Skip to Main Content

    Complaint

    33045
    WPC
    6/11/2014
    Email
    Pollution / Spills / Illicit Discharge
    6/11/2014
    03-OCT-2024 12:39PM

    Location based on SITE_ID

    Site ID
    4766
    Site
    Richardson Oilseed Products (US) Limited, Inc.
    Location
    1351 WILLIAMS AVE
    City
    MEMPHIS
    Description
    Existing industrial property
    County
    Shelby
    EFO Name
    Memphis
    Site Owner
    Richardson Oilseed Products (US) Ltd.

    Investigation Results

    Issue Resolved
    6/12/2014
    ConAgra Grocery Products Comapny
    6/12/2014

    Complaint Description and Writeup

    From: Zerwekh, Tyler [mailto:Tyler.Zerwekh@shelbycountytn.gov]
    Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2014 11:21 AM
    To: Joellyn Brazile
    Subject: FW: culvert at WLOK tower

    FYI……..


    From: WLOKRADIO@aol.com [mailto:WLOKRADIO@aol.com]
    Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2014 9:48 AM
    To: Shular, Steve
    Subject: culvert at WLOK tower

    Good morning Steve

    The WLOK tower site in on East McLemore not far from Bellevue. Con Agra has a plant nearby, and at one point they were releasing enormous amounts of plant runoff into a culvert(stream) that flows adjacent to our property. It led to a tremendous amount of flooding and can make our radio equipment inaccessible to our engineer when the water level is high. We spoke with them about it a few years ago, and the plant manager worked closely with us to help resolve the problem. The manager we worked with retired, and we believe the problem may have returned. I need to know the city or state agency that I can contact to ask them to review whether Con Agra is again utilizing this stream. We recently experienced flooding of more than a foot of water in our tower building.

    Thanks

    Art

    Art Gilliam, President
    Gilliam Communications, Inc
    363 South Second Street
    Memphis, TN 38103
    901 527-9565 office
    901 528-0335 fax

    6-12-14: EKB contacted Mr. Gilliam who wanted to know if ConAgra was still discharging its non-contact water through outfall 001 that runs by the WLOK Tower. According to Mr. Gilliam, the former ConAgra manager worked closely with him in maintaining the wet weather conveyance (removing debris, leaves, etc.) which abated flooding condition at the site during heavy rain. EKB informed Mr. Gilliam that ConAgra was still using outfall OO1 to discharge its non-contact cooling water and that the facility has new managers that he may need to get in touch with and request resumption of the maintenance work on the wet weather conveyance. EKB provided Mr. Gilliam with the new contacts' names for ConAgra and their phone numbers. Mr. Gilliam informed EKB that he would get in touch with them.
    6-13-14: received email from Mr. Gilliam indicating that he was going to contact ConAgra in hopes to gain their cooperation in cleaning out the wet weather conveyance.
    6-29-14: Mr. Gilliam emailed EKB stating that he has received no reply from ConAgra to several calls he made. That was causing him to believe that despite what they have indicated to EKB, there was little or no interest in communicating with him, or intend to take or help prevent the problem in the future. In the email, Mr. Gilliam also asked EKB for a recourse, if any, did the State or the County have, if ConAgra simple chose to ignore the matter.
    6-30-14: EKB informed Mr. Gilliam that the State has jurisdiction over the quality of the discharge from ConAgra through their NPDES permit. As far as the maintenance of the channel, it has to be a coordinated effort between him and ConAgra.
    8-8-14: EKB received an email from Mr. Clark stating that a review of the ConAgra files has revealed that this was not the first time Mr. Gilliam had approached ConAgra regarding the drainage on his property. The email also noted that ConAgra Legal Department has been involved with the previous requests from Mr. Gilliam, and that future requests need to be referred to them.
    8-11-14: EKB telephoned Mr. Gilliam and advised him on ConAgra latest email regarding ConAgra's Legal Department being involved with future requests regarding the drainage on his property. EKB also informed Mr. Gilliam that since the State has no jurisdiction over the maintenance of the drainage, that he has to refer all future requests to ConAgra Legal Department.