STATE FILES SUIT AGAINST SIKESTON MEN

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon has filed a lawsuit against two Sikeston men for violating Missouri's air pollution laws.

The lawsuit asks the New Madrid County Court to issue an order against Gene Sandlin and Roy Hodgkiss to prohibit them from burning waste on their property, located one mile west of Highway 61, south of Sikeston on New Madrid County Road 824.

The order would also prohibit them from allowing waste to be burned and from dumping or allowing to be dumped vegetation, tree trimmings and other waste on their property.

The alleged violations include open burning of tree trunks and vegetation, dumping of vegetation and other waste and burning of tree trimmings and vegetation on the property owned by Sandlin and Hodgkiss.

These alleged actions released air contaminants forbidden by the Department of Natural Resources.

Nixon is also asking that the two men be ordered to clean up all burned residue and all non-burned material on the property and be ordered to pay penalties of up to $10,000 per day per violation for violating Missouri's air pollution laws.

Nixon said the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has previously cited Sandlin and Hodgkiss for the ongoing violations. Neither man has a state permit allowing the open burning. Calls to Sandlin went unreturned Monday afternoon. Hodgkiss was not listed in the phone book.

335-6611 ext. 226