Founded in 1925 on a floodplain by Meramec river

In St Louis county with 2,240 residents

Completely evacuated in 1983

23 miles of unpaved dusty roads

Times beach hired Russell Bliss

Bliss accountable for spraying oil on stable floors leading to deaths of horses

Northeastern Pharmaceutical and Chemical Company (NEPACCO)

Dioxins and Agent Orange Times beach exposed to same oil and

chemicals Times beach flooded & town became

paranoid Evacuation in 1983

C4H4O2

Dioxin 1,2 is very unstable due to its peroxide-like characteristics Dioxin 1,4 is the stable isomer. Dioxin is two benzene rings connected by two oxygen atoms Formed during processes of combustion e.g.

Incineration of waste Forest fires Industrial processes – herbicide manufacture Paper pulp bleaching

Clings to fatty tissues

Minimum Dioxin concentration = 1µg/kg) Maximum Dioxin concentration = 1800µg/kg) Geometric Mean value = 79µg/kg

Areas of state where levels of contamination were in the range of 1-20 µg/kg, were to be covered by 1 foot of soil.

Anything above 20µg/kg was to evacuated and incinerated.

Feedstock Handling building

Rotary Kiln

Ash is quenched and deposited to

landfillSecondary

Combustion burner

Wet Gas Cleaning

Air released to atmospher

e

The People of Times BeachWas the situation mismanaged?

The Story of Dioxin-Contamination at Times Beach

from the perspective of those who experienced it

The Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)

Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR)

Missouri Department of Health (MDOH)

followed closely by EPA confirmation of possible dioxin presence

Nov 10, 1982: A local newspaper reporter calls town counsel

Left to make their own assumptions, the residents quickly started to recall past events, seemingly isolated incidents at the time were now seen as sinister furthering public unrest.

Once made public knowledge, widespread panic ensued, worsened by the EPAs estimation of a 9 month wait for tests to be carried out

Terrible Odors & Roads

Turning Purple after spraying!

Multiple Animal deaths: Birds, Dogs, Cattle…

Unwilling to wait, residents commissioned a private lab to carry out testing immediately

Molecular formation of Dioxin

Hearing of media coverage and private testing the EPA seemed to accelerate their efforts… samples were taken in early December, 1982

By now the occurrences at Times Beach were gaining media attention on an international level

Early December saw Times Beach ravaged by flood waters from the nearby Meramec river, causing a potential furthering of spread of any contaminant

Residents return to cleanup after flood and receive confirmation of Dioxin presence in harzardous levels.

"If you are in town it is advisable for you to leave and if your are out of town do not go back." - EPA

Government order a quarantine of the area, residents instructed to leave under the negotiated terms…

Eventually a “Total Buy-out” was agreed upon, resulting in relocation of the Times Beach community.

Panic: “are we at risk?”

Confusion: “What are we to do?!

Anger towards Authoritive Bodies: death threats sent to city officials, warnings to stay out of town…

Loss of faith in governing committees: “Why was nothing done earlier?” - first dioxin reports as

early as 1978, no action til 4 years later…

Ongoing excommunication of relocated residents: Fear of Infection by new community.