It wasn’t until 2005 that St. Louis city officials were told that its drinking water contained a DDT by-product called pCBSA, about which little was known with regard to its impact on human health.
Local officials were told by representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency and the state’s Department of Environmental Quality that the water was then safe to drink, despite the complete lack of any health studies on humans.
Bradshaw spoke to the Pine River Superfund Task Force Wednesday night about those inmates’ suits.
Inmates complained that they were subject to cruel and unusual punishment by being made to drink and bathe in St. Louis water, while prison staffers drank bottled water.. One case was dismissed but not until 2015 when it was decided that the prison officials did not "knowingly" or intentionally make the inmates drink the water.
Another suit several years later was filed against the holding company of Velsicol Chemical Co. and that too was dismissed.
And that was one of the reasons for the dismissal of one of the suits, Bradshaw said.
What was so frustrating to Task Force members was the fact that so little was known about pCBSA’s impact on human health, said Jane Keon, Task Force secretary.
Only one 29 day rat study had been done and task force members begged several agencies for more studies but none were forthcoming.
The inmates’ suits however, weren’t filed in vain, Bradshaw said.
Because so many prisons are sitting so near to Superfund sites, more and more citizens and environmental groups are joining the prisons in the fight against pollution, she said.

Single-use plastics have been banned at the president’s office as a campaign was launched Sunday morning to minimise their use across government offices.
With more than 280,000 plastic water bottles used daily in the capital alone, the prevalence of plastic such as bags, bottles and wrappers in the Maldives was “at a worrying level,” President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said at the launching event after presenting glass bottles to staff members.
Plastic makes up a large portion of the 860 metric tonnes of waste dumped into the ocean every day, he observed, stressing the importance of the initiative to preserve and protect the environment.
Following the example set by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Foreign Ministry chooses an alternative to single-use plastic, with Minister Shahid launching a Campaign to minimize Single-Use Plastic in the MFA, in its efforts to protect & preserve the envt.#PlasticNoonGotheh pic.twitter.com/hMwVUHSZsz — MFA Maldives (@MDVForeign) December 2, 2018 Reducing single-use plastic was the focus of this year’s World Environment Day in June.
More than eight million tonnes of plastic is dumped into the ocean annually, which is toxic when ingested by plankton, fish and other marine animals.
Reefs are at risk as corals consume microplastics and are unable to expel the tiny fragments.
Single-use plastics have previously been banned in some offices and all school premises.
Parley for the Oceans, a US-based organisation, is working with resorts, schools and fishing vessels to intercept plastic, which is then shipped abroad for recycling.
It is making design-wear from plastic waste.
While appeals to reduce plastic consumption and waste were made on World Environment Day, local NGOs condemned the hypocrisy of “creating and expanding a culture of bottled water consumption.” A new water bottling plant that will produce 10,000 plastic bottles every hour is being set up in Kulhudhuffushi.

Due to a water main break, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the City of Hooks public water system to notify all customers to boil their water prior to consumption (e.g., washing hands/face, brushing teeth, drinking, etc).
Children, seniors, and persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria, and all customers should follow these directions).
To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.
In lieu of boiling, individuals may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the public water system officials will notify customers that the water is safe for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
Once the boil water notice is no longer in effect, the public water system will issue a notice to customers that rescinds the boil water notice in a manner similar to this notice.
If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Andria Whitehurst or Donald Buchanan at City Hall at 903-547-2105.

The warning comes after council education chiefs ordered tests into reports that the water from the taps was running blue.
North Lanarkshire Council admitted the alarm was first raised three years ago but tests were only ordered in October.
Experts say high levels of copper in corroded pipework can cause the blue colour.
Staff and pupils at both schools have been warned not to drink from the taps and the replacement of hundreds of metres of pipework in the school is being considered.
Buchanan High is a non-denominational school for pupils with additional support needs.
Advice from the Drinking Water Inspectorate states that blue colour in water is rare, but when it happens it is due to corrosion of copper plumbing and indicates high levels of copper in the water.
He said: “It suggests there is something untoward in the system which needs real investigation.
But consultations with a number of environmental organisations, including SEPA, raised no objections to the school complex being built on the site.
A spokesman for North Lanarkshire Council said the “occasional instances” of blue water from taps at the school is due to “potential corrosion in the pipework creating a copper solution”.
He said: “This has little impact on the quality of the water, although there is discoloration, which understandably, can appear alarming.

YARDLEY, Pa. (WPVI) — Residents in Lower Bucks County are dealing with a boil water advisory that has been in effect since Thursday.
Pennsylvania American Water says 12,600 customers in Yardley, Lower Makefield, and portions of Falls Township should boil their drinking water before using it.
Pennsbury School District closed its schools and offices for Friday due to the water boil advisory.
They issued the alert Thursday due to high levels of turbidity, or cloudiness, in the water caused by mechanical control issues within the water plant.
"At this time, we are unable to provide an estimate of when the boil advisory will be lifted," water officials said Friday.
There’s been a mass sale last night.
Local restaurant operators are doing their best to stay open; they too have to stop at the clean water sites.
Pennsylvania American Water says their team made progress this weekend making repairs to the plant, and they are in the process of stabilizing the treatment plant.
In addition, they say they will consult Sunday with the Department of Environmental Protection to begin conducting water sampling throughout the distribution system, which is required before the boil advisory can be lifted.
Pennsylvania American Water said it will send an update when it is once again safe to drink water from the tap.

