Times Beach, Missouri A Toxic Ghost Town

1. Times Beach, MissouriA Toxic Ghost Town Diogo Cadima Topic ‘E’ – Extra Credit Term Project CET 413

2. Times Beach, Missouri - Introduction • Most discoveries have been made as a result of either research, luck, or deadly incidents • Most people are not aware of effects of toxic chemicals until something goes wrong, sometimes leading to death • Only in these cases do people open their eyes and government agencies get involved

3. Times Beach, Missouri - History of Times Beach • Times Beach is located along the Meramec River in Missouri • Town founded in 1925 during promotion by the St. Louis Star-Times newspaper • First used as summer resort with various luxury homes • After great depression became home to low-income citizens and homes • Town did not have enough money to pave its dirt roads (23 miles total) and lead to dust problems

4. Times Beach, Missouri - Deadly Incidents - Russell Bliss • Town hired local waste hauler named Russell Bliss to oil its dirt roads once a week from 1972 to 1976 • Bliss had effectively used this method to control dust in stables • High costs of oil in early 70s forced Bliss to look for cheaper alternates, such as waste oil • Bliss contracted with Northeastern Pharmaceutical and Chemical Company (NEPACCO) to dispose of its waste oil and began using it to spray Times Beach’s roads and local stables • Bliss was unaware the waste oil contained hexachlorophene used in producing Agent Orange, which contained high levels of dioxin

5. Times Beach, Missouri - Deadly Incidents - Russell Bliss • Local horse stable reports the death of 62 horses, with numerous more being reported in the years following. • Bliss assured citizens he was only spraying engine oil • City finally decides to contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 1979 which began an investigation

6. Times Beach, Missouri - Toxic Chemical Testing • Employee of NEPACCO confessed to using dioxin in its chemicals • EPA immediately begins testing streets of Times Beach and finds high levels of dioxin in soil • Dioxin levels were about a hundred times greater then what is considered to be safe

7. Times Beach, Missouri - Toxic Chemical Testing • Various environmental companies found various chemicals in the surrounding areas of Times Beach such as: • 120PPM of toluene • 430PPM of xylene • 170PPM of ethyl benzene • Food and Drug Administration found dioxin in fix along Meramec River and Romaine Creek, near Times Beach

8. Times Beach, Missouri - Town Evacuation • Citizens of Times Beach began reporting numerous miscarriages, diseases and various animal deaths all believed to be associated with Dioxin • During the Christmas of 1982, the town received notice to evacuate and relocate all citizens • Another fifty surrounding smaller towns ordered to evacuate as a result of dioxin spread caused by floods • Incident was the largest exposure to dioxin in US history.

9. Times Beach, Missouri - The Chemical Dioxin • Dioxin is one of the most toxic substances known to man • EPA has strict laws regulating tolerable daily, monthly and annual amounts of human and animal consumption • Most common way dioxin enters general population is thru ingestion of contaminated fish, meats and dairy products, making dioxin vehicle-borne • Most common sources of exposure to dioxin are: • Coal fired utilities • Metal smelting industries • Diesel trucks • Land application of sewage sludge • Burning treated wood

10. Times Beach, Missouri - The Chemical Dioxin • Dioxins in every day type environments • Smoke from cigarettes caused by the chlorine-bleached cigarette papers • Various products containing plastics, resins, or bleaches such as food packaging products • Although these products contain only small amounts of dioxins, no major health risks can occur. However, accumulation of exposure over time could result in health risks.

11. Times Beach, Missouri - The Chemical Dioxin - Effects of Dioxin • Dioxins and similar compounds in the dioxin family, when ingested, accumulate in fatty tissues. • Even small amounts can reach high levels and become dangerous over time • One major result of exposure to dioxin is chloracne • Sever form of acne • Commonly accompanied by sever disfiguration, joint pain, fatigue, headaches, and chronic weakness • Chloracne could remain in your body for up to thirty years • Exposure to dioxins could also lead to • Developmental abnormalities in children’s teeth • Cancer • Central and peripheral nervous system pathology • Thyroid disorders • Birth defects • Diabetes • Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases

12. Times Beach, Missouri - Conclusion • After the evacuation of Times Beach, it took the government and environmental agencies fifteen years to fully decontaminate the soil with the help of incinerators • The area of Times Beach has now been returned to the state of Missouri and converted into park areas • Incidents in Times Beach provided citizens and government agencies reasons to implement laws concerning safety practices involving chemical manufacturing and waste disposal of chemical products • Long term effects of dioxin in humans and animals is still not fully understood.