What happened to Times Beach?
On the right, 19 years later, trees have begun to cover the street lanes in the empty community. This town, Times Beach, Missouri, was the site of one of the worst environmental disasters in our nation’s history. Nearly 40 years ago, an individual was paid to spray material on the roads to suppress the dust in this small Midwest town.
What happened in Times Beach Missouri in 1982?
Road contamination prompts evacuation of town. On this day in 1982, the Missouri Department of Health and the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) inform residents of Times Beach, Missouri that their town was contaminated when the chemical dioxin was sprayed on its unpaved roads, and that the town will have to be evacuated and demolished.
Where is Times Beach Missouri?
Location in Missouri. Times Beach is a ghost town in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, 17 miles (27 km) southwest of St. Louis and 2 miles (3 km) east of Eureka.
Is Times Beach the creepiest abandoned town in Missouri?
There’s a reason why people call this place the creepiest abandoned town in Missouri: During these uncertain times, please keep safety in mind and consider adding destinations to your bucket list to visit at a later date. Times Beach was founded in 1925 as a summer resort.
See more
How did they clean up Times Beach?
In February 1983, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a buyout of Times Beach. Structures were bulldozed and buried. The contaminated soil was scooped up and incinerated. The cleanup took 14 years and cost $110 million.
What is Times Beach Missouri now?
Today it is the Route 66 State Park with its 1935 Steiny's Inn (Bridghead Inn), a 1932 section of the Mother Road, and the now closed Historical Meramec River US 66 Bridge and the site of Pollard's Cape Cod Cabins and Texaco. Stop and visit the former town of Times Beach MO during your Route 66 road trip.
Who sprayed Times Beach?
In the early 1970s, the city of Times Beach hired Russell Bliss to spray its 23 miles of unpaved streets with used motor oil to help control the town's rampant dust problem, a technique Bliss had previously used in horse stables, as well as on his own property.
How many people lived in Times Beach Missouri?
Times Beach, Missouri, once a popular stop along Route 66, is now a ghost town and the site of the Route 66 State Park in St. Louis County. Once home to more than 2,000 people, the town was completely evacuated 1983 due to dioxin contamination.
How did Times Beach become contaminated?
Nearly 40 years ago, an individual was paid to spray material on the roads to suppress the dust in this small Midwest town. What the town didn't know was that he was spraying those roads with a mixture of the highly toxic chemical compound, dioxin, and waste oil.
Are there any abandoned towns in Missouri?
Arlington is one of the many ghost towns in Missouri. This fascinating place was once a bustling town that sat along Route 66. Today, all that remains are dilapidated buildings and ruins. Far West, located in Caldwell County, is another unique Missouri ghost town.
Is Times Beach still contaminated?
Louis and 2 miles (3 km) east of Eureka. Once home to more than two thousand people, the town was completely evacuated early in 1983 due to TCDD—also known as dioxin—contamination. It was the largest civilian exposure to the compound in the history of the United States....Times Beach, Missouri.Times BeachElevation436 ft (