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BREAKING NEWS – BELLA VISTA HAZARDOUS WASTE FIRE

Breaking News!!!

 Today, we received some important information – a physical sample as well as pictures of a considerably large amount of piping material found at the Bella Vista hazardous waste fire that has been burning for five consecutive months. 

We are not yet sure the exact type of pipe that this is.  It could be PVC pipe and it could be polybutylene piping (PB).  We have sent all samples to experts to determine exactly what type of pipe this is.  This new information is evidence that this illegal landfill contains more than stumps and organic materials.  The presence of this is proof that there is more than just small amounts of household trash in this landfill. Buried beneath the dirt and stumps are materials that the average household would not be disposing.

 Polybutylene piping was widely used for plumbing in houses built from the 1970’s through the mid 1990’s. The problem was PB would break down over time frequently causing leaks and water damage in homes.  There was a class-action lawsuit in 1995 (Cox vs. Shell Oil Company) that provided a $950-million dollar settlement which allowed homeowners with houses constructed from 1978 to 1995 containing PB pipe to have the pipe removed from their homes at no cost to the owners.  Hundreds of homes in Bella Vista had PB piping removed under terms of this 1995 settlement.  

 Now, regardless of what class of pipe it is, the mere presence of it further confirms that construction and demolition debris exists in this dump and in large quantities. Additionally, there are several varieties of pipe that are visible right now, which should concern us about what is under the pile that has yet to catch fire.

 More information will be provided as it becomes available, but we should be asking ourselves – and especially our elected leaders – a lot of questions right now. For example – is this never-permitted, illegal landfill site the location that was used to dispose of hazardous construction debris (and Polybutylene Pipe) removed from hundreds of homes in Bella Vista?  Right now, most importantly, what else was buried at this landfill that we don’t know about? 

Please share this information and please contact the Governor of Arkansas to request immediate action to eliminate this hazardous waste fire in our community. 

Governor Asa Hutchinson’s office: (501) 682-2345

 






Trafalger Road Fire Dec 23 2018 
Video Provided by Apex Visual Solutions 

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CTA – Bella Vista Hazardous Waste Fire

Friends and Neighbors,

If you have wondered why the odor being emitted from the “Hazardous Waste Fire” has been so noxious, this evidence was recently reviewed. This is black ABS or Polybutylene pipe that was often used for residential or irrigation systems on golf courses as well as for sewage lines. A source provided us with this sample and has told us there were “loads” of it dumped on this property. Black ABS pipe contains Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, Polyvinyl chloride, Titanium dioxide.

This is the same type of pipe used in golf course irrigation systems and waste water systems. It’s now clear that this was much more than a “Stump Dump”.  Was this perhaps the preferred dumping place for Cooper Redi-Mix? Might it contain the construction and demolition waste from many of the homes built in Bella Vista? The evidence is telling us a maddening story that is likely to get worse as the layers are peeled back.

It has been on fire for 146 days. This is a Hazardous Waste Dump Fire and it’s happening to many people over Christmas and is the only one in Arkansas. 

We are asking everyone to call Governor Asa Hutchinson to Engage, Evacuate, Extinguish, and Excavate!

Phone Number: 501-682-2345

The full material safety data sheet on ABS PIPE can be found here.
http://www.charlottepipe.com/Documents/SDS/SDS_ABS_Pipe_Fittings.pdf

 

Bella Vista Stop the Smoke Coalition

 




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TIMELINE OF EVENTS THAT LEAD TO THE COALITION FORMING

Dec 2003 – Dec 2016

  • BVPOA leased property from Blue Mountain Storage & ran an unregulated, illegal, stump dump for use by POA Members.

Spring 2018

  • Brown’s Tree Service Purchased the property formerly known as “the Trafalgar Rd Stump Dump”.

July 29, 2018

  • The Trafalgar Road Fire was reported to the Fire Department

August 2018 – SEPT 2018

  • Bella Vista Fire Department assessed the fire as too dangerous to get equipment and personnel to.
  • Citizens reached out to Mayor / Fire Department with little to no response or effort from local city officials.
  • Citizens contacted ADEQ and EPA multiple times requesting Air Samples.