PHILOMATH, Ore. — The city of Philomath has issued a drinking water warning because it could be contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria.
Public works officials said there was a loss of water pressure in the distribution system Wednesday morning, and that could mean there is bacteria in the water supply.
They said the bacteria could make you sick and is especially concerning for people with weak immune systems.
These are the instructions listed on the city website: "DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST.
Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one full minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water.
"Potentially harmful bacteria include Fecal coliforms and E. coli which are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes.
Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms.
They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems."
They said they anticipate resolving the problem by the end of the work day on Thursday.
They will let the public know when tests show no bacteria in the water.

LANSING — After nearly two years, a Michigan House bill that would require schools and day cares to test for lead in their water, and help them pay for testing and remediation, has finally cleared committee.
House Bill 4124, introduced by State Rep. Sheldon Neeley, D-Flint, was passed by the Michigan State House’s Committee of Natural Resources on Nov. 28, and could come up for a vote in the full House before the lame duck session ends on Dec. 31.
Mandatory testing for lead and other contaminants in schools is rare in the United States, with only eight states currently requiring it.
All other schools test on a voluntary basis, which many did after the Flint water crisis.
Sixteen percent didn’t know if they had tested.
Neeley’s bill, which was introduced in January 2017 as part of a larger legislative package on water quality testing, didn’t have a committee hearing until June 2018.
In the meantime, another bill that would require water suppliers to schools and day cares to test for lead was introduced in September.
“It has been four years since the beginning of a water crisis in my city, the signs of which can still be seen clearly throughout our community,” Neeley said in June.
“The people of Flint are still under a public health emergency and are advised to boil their water before using it.
Schools and child care centers throughout the city rely on bottled water to get through the day.

EPA officials have said HaloSan’s use is uncommon in public drinking water systems, if it ever has been used at all, according to emails obtained by The State.
“We are looking internally at the product and the process.’’ S.C. regulators have been unable to show how much of the chemical was injected into Denmark’s water from 2008 until this year, when Clemson pesticide regulators ordered the city to quit using it.
DHEC can’t say what caused Williams’ skin problems.
At a Nov. 19 public meeting, Denmark resident Jimmie Funches brought a small plastic bottle of water to illustrate the problem.
The state Safe Drinking Water Act allows DHEC to issue fines of $5,000 a day for each violation.
“I don’t trust them, period, and they know it,’’ said Eugene Smith, 74, who has complained about Denmark’s water for years.
Washington’s letter said Denmark’s water-quality woes were “serious,’’ asking Sellers to help address the problems so residents could “live healthier lives.’’ ‘Quit spreading rumors’ Mayor Wright says Denmark is making progress in fixing its water system, using government grants to replace old pipes and worn-out wells.
I’m just as concerned as anybody about the quality of water.’’ Denmark officials declined to tell The State how much they have spent to repair the aging water system.
Other problems that residents complain about are no different than in other communities, Wright said.
Today, Williams lives in an apartment in Orangeburg, too small for all her belongings, some of which remain in the Denmark house.

A proposed agreement between the state, a chemical company and an environmental group is intended to keep high levels of potentially harmful compounds out of drinking water, a state official said Thursday.
The proposed consent order, signed Nov. 21 by the state Department of Environmental Quality, Chemours and Cape Fear River Watch, requires the company to pay a $12 million penalty and $1 million in investigative costs to the state.
The company also must provide drinking water to homes near its Bladen County plant that have elevated levels of GenX.
Chemours officials say the levels of GenX in the private wells are not harmful.
The order requires Chemours to provide, install and maintain three under-sink reverse osmosis drinking water systems for the owners of wells that have combined levels of 12 PFAS compounds above 70 parts per trillion or any one of those PFAS compounds above 10 parts per trillion.
The order does not require health monitoring of residents near the plant, but the company must pay for health studies on five PFAS compounds, according to the agreement.
The five that will be used in the health studies are of “more immediate concern,” she said.
The company also must provide permanent drinking water supplies in the form of either a public waterline connection or whole building filtration systems to homes with drinking water wells that have GenX levels above 140 parts per trillion or applicable health advisory, according to the agreement.
Some residents have expressed concern that the level of GenX might make the cost of running water lines to homes so high that Chemours would only be required to provide water filtration systems.
DEQ is seeking public comment on the proposed order until Dec. 21.

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – A precautionary boil water notice has been issued for part of Panama City.
City workers say due to emergency water main repairs on Thursday, the notice has been issued for this area.
The precautionary water boil notice will be in effect until the water tests come back showing the water is safe to drink.
-Using a disinfecting chemical.
If you cannot boil water, you should put eight (8) drops of common household bleach which is about 1/8th teaspoon, into one (1) gallon of tap water, then shake it, and allow it to stand for 30 minutes before drinking.
There should be a slight chlorine odor.
Use food grade containers.
Don’t use bleach that has perfume scents added.
-Using water purification tablets or iodine that many sports and camping stores sell.
-You can also buy commercial bottled water for consumption and food preparation.