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negligence. In the case of the Escambia Treating Company, the issue of liability arises. Is the Soules family responsible for the cleanup of the site? Is the Soules family responsible for relocation of the local residence, should they pay for their medical bills that have accumulated due to sicknesses caused by exposure to contaminants, and should they further compensate them for the dramatic loss in property value the residents has suffered since their land has been contaminated? I believe that the Soules family is responsible for all of these things. While it is true that the EPA did worsen the condition as far as the residence were concerned, there would never have been a problem in the first place if ETC did not contaminate the site. Furthermore since the property apparently has no other owner than Escambia Treating, and Escambia Treating is no longer in existence, the only liable party I can find is the Soules family themselves. While it is true that the Soules family did not own the company during its last years of operation, most of the contamination of the site and the surrounding residential areas occurred while the Soules still owned ETC. It is my opinion that the Soules family is responsible for the contamination of both the site and the surrounding residential areas, as well as for the health problems caused by exposure to these chemicals experienced by any of the surrounding residence. I feel that the Soules family is ignoring the issue for several reasons, firstly and most importantly because they can. The Soules family is not legally responsible for any damage caused by ETC. This is because the Soules family
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sold all their shares in the company after turning it into a stock corporation in 1982. Once they sold their stock they were no longer liable for anything ETC did in the past or future. I also believe, based on general reaction, they simply do not care. The situation is particularly easy to ignore because of the social status of the Soules family in Pensacola. It is also easy to ignore because of the social status of the residents of the surrounding neighborhoods. However, I do believe that despite the initial apathy towards the situation, more people in the community are starting to take an interest and showing some concern towards the situation at the ETC site and the surrounding areas. They are coming to realize that the situation at ETC effects all of Pensacola and not just the residences of Rosewood Terrace, Oak Park, and Goulding. Hopefully this new found interest will bring CATE one step closer to accomplishing their goals. This new found interest may also bring to light what the EPA has done and force people to get more active in government activities. Maybe by understanding what the EPA has done at the ETC site will cause people to become curious about other governmental activities.
As for the Soules Family, I do not believe that they are going to pay one cent for cleanup or relocation. The fact that they withdrew from the corporation makes them liable for nothing. Even if CATE did take legal action towards the Soules family, I do not believe they would get very far. Unfortunately it appears that the Soules family is going to get off scott free. What is even more
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unfortunate however, is the fact that the only current owner of the ETC site on the books is Escambia Treating Company. Due to the fact that ETC is no longer in existence they have not paid their taxes for several years. This means that the City of Pensacola may take possession of the site and the burden of cleanup may fall on the taxpayers of the city. Not only has the Soules family burdened the unsuspecting residents of Rosewood Terrace, Oak Park, and Goulding, but they may also effect the wallets of every unsuspecting resident of the City of Pensacola.
It is unfortunate that those who caused the problem in the first place will not be those who fix it. However, the Soules family is not directly responsible for the health problems caused during the EPA proceedings at the ETC site. Therefore, I believe that the EPA should relocate the residents of the surrounding communities. I believe they should also pay for any related medical expenses. The EPA is at fault in this instance. They did not warn anyone that they would be digging, nor did they take any precautions. It is for these reasons that I believe that the EPA should take responsibility in this instance.