Attorney General's News Release

August 4, 2006

Man who illegally dumped thousands of waste tires near Smithville Lake ordered to pay $12,000 for cleanup

Plattsburg, Mo. — The Clinton County Circuit Court on Thursday (Aug. 3) ordered an Independence man to pay $12,000 to help with the cleanup of a waste tire dump near Plattsburg that at one time contained an estimated 125,000 tires. Attorney General Jay Nixon had sued Mike Libeer in June 2005 for the costs of removing the estimated 30,000 tires that remain at the site, which is near Smithville Lake.

Nixon's lawsuit alleged Libeer dumped multiple loads of tires on property in Clinton County owned by Robert Devling of Wathena, Kan. Last year, Devling agreed to pay $11,000 toward the cost of the cleanup in a consent judgment with Nixon.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has contracted with the Missouri Department of Corrections to have the tires transported to a Corrections facility near Jefferson City, where the tires will be shredded. The shredded tires then will burned as fuel at the University of Missouri-Columbia power plant.

In addition to the $12,000 to pay for the cleanup of the tires, the consent judgment requires Libeer to pay a $3,000 penalty, with another $3,000 suspended provided he does not violate the Missouri Solid Waste Management Law for the next two years. Devling paid a similar penalty.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818