanto material disposed at this site. R. S. Nelson jb i JAfl 1 2 lS7f DISTRIBUTION F. E. Reese W. A. Blase E. N. Brasfield H. C- Carder M. Dmytryszyn C. P. Farley R. W. Fliut C. P. Fullerton G. J. Levinskas -- A2SA J * McKee -- A3NB -J. T. Nolan -- DlA W. B. Papageorge M. A. Pierle J. R. Thurrott J. M. Wagner J. R. Foehr -- B2SA F. R. Johannsen -- A2SC J . c . McPhillips -- B3SC J. /S. Ke-tcalf -V B2NK R ./S ^ Nelson B3NJ E.J l/. P o t t e a ^ - B2NK K. [/iTvi. poee -- B2NK R. C. Isham -- BIND CO0S16 ) t w` # t\* 8:15 a .m ., Jan. 12, 1979 MCI PUBLIC RELATIONS REPORT -- STURGEON, MO.- DERAILMENT The lab at Krummrich at about 8:00 a.m. this morning completed analyzing the last of eight air samples from the area of the Sturgeon, Mo., derailment. The results, by converting milli grams per -cubic foot to parts per million, were that the samples show "less than .05 ppm." That is one-sixth of 3 ppm governmental TLV standard on phenol exposure. The information has been transmitted to the EPA's Region Seven Office in Kansas City- Harry Gilmer (816) 374-4461 . Monsanto will not release this information to the press. The decision on whether to announce an end to the evacuation is to be made by the EPA and local authorities. From scores of press calls handled in connection with the incident and initial news media reporting it appears that publicity is heavy and extensive, regionally. I am not aware of any network TV coverage although it is difficult to conclude that there was none. It also appears that reports generally zeroed in on how people were bearing up in the sub-zero evacuation rather than on the scare-type coverage.' Larry Conners of KMOX-TV reported incor rectly from the scene that the damaged car was owned by Monsanto. It is a car leased from* GATX and efforts are being made to correct the record. Five representatives of Monsanto are still on the scene to advise local authorities and assist in any way they can. A decision has yet to be made on how the cleanup will be accomplished. John J. Spano i J. S. Metcalf, St. Louis rbruary 1, 1979 o-Chlorophenol Crude Sturgeon Incident J B2NK c. F. Cal1 is J. R. Foehr R. S. Nelson R. G. Potter P. A. Tierney File B2SA B2SA B3NJ B3SB N3A As of' 5:15 our time yesterday, Rindy Belshe had not called back. I called her a't 7:50 this morning and learned the following: Senator Eagleton plans to arrive Columbia, Missouri around noon today. He does not plan to visit Sturgeon. There will be a press conference at 5 PM and he expects some questions about the Sturgeon incident. Rindy said there was no need to have anyone from Monsanto at Columbia today, as there would be no time for a briefing. There will be a regional meeting of some sort tonight, and the Mayor of Sturgeon and the Boone County Judge, who we think contacted Eagleton's office, will be there. The Senator will get a chance to talk to them and express his confidence that the situation is under control. At Eagleton's request, Rindy called Steve Jellinek yesterday and requested that a top level EPA toxicologist be sent to Sturgeon to convince the people that no hazard exists. She has a tentative OK, and hopes to get the person's name and set a date this morning. She thinks the meeting will be early next week. We will be requested to attend. She expressed satisfaction with Monsanto's role and efforts regarding the spill, particularly our continuing interest and followup. /dmw C00S17