HAZARDOUS WASTE FIRM HASN'T REPLIED TO LAWSUIT

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Bill Pratt says the state's move to shut down a hazardous waste storage and treatment facility a block from his business is long overdue.

"It's concerned us for years," said Pratt, owner of Midwest Truck Sales and Service Inc., 3120 Nash Road. "They've had nothing but problems there."

Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon filed a lawsuit June 14 seeking revocation of the state permit held by Millennium Environmental Services Inc. for a facility at 3100 Industrial Fuel Drive. The state alleges continuing violations of state hazardous waste management law that potentially threaten the environment.

As of Thursday, Millennium hadn't responded to the lawsuit, Scott County Circuit Court records reflected.

Attempts to reach Millennium officials have been fruitless. The facility was deserted and gates and doors padlocked Thursday.

C T Corporation System of Clayton, Mo., was served with the lawsuit on Millennium's behalf. C T Corporation serves as the registered agent for Millennium, handling the company's paperwork with state regulators. It has no responsibility for operations at the Scott City facility and is not otherwise named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

A spokeswoman for C T Corporation said the company had no record of receiving the court summons and could not divulge any information concerning Millennium.

Scott Holste, a spokesman for the attorney general, said part of the purpose of the lawsuit is "to ferret out the potentially responsible parties." The facility has undergone a number of ownership and name changes since 1994. Holste said the attorney general's office has been unable to contact Millennium officials.

Check to state bounced

The state claims the company is financially unstable and says a $14,177.75 check to the Department of Natural Resources for compliance inspection fees and other costs bounced in March. AmerenUE disconnected electric and gas service in April because of non-payment.

Millennium's Scott City business license expires June 30, and an application for renewal hasn't been submitted.

Pratt's truck repair shop is one block north of Millennium and separated only by a vacant lot overgrown with weeds. Pratt said he hasn't seen any activity at Millennium in at least a month.

"Their people just totally disappeared," Pratt said.

The lawsuit asks that the company be required to post someone at the facility at all times in case of emergency until the plant can be properly shut down and waste materials disposed of in compliance with DNR regulations.

Pratt said DNR should assign someone to watch over the site instead of waiting for a court to order Millennium to do so.

"Somebody should be watching it if it is as hazardous as they say it is," Pratt said. "And I have every reason to believe it's that bad or worse."

Strong odors

At times in the past, the odor wafting from the facility has been so strong that some of Pratt's employees suffered mild nausea, Pratt said. And there have been other problems. "It was not uncommon to hear something go boom' and see smoke coming out," Pratt said.

Pratt also said he is concerned about waste stored at the facility seeping into the groundwater.

The Rhodes 101 Stop business offices are also nearby at 3140 Nash Road. Rhodes co-owner Jim Maurer said he hadn't had dealings with Millennium or any of its predecessor companies in several years and was unaware of the problems alleged by the state. Like Pratt, Maurer said he hadn't seen any activity there "for a long time."

According to the lawsuit, Millennium accepts a variety of ignitable, corrosive or toxic wastes for storage and disposal. Violations DNR inspectors cited the company for include improper storage of waste and exceeding storage limits.