BY JOHN WATERS
Publisher, Big Bend Gazette
On a stunning mid-October morning at the Ghost Town Café in Terlingua, the place was full, every table taken. At Table 6, three patrons had ordered two bacon omelets and “The Biker,” a combination of eggs, home fries, biscuits and gravy, side orders of home fries and coffee; their bill would total over $17. At table 2, a duo ordered two “Ghost Riders,” a combo of French toast, eggs, and bacon – a $14 tab. In the kitchen, cook Betty Crivella was busy juggling 7 tickets, eggs on one burner, bacon sizzling on another, chili bubbling, home fries on the griddle.
Lena Jack, proprietor of the Ghost Town Café was glad to be busy, after a dismal September. Jack said October 15 was one of their first good days this tourist season, with the clientele that morning consisting mostly of out-of-owners. The hum of conversation in the café and the sizzle of bacon in the kitchen was shattered by an abrupt announcement to evacuate.
“The water guy David [Farmin] came down and told us to evacuate due to a cyanide leak,” said Jack. “It ruined one of the first good days after a horrible September.” The ring of the cash register was silenced. Above the still-warm stove hung $131 worth of tickets, representing partially-cooked food that would go both uneaten and unpaid for.
“We could have run $1000, like we did the following day,” said a disgruntled Jack.
According to Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson, on the afternoon of Tuesday October 14, while Dodson was in Federal Court in Odessa, Alpine resident Alec Knight came into the Sheriff’s office and insisted on speaking with Dodson and no one else.
After Dodson contacted Knight by phone, Knight insisted they speak in person. Dodson finally contacted Knight at Knight’s residence about 8:15 pm, at which time Knight told Dodson he had transported sodium cyanide to his son’s property off South County Road in Terlingua and had attempted to dispose of it on bentonite soil. Fearing that a hiker or illegal alien might come in contact with the cyanide, Knight contacted Dodson’s office after first seeking legal representation.
“He had it [cyanide] in town or in his travels for 20 years, drives to Terlingua, he took it down to get rid of it and decides to burry it in bentonite and the jar breaks and he walks into a cloud [of cyanide gas],” Dodson told the Gazette. Dodson added that he assumed Knight had the cyanide from past work experiments.
The county began staging efforts Tuesday evening for emergency crews, according to Dodson, including arranging a Hazmat crew to respond the following day. On Wednesday morning, teams from Brewster County Sheriffs Department, Terlingua Fire and EMS, and the National Park Service responded and evacuated the Ghost Town.
After donning Hazmat suits it took crews about 2 1⁄2 hours to locate the cyanide and remove it. Residents were allowed to return to the evacuated areas several hours later, in the afternoon.
Dodson confirmed that no cyanide remains at the site.
On Wednesday morning, Terlingua resident Jimmy Taylor was driving to his home on South County Road when he was stopped by a Brewster County Deputy and a motorist. The deputy advised Taylor not to proceed and advised Taylor, “Don’t go back up there; it’s a Hazmat situation.”
The deputy identified the motorist to Taylor as the person responsible for the cyanide and subsequent evacuation. “His eyes [the motorist] looked real bad,” said Taylor. “It looked like he had an irritant in them.”
During the evacuation about 35 residents had relocated to Ring Huggins’ Many Stones shop, on Hwy 118 in Study Butte. Huggins said he thought the evacuation was prudent and was curious about the status of the case, adding, “My biggest complaint is nobody has told us what is going on. I want to know if he’s going to be prosecuted.”
Taylor who had evacuated to Many Stones said he was not made aware by any emergency responders of what material was responsible for the evacuation. “We heard on the scanner it was cyanide. Later [EMS personnel] went to satellite phones to talk about what they don’t want people to hear.”
Knight, who holds a doctoral degree, was a Senior Research Scientist with the Department of Anthropological Sciences at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. Prior to working at Stanford, Knight held a position with the Biology Department at Sul Ross State University in Alpine. Both institutions confirmed that Knight is not presently associated with them.
A posting on Stanford University’s web site states “Dr. Knight’s primary research interest is the study of evolution. Early on, he focused on evolution of lizards and snakes. His contributions to this field include studies of comparative biochemistry of snake venoms, description of a new species of alligator lizard, and molecular systematic studies of moccasins, rattlesnakes, and cobras.
Attempts to reach Knight for this article were unsuccessful. A request for comment or interview was made to Knight’s attorney Anthony Foster, who declined both.
Dodson said an investigation was pending, and that costs of emergency services, including those incurred by Brewster County, the National Park Service and Terlingua Fire and EMS were being calculated. At press time Dodson estimated the costs to be in excess of $15,000, an amount that will be billed to Knight. Pending the outcome of the investigation, charges of dumping a hazardous material would likely be filed.
Lena Jack of the Ghost Town Café wondered who will cover her losses. “Who do we get restitution from? Do we go to court? Do we need to hire a lawyer?” said Lena Jack. “I came here to relax and retire and enjoy the rest of my life. I don’t want to die from cyanide poisoning.”
Terlingua resident Mike Long who lives near the cyanide dumping site, commented, “Some people have the impression that no one lives here, I don’t want to be thought of as no one.”
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