Sewage Problems In Nixonville Make Headlines
Posted by: John Hancock | 7:15am | Permalink

For the past couple weeks, Missouri Pulse has highlighted ongoing environmental problems surrounding a Jefferson County sewage plant owned and represented by the father and other long-time political supporters of AG Jay Nixon. This weekend, the Post-Dispatch took interest in state efforts to penalize the plant for a litany of environmental violations. Not surprisingly, no one with the sewage plant was available for comment.

Stay tuned to Missouri Pulse for additional updates on ongoing sewage problems in Nixonville.

Nixonville Rocked: PSC Sues Sewage Plant For Millions In Penalties
Posted by: John Hancock | 7:00am | Permalink

“Because of the egregious nature of Central Jefferson’s violations … the Commission requests that the Court impose upon Defendant Central Jefferson the maximum penalty authorized by law.”
—Request repeated throughout a PSC petition filed against the Nixon family sewage treatment plant

Recently, the Missouri PSC filed suit in Cole County Circuit Court against Central Jefferson County Utilities Inc. (CJCU), a sewage plant with longstanding ties to AG Jay Nixon. After months of scrutiny, the PSC filed a 10-count, 18-page petition against CJCU (available for your viewing pleasure) that requests millions of dollars in maximum penalties for an assortment of past and ongoing environmental problems. Counts 7-10 are the bank breakers with penalty requests ranging from $1.3 million to nearly $1.5 million. The seven-figure penalties sought by the PSC are based on ongoing and past charges that include:

• Six-year failure to retain a certified operator for the plant

• Repeated violations of state and federal clean water laws that resulted in pollution of nearby waterways

• Failure to timely submit discharge reports to DNR for four years

• Six-year failure to “provide safe and adequate sewer service” to customers and failure to “maintain and operate a properly equipped sewage treatment facility”

• Failure and refusal to make improvements to the sewer system

• Three-year failure to “make reasonable efforts to eliminate or prevent the entry of surface or ground water into its sanitary sewer system”

• Excessive presence of lead in a well used for water supply; “...water from this well may not be safely used for drinking purposes...”

• Failure to provide “safe and adequate water service to its customers” and “has failed and refused to make necessary improvements to its water supply system” since January 2005

CJCU is owned and represented by family members and long-time political supporters of Jay Nixon. Nixon, who boasts of his environmental litigation abilities, has been dogged for more than 15 years by bipartisan criticism over his ties to the plant and his negligence to do anything to stop the plant’s ongoing sewage problems. It’s safe to say that Nixon won’t be relying on family business interests to loan him money for his 2008 campaign as he has done in the past. (For more on Nixon’s negligence, see the “Ongoing Sewage Problems In Nixonville” post in the March News Archives.)

A look at the count-by-count breakdown from the PSC petition:

More stuff...

YouTube slideshow of pictures taken from DNR files on the sewage plant.

Case info: Missouri Public Service Commission v. Central Jefferson County Utilities Inc., Case #07AC-CC00205

Democrat Mad-Libs
Posted by: Jonathon Prouty | 7:10am | Permalink

Too many of today’s self-described protectors of the environment believe that the rules and regulations they self-righteously advocate apply to them only when financially convenient. From the Hollywood types to former Vice President Al Gore, a culture of hypocrisy and self-interest exists within the environmental movement. Everywhere you look (including Missouri), the story is the same. For those who don’t believe it, Missouri Pulse created its own version of the once-popular Mad-Libs game. Enjoy!

Missouri Pulse’s answers:

The above statement is especially true of __Al Gore__, who, despite __starring in alarmist-flick “An Inconvenient Truth,” testifying about the planet’s so-called “fever” before Congress, etc.__, has actually profited from a __zinc mine__ with a history of activities detrimental to the environment. In __Gore’s__ case, the __zinc mine__, located __near his property__ and leased by him, has been found by the __Environmental Protection Agency__ to be spewing __zinc and other toxic materials__ into the __air, land and nearby waterways__. Unsurprisingly, __Gore__ has received __$570,000__ in __royalty payments__ from the owners of the __zinc mine__.¹

The above statement is especially true of __Jay Nixon__, who, despite __canoeing the Missouri River to raise environmental awareness², boasting that he is the best environmental litigator to serve as Attorney General ³, etc.__, has actually profited from a __sewage plant__ with a history of activities detrimental to the environment. In __Nixon’s__ case, the __sewage plant__, located in __his home county and owned by his father and other campaign donors__, has been found by the __Environmental Protection Agency and state regulators__ to be spewing __sewage__ into a __nearby stream and ruining the lives of hundreds of nearby residents__. Unsurprisingly, __Nixon__ has received more than __$150,000 in campaign contributions and loans__ from the owners of the __sewage plant and associated interests__.

