EPA v. HADLEY STREET DRUM SITE (HADLEY STREET REAL ESTATE)

Case summary

THE HADLEY STREET DRUM SITE IS LOCATED IN AN INDUSTRIAL AREA OF ST. LOUIS, AND FORMERLY SERVED AS A TENT MANUFACTURING AND WATERPROOFING FACILITY. THE SITE, LOCATED AT 1515 - 1541 HADLEY STREET IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, INVOLVES TWO ADJOINING PROPERTIES. A PORTION OF THE SITE IS OWNED BY HADLEY STREET REAL ESTATE COMPANY, ( HSRE ), A MISSOURI CORPORATION, THE OTHER IS OWNED BY NEESE COATED FABRICS, INC., ( NEESE ). NEESE RENTED THE PROPERTY OWNED BY HSRE, AND OPERATED THEIR MANUFACTURING BUSINESS OUT OF THE SITE. SOMETIME ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER OF 1990, NEESE ABANDONED THE SITE. TWO FIRES OCCURRED IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH OF 1991, DAMAGING THE BUSINESS RECORDS OF NEESE. A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF NEESE PLED GUILTY TO AN ARSON CHARGE RELATIVE TO THE FIRE IN DECEMBER OF 1991. WHEN NEESE ABANDONED THE SITE, APPROXIMATELY 1100 DRUMS CONTAINING SOLVENTS, SEVERAL ABOVE GROUND TANKS AND VATS CONTAINING A RESINOUS SUBSTANCE, AND TWO UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS FORMERLY CONTAINING TOLUENE WERE ABANDONED. THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES SAMPLED A NUMBER OF DRUMS AT THE SITE AND FOUND THEM TO BE CONTAINING IGNITABLE MATERIAL WITH FLASHPOINTS BETWEEN 15 AND 20 DEGREES CENTIGRADE. THE ST. LOUIS HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS CONDEMNED THE PROPERTY CITING ABANDONMENT, HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OPEN DRUMS OF SOLVENTS, AND THE POOR STRUCTURAL CONDITION OF THE PREMISES.

Defendants (1)

• HADLEY STREET REAL ESTATE COMPANYNamed in complaint

Facilities (1)

• NEESE COATED FABRICS

  1541 HADLEY, SAINT LOUIS, MO, 631060000

  Registry ID: 110001452507

Statutes cited

• CERCLA 106 — Imminent & Substantial Endangerment Order

Timeline (4 milestones)

• 1991-06-13Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 1992-07-27Complaint Filed/Proposed Order
• 1992-07-27Final Order Issued
• 1993-07-27Enforcement Action Closed