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Company and property owners reach settlement after gasoline odor

Some homeowners still concerned
Posted at 7:36 PM, Aug 22, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-22 20:36:22-04

Some neighbors near a gas station that’s accused of leaking a strong gasoline odor have reached a settlement with the gas company. 

It's been an ongoing dispute. Back in June 2015, 41 Action News first spoke to neighbors about complaints of a strong odor of gasoline. We found Zill, LLC, owned the gas station.

On Friday, the company announced it agreed to pay $300,000 to a group of six property owners and fourteen others in the neighborhood.

"While it may or may not have started from Intercity Oil, Intercity Oil has become part of the solution," said Pastor Kevin Smith from Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.

The church helped form Urban Success Development Incorporated, which will use the money from Zill to turn the contaminated Brownfields into a low-income housing project. The group said it has support from federal agencies, including the EPA, to help with cleanup and environmental issues that might come up.

"We want to focus on the fact that the right people are now in place. If everyone would be on the same page, this would happen a lot quicker and more efficient," said Smith.

However, not everyone in the neighborhood is onboard. Other landowners and more than a dozen others, including Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, continue to have lawsuits pending against Zill.

"My concern is simply is this situation resolved? We still own property on this block; we're still in litigation with what's going on. Our concern is simply, does our family have a home," said Kevin Cheadle.

Cheadle grew up in the neighborhood. Two years ago, he said he moved his mom out of her home because of the contamination.

"To us, that sounds as if this situation has been resolved. They are moving forward, and we are still in the dark," said Cheadle.

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Ariel Rothfield can be reached at Ariel.Rothfield@KSHB.com.

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