Jackson Jambalaya

Emails reveal the city of Jackson knew several companies dumped millions of gallons of acidic wastewater into its sewer system several years ago yet took no action.   The emails were obtained through a public records request submitted to MDEQ.  

Jackson's problem begins in Brandon. Gold Coast Commodities processes used cooking oil and soapstock into animal feed and other products such as biodesel at its Brandon facility.  Sulfuric acid is added.  The resulting reaction produces waste that is later mixed with a caustic agent (usually NaOH).  The waste must be kept at high temperatures or else it can't  flow. The wastewater has one other dangerous feature: it is highly acidic with a pH that can be lower than 2 if not properly treated before it is discharged. 

Brandon caught the company dumping highly acidic wastewater into its sewer system in 2014. Brandon sued the company in Rankin County Circuit Court.  Foiled in Brandon, Gold Coast Commodities shipped the wastewater to Rebel High Velocity Sewer Services in Jackson.  Rebel in turn dumped six million gallons of the Gold Coast acid directly into the Jackson sewer system. 

MDEQ issued a cease and desist order against Rebel for the discharges in October 2017 and referred Rebel and Gold Coast to the EPA for criminal prosecution.   The Justice Department filed a Bill of Information in U.S. District Court against Andy Walker, the owner of Rebel* 

 MDEQ notified the city of Jackson about the massive illegal discharges at a meeting in 2017.   The city sent its own cease and desist orders to Rebel, Gold Coast, and Partrigde Trucking in October 2017.  Public Works Director Bob Miller signed the orders.  Jackson Deputy City Attorney Terry Williamson reported to MDEQ on October 30, 2017 that the city had JPD hand-deliver the orders to all three companies.  

Jackson took no legal action against Rebel, Gold Coast, or Partridge-Sibley since delivering the cease and desist orders.  

Kingfish note: Everyone but Jackson moved against these companies.   MDEQ issued ceased and desist orders, the EPA prosecuted one defendant  while investigating others, and Brandon sued Gold Coast.  Brandon spent nearly $1 million fixing the pipes damaged by Gold Coast wastewater.  

Jackson Ward 4 Councilman Dekeither Stamps twice tried to discuss Rebel and each time the Lumumba administration tried to go behind closed doors to discuss the problem.  He tried to discuss the matter at a meeting of the Water Billing Committee in September but the committee went into executive session at the administration's urging.  Mr. Stamps placed the matter on the agenda for the September 29 meeting but the discussion lasted all of two minutes. 

City Attorney Tim Howard repeatedly suggested going into executive session to discuss Rebel.  Mayor Lumumba said there had been discussions about the discharges and hinted the city might take legal action in the next few weeks.  

The City Council again rolled over for the Mayor and dropped all discussion of the matter.  

Uh-huh.  As shown in the emails posted below, the Lumumba Administration knew about the illegal discharges three years ago when MDEQ issued the cease & desist order against Rebel.  It's a safe bet someone will blame Bob Miller but the City Attorney's office knew about this problem as well.   The City Council should be asking why it has taken the city so long to actually do anything?  What is the damage to the sewer system? If any, how much will it cost to repair? 

The Lumumba Administration can hide behind the prospective litigation excuse all day long but there is no reason it can not assess and report the damage to the City Council in open session.   The City Council and (supposedly) the Mayor represent the citizens of Jackson.  The citizens of Jackson have a right to know if the actions of several companies severely damaged their sewer system and that information should not hidden behind closed doors. 

Judging the discussion in the video, it is a safe bet the administration was not even thinking about this problem until the media discovered the problem.   The Ward 4 Councilman has been the only member showing any interest.  The rest might as well be bumps on a log - as usual.  

Here is a list of actions taken against the company. 

* Brandon sues Gold Coast.  Lawsuit is active. 

* MDEQ issues C&D order against Rebel for dumping millions of gallons of Gold Coast wastewater into Jackson sewer system. 

* Justice Department files Bill of Information against Rebel owner. 

* EPA investigates Gold Coast after MDEQ makes criminal referral.  Investigation is active. 

* MDEQ issues C&D order in September against lagoon and orders it shut down.

* The Bill of Information states: 

21. Between in or around November 28 and December 28, 2016, defendant ANDREW WALKER trucked and hauled Company A's wastewater to JWTS's Savanna Street treatment plant and then to his facility, Rebel, where he discharged it into a JWTS sewer.

22. In or around early January 2017, defendant ANDREW WALKER agreed with Individual A-1 to dispose of Company A's industrial waste at Rebel and to arrange with Company B for its delivery to Rebel. For almost a year, through October 2017, Company B transported millions of gallons of Company A's industrial waste to Rebel where defendant ANDREW WALKER, with the consent and assistance of individuals A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2, and B-3 illegally caused it to be pumped into JWTS, the same publicly owned wastewater treatment system into which Company A had already been prohibited from discharging it....

b. On or about December 28, 2016, defendant ANDREW WALKER telephoned Individual A-1 and told him that Rebel had a permit allowing him to discharge into the JWTS sewer wastewater he had sent through his grease removal equipment called an ALAR processor. Defendant ANDREW WALKER told Individual A-I that he was not using the ALAR equipment to process Company A's waste but, he said, it could "provide cover" for both of them...

1. From January through October 2017, employees of Company A, as arranged and directed by Individuals A-1, A-2, and A-3, loaded approximately three million gallons of Company A's waste into Company B's tanker trucks for transportation to Rebel for disposal into the JWTS sewer system. Earlier post and copy of Bill.

J.           From January through October 2017, Company A sent checks signed by Individual A-2,  paying Company B for services described as "Transport Non-Haz Wastewater to Rebel High Velocity For  Disposal."