OCT 2018

  • EPA arrived to run 1st round of 24hr test for VOC’s & SVOC’s
  • OCT 29 Citizens received word from the ADH that the SVOC tests were inconclusive and would need to be run again. VOC’s were not found to have high enough concentrations to cause an imminent health hazard.
  • Citizens still contacting city officials /state officials to address health concerns and experiencing health problems.

NOV 2018

  • NOV 9th – EPA arrived to run 2nd round of 24hr test for VOC’s & SVOC’s
  • NOV 26th – Lawsuit filed citizens impacted met with lawyers to discuss joining lawsuit and saw others in similar situation with declining health and quality of life suffering.
  • NOV 27th – Like minded Citizens began to get organized to prompt city officials to be transparent on what their plan was to keep the public informed.

DEC  2018

  • DEC 1 – The community came together at a town-hall meeting orchestrated solely by the organized citizens of Bella Vista. The meeting consisted of over 150 and more had to be turned away due to venue size being limited. Town hall consisted of citizens, the Mayor, Fire Chief, 3 members of the ADEQ, 4 members from The Arkansas Department of Health, a representative of Steven Womack’s office, 5 members of the city council, the COO of the POA, and 2 POA board members. Citizens were advised the ADEQ was pushing for continual testing of VOC’s, SVOC’s, & Particulates.
  • DEC 8th – 9th Mayor makes appearance at Back40Race route of race runs through area that is now confirmed to be hazardous.
  • DEC 10th – EPA began 3rd round of testing for VOC’s & Particulates. Citizens were also told they’d receive continual testing but only received 3 days and 4 test units placed. Citizens Installed 1st Purple Air Particulate monitors purchased out of pocket to provide independent testing.
  • DEC 11th – Citizens Installed 2nd Purple Air Monitor
  • DEC 11th – Citizens suspect change in stump dump from Monday and appears property owner was still spreading clay. Drone Footage provided to ADEQ for analysis.
  • DEC 12th – Citizens Receive disk from 1st FOIA request to City regarding “Stump Dump Fire” for all official communications.
  • DEC 12th – Arkansas Department of Health Releases Unsafe Air notice.
  • DEC 13th –  EPA Removes test equipment ADEQ states 2 of the 4 test units were not operational.
  • DEC 14th –  Fire Expert Comes in to analyze site.
  • FOIA Request put in to Benton County Office of Emergency Management. Administrator of Public Safety official — Robert McGowen provides written email stating they had not been contacted by any city official until 12/4 or 12/5 no request for assistance.
  • DEC 17th – Citizens plead to city council for resolution and action. City Council video found here.
  • DEC 22nd – Governor pledges to help put fire out. Allocates funding for engineering firm to asses and come up with plan.
  • DEC 25th – Christmas Day Many Family’s had to leave homes due to particulate filled smoke entering their homes.
  • DEC 27th – Governor’s Office releases press statement announcing site visit.
  • DEC 28th – Governor Hutchinson / Us Rep. Steve Womack / State Rep. Jim Hendren tour site and declares Trafalger Road Hazardous Landfill Fire an Emergency. Watch KNWA Video Located Here

JANUARY 2019

  •  JAN 2nd – Governor Hutchinson Signs Emergency Proclamation.
  • JAN 8th  – City announced water pipe installation and road closure
  • JAN 10th – Water Pipe installed
  • JAN 15th – Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality published community page.
  • JAN 15th – ADEQ report from 2 August placed under resources tab. Report is not filed correctly under database so searching Benton County / Bella Vista / doesn’t return report info which shows solid waste in dump to include photo of tire.
  • JAN 17th – Air Monitoring installed On Dump Site / Cooper Elementary / and Fire Station 2
  • JAN 17th – Ensafe published draft plan which has several options Estimated Costs 4 Million to 40 Million
  • JAN 18th – Stop the Smoke Coalition received donation of Particulate Masks from 3M Scheduling time to provide masks to residents in need.
  • JAN 22nd – City Planning states water and soil samples will taken and heavy equipment will be
  • JAN 23rd – Water and Soil Samples Taken per (city planning meeting)
  • Excavator brought on site around 7:10pm hits power pole.
  • JAN 24th – Excavator prep work begins in Storage parking lot