Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas

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This Day in Arkansas History

April 23, 2007

The U.S. Supreme Court, after years of litigation, let stand a lower court ruling that held Hercules, one of the original owners of what became the Vertac site, responsible for $120 million of the clean-up costs. By slipping into receivership, Vertac evaded any responsibility for the damages. The Vertac site in Jacksonville (Pulaski County) is one of the nation’s worst hazardous waste sites and Arkansas’s most publicized Superfund site. Cleanup of the area after its abandonment by its corporate owner took more than a decade, and the name “Vertac” soon became synonymous in Arkansas with the fear of industrial pollution. By 2010, the site was listed as safe by the EPA, but the legacy of industrial waste remains.

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Bald Eagle

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nested in Arkansas during pioneer days but disappeared from the area as a breeding bird due to pollution and other factors by the twentieth century. Once on the brink of extirpation, the bald eagle has recently made a strong recovery, with several active nests in the state each year. It was officially removed from the federal government’s list of endangered species on June 28, 2007.

 

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nested in Arkansas during pioneer days but disappeared from the area as a breeding bird due to pollution and other factors by the twentieth century. Once on the brink of extirpation, the bald eagle has recently made a strong recovery, with several active nests in the state each year. It was officially removed from the federal government’s list of endangered species on June 28, 2007.

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Middle aged white woman shoulder length wavy hair wearing button up long sleeve shirt and jeans learning against worn down building with heart drawn on side C. D. Wright Poetry White man short wavy hair dressed in black turtleneck next to white woman shoulder length straight hair wearing round glasses plaid shirt and baggy jacket standing in front of a printing press Frank Stanford Poetry From chest up white man short hair clean shaven dressed in suit smiling holding a thumbs up above text "Ralph cares if your needs have not been heard civil rights equal rights human rights vote for Dr. Ralph A. Hyman state representative district 59 democrat" Ralph Allen Hyman Sexual Orientation Smiling white man posing in suit and tie with flag and bookshelf in background Young Timothy Hutchinson Legislative Branch -- Representatives Two white men facing one another raising hands at podium, surrounded by people, with U.S., Arkansas flags Democratic Party Parties and Interest Groups exhibit displays filled with various music-related objects Delta Cultural Center Museums and Historic Sites "Mary John is dead" newspaper clipping Mary John Business Leaders Advertisement "The Rogers Daisy Airgun Museum" with white father, sons holding toy guns illustration Daisy Airgun Museum Museums and Historic Sites Three-story stone building with arched entrances and parking lot Johnson County White children eating peaches with white man and building behind them Johnson County Peach Festival Festivals and Events White man smiling in suit and tie Fay Boozman Interior of museum with awards and costumes in display cases Historic Arkansas Museum Museums and Historic Sites Large tree with thick trunk amid several buildings Bodark Botany African American man in suit John H. Johnson Business Leaders, Editors and Publishers Old white man with mustache and beard in striped shirt and tie with arms crossed in front of him. Fay Jones Architects Bronze bust of man on a display with a plaque and photo beneath Jerry Jones Business Leaders, Football

About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, and audio files, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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