Residents near Kerr-McGee site still waiting for settlement money

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – There’s not much left of what people on the north side of Columbus called Moss Tie. And, then later, Kerr-McGee.

Along 14th Avenue, the creosote plant is long gone. But the damage from the contamination has taken years to fix.

The chemical used at the plant to weatherproof railroad ties and telephone poles soaked into the ground here. It was in the air and the groundwater. And some of the people who live nearby said their yards are still oily on rainy days.

Four years ago, Kerr-McGee and attorneys for the people in this neighborhood reached a $5 billion deal. The money was set aside to pay families for chronic illness, rare cancers and mounting medical bills.

Most of them have not received a dime.

A superfund established years ago is what the EPA uses to clean up the site, bit by bit.