Barton Solvents Plant Legal News Articles & Interviews

Valley Center, KS The residents of Valley Center have been issued reimbursement checks from Barton Solvents for clothing expenses, hotel bills and a few other incidentals after they were evacuated following a blast at the chemical company. But not everyone can be paid off so readily.

Valley Center, KS Alisa Thomas was at work in South Wichita when the first explosion from Barton Solvents chemical plant started a massive fire that sent about 660,000 pounds of chemicals up in smoke. "It woke my daughter—she thought bombs were falling from the sky," says Thomas.

Valley Center, KS According to Valley Center City Administrator I.D. Creech, the town will be back to normal soon, and that "dirt" from the area surrounding Barton Solvents chemical plant has mainly been cleaned up. The word "dirt" doesn't seem as menacing as "toxic chemicals." Is Creech trying to play down this potential environmental disaster?