Attorney General's News Release

March 14, 2000

Kraft responsible for illegal dumping of hot dog casings dumped in rural Boone County, Nixon says in lawsuit

Columbia, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon today filed a lawsuit against Kraft Foods Inc. and its subsidiary, Oscar Mayer Foods Corp., for illegally disposing of several thousand tons of casings used to make hot dogs. The casings were disposed of on a farm in southwestern Boone County near the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area at McBaine. The spent casings, which were buried in ravines, contained oil, food wastes and other contaminants.

Nixon said Kraft, which does business locally as Columbia Foods Co., contracted for the disposal of the casings and devised, observed, and approved the disposal operation over a period from at least September 1995 through April 1999. The defendants then applied for and received tax refunds from the Missouri Department of Revenue under a law entitling the company to refunds only if the casings were recycled.

"Not only have these casings been improperly dumped, but stormwater that flows through these areas carries contaminants from the casings to nearby streams," Nixon said. "Kraft knew this illegal dumping was happening and approved the process. To add insult to injury, company officials claimed that this was being done as part of a recycling operation in order to claim sales tax refunds."

Nixon is asking the Boone County Circuit Court to find that the defendants violated Missouri's solid waste and clean water laws and to order them to remove the casings and other materials dumped at the site and to properly dispose of them.

The lawsuit also asks the court to assess court and investigative costs, as well as penalties of up to $1,000 per day for each violation of the solid waste management law and up to $10,000 per day for each violation of the clean water law.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818