________
¹ USA Today, 3/18/2007
² Post-Dispatch, 10/2/1991
³ Post-Dispatch, 12/12/2005

Ongoing Sewage Problems In Nixonville
Posted by: John Hancock | 8:20am | Permalink

If you’re reading this, you’re probably familiar with Jay Nixon’s self-inflicted conflict-of-interest in the Ameren-Taum Sauk case. While that conflict has been getting well-deserved headlines, another, which Nixon was warned about 15 years ago, has found its way into court.

The self-described “fervent environmentalist”¹ Nixon faces an image problem due to his ties to an embattled sewage plant—operated by Central Jefferson County Utilities Inc.— and the nearby residential development it has affected—Raintree Plantation. Both the plant and the Raintree developer—Raintree Plantation Inc.—are located in Nixon’s home county (Jefferson County) and are owned by his father and other long-time political supporters.²

Since Nixon first ran for AG, family business interests have loaned over $100,000 to his committees, and associated individual and corporate donors have accounted for thousands of dollars in additional support.³  Both Democrat and Republican critics have noted Nixon’s past employment with Raintree, his former residence in the development, and the key financial role family business interests have played throughout his political career.⁴

As AG, Nixon has largely ignored mounting environmental problems at the sewage plant while pursuing an image depicted in the campaign photo above. In 2005, Nixon altered his negligent course and, instead, tried to cut-and-run from the politically problematic plant. When the Post-Dispatch ran a story in December 2005 entitled “Nixon’s Tie to Firm Mucks Up Image”, Nixon, who had already outsourced the state’s legal work in the plant case, “was unavailable to comment.”⁵ The story focused on Nixon’s ties to the plant and the plant’s environmental problems, which included “illegal sludge discharges” into a nearby creek. Such problems have drawn the ire of the EPA, DNR, disgruntled local residents and Democrat Rep. Belinda Harris, who pleaded with Nixon to do something for residents affected in his home county.

Rep. Belinda Harris: "I know we can't control everything our family does, but I feel that it is his [Nixon’s] father and I would appreciate it if somehow he could maybe help him understand that this is a very important issue and it needs to be rectified.”  ⁵

Unfortunately for Nixon, the December 2005 story did not end his sewage problem. Last month, the Missouri PSC “approved the transfer of the water and sewer system assets” of the plant to the Jefferson County Public Sewer District as a result of the plant’s failure to “provide safe and adequate water and sewer service.” Plant failures also were a factor in the PSC’s decision to sue Central Jefferson County Utilities for multiple environmental-related violations.⁶ The PSC has filed suit in Cole County.

It’s times like these when Nixon must wonder why he failed to heed Democrat Mike Wolff's advice 15 years ago:

"The least Missourians can expect from their hard-earned tax dollars is an attorney general who practices what he preaches. If Nixon intends to, as he says, `prosecute polluters who are threatening the health and safety of our children and families,' then it seems he's got his work cut out for him not too far from his breakfast table." ⁷

Click here for photos of a creek affected by the sewage plant. Photos were taken by Missouri Department of Natural Resources staff in 2004.

______________
¹ Post-Dispatch, November 24, 1991
² Missouri PSC, Hearing Transcript, Norville Kenneth McClain, Jr. testimony, December 20, 2006
³ MEC, FEC campaign finance reports, 1986-2006
⁴ Post-Dispatch, October 4, 1991
⁵ Post-Dispatch, December 12, 2005
⁶ MO Public Service Commission, Release, February 9, 2007
⁷ Kansas City Star, October 4, 1991