Plow depth and EPA

[Pherron2008]

They have been deceitful since the beginning. They approached us by telling us that they had come across an old report that indicated that there was a large number of high explosives buried on the land that we purchased. They said that evidently the report had been forgotten about over time, which is pretty amazing since we bought the farm in 1948.
They were very friendly, and asked our permission to do some exploration, even asking us if there were areas where nothing would grow. It was like a joint project. They assured us that whatever they found would be removed using Superfund funds. They were friendly. They were "chatty". We were on a first name basis. We were doing everything short of exchanging recipes.

After they got past the exploration phase and well into the removal stage, all with the understanding that the cleanup would be paid for by the "Superfund", we found out what kind of people we were really dealing with. My brother was their contact point. Shortly after 5 p.m. one Friday afternoon, the EPA faxed him a letter advising us that as owners of the property, we were responsible for a portion of the cost of the cleanup.

 

[Pherron2008]

They have been deceitful since the beginning. They approached us by telling us that they had come across an old report that indicated that there was a large number of high explosives buried on the land that we purchased. They said that evidently the report had been forgotten about over time, which is pretty amazing since we bought the farm in 1948.
They were very friendly, and asked our permission to do some exploration, even asking us if there were areas where nothing would grow. It was like a joint project. They assured us that whatever they found would be removed using Superfund funds. They were friendly. They were "chatty". We were on a first name basis. We were doing everything short of exchanging recipes.

After they got past the exploration phase and well into the removal stage, all with the understanding that the cleanup would be paid for by the "Superfund", we found out what kind of people we were really dealing with. My brother was their contact point. Shortly after 5 p.m. one Friday afternoon, the EPA faxed him a letter advising us that as owners of the property, we were responsible for a portion of the cost of the cleanup.

 

[oldpilgrim]

Did they start out, "We're from the government and we're here to help." ?

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Only thing you can do is take them court, and make the proceedings as public as possible. Make sure you include everything about the way they led you on and entrapped you. Because this is a clear case of entrapment. By the way, Thiokol merged with Morton-Norwich products in 1982 and they split in 1989 (Morton took the chemical part, Thiokol kept the propulsion part) In 1998, Thiokol changed their name to Cordant Technologies. Thiokol was later bought out by Alliant Techsystems (ATK) Inc. Alliant Techsystems (ATK) Inc. renamed ATK-Thiokol to ATK Launch Systems Group in 2006. As of 2014, Alliant Techsystems merged with Orbital Sciences Corporation to become Orbital ATK. Which means Orbital ATK, and possibly Moron-Norwich Products, both still in operation and with deep pockets, are the direct owners of the Thiokol company, and their responsibility to clean up all pollution sites they created, at their cost. I would make it VERY PUBLIC that the EPA is attempting to blackmail you into paying for the cleanup, and protecting these big businesses, and don't stop shouting about it until the EPA gives you a clean bill of health.