Memphis Town Community Action Group to Hold Forum Regarding $5.15 Billion Kerr-McGee, Anadarko Settlement

COLUMBUS, Miss. (Press Release) — On April 3, the United States Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency announced that Kerr-McGee, a subsidiary of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, agreed to pay $5.15 billion to settle a lawsuit they filed against Kerr McGee regarding alleged environmental contamination released by Kerr-McGee at numerous locations around the United States and alleged post-contamination misconduct by Kerr-McGee.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, eighty eight percent (88%) of the proceeds of the settlement, totaling approximately $4.532 billion, will be paid by Kerr-McGee to a number of trusts that were established as part of the Tronox Bankruptcy Settlement, including the Multistate Environmental Response Trust (the Multistate Trust). The Multistate Trust is slated to receive approximately 25% of the $4.532 billion to investigate to and to clean up contamination located at more than 400 locations in approximately 24 states where Kerr-McGee operated. One of those sites is the former Kerr-McGee site in Columbus. The Multistate Trust is slated to receive one and a half percent (1.5%) of the Anadarko lawsuit funds, equaling approximately $68 million. The funds will be used to investigate and cleanup the former Kerr-McGee site in Columbus. Multistate Trust Funds can only be used, under the terms of the settlement and the language of the Trust, for investigation and cleanup of the former Kerr-McGee sites and areas beyond that site contaminated by Kerr-McGee.

Twelve percent (12%) of the $5.15 billion settlement, totaling approximately $618 million will be paid to a separate trust, called the Tronox Tort Trust (TTT) (Tronox is a company created by Kerr-McGee that Kerr-McGee conveyed hundreds of environmental waste sites without money to clean up those sites). The TTT was established to pay claims to people who have experienced adverse health effects from exposure to contaminants released by Kerr-McGee in those 24 states. Individual Law Firms representing various plaintiffs will process such personal claims of individuals. People with such individual claims should contact their attorneys or the Tronox Incorporated Tort Claims Trust’s helpline via e-mail at helpline@tronoxtorttrust.com or by toll free telephone at 800-753-4280.

The Memphis Town Community Action Group (CAG), headed by Maranatha Faith Center pastor Rev. Steve Jamison, is scheduled to meet on April 22, 2014 at 6:00 o’clock p.m. at Genesis Church, 1820 23rd Street North in Columbus. At that time, Pastor Jamison, representatives from the, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will explain in greater detail plans for investigation and remediation of the Columbus Kerr McGee site.

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