Attorney General's News Release

March 23, 2000

Nixon asks court to order cleanup of three illegal tire dumps near downtown K.C.; penalties sought from owners

Jefferson City, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon today asked the Jackson County Circuit Court to order the owners of three illegal waste tire dump sites near downtown Kansas City to immediately remove an estimated 57,000 tires that Nixon said are causing public health and safety concerns because of how and where they are kept.

The tires, owned by Central American Tire Salvage Co. Inc. (CATSCO), are stored at unpermitted locations in the West Bottoms area of the city at 1400 Intercity Trafficway, at 8th St. and Genessee, and at 8th St. and Wyoming.

Nixon is asking the court to order CATSCO and its owners, Thomas R. and Cathie S. Jenkins, to remove the tires or to allow the Missouri Department of Natural Resources or its agents access to the sites to begin tire removal, with any costs incurred to be paid by the defendants. Nixon said the state had reached a contractual agreement with CATSCO last month for immediate tire removal, but that the defendants had breached the contract.

"The location of these tires poses a great potential threat, should they catch fire," Nixon said. "They are stored too close to buildings and nearby property, and the lack of fire lanes would make fighting a fire here extremely difficult. The defendants have not taken the earlier agreement seriously and even brought in additional tires. Perhaps a court order with penalties will get their attention."

Nixon also said a fire at any of the sites would release smoke, fumes, gasses and particulates that would be hazardous to the health, safety and welfare of the public. The fact that the defendants also have not controlled access to two of the sites with fences also causes potential problems with fires, Nixon said. In addition, the onset of warmer weather provides an opportunity for mosquitoes to breed in stagnant water pooled inside the waste tires, Nixon said.

The lawsuit also seeks civil penalties from the defendants to the state of up to $1,000 per day per violation of the state's solid waste management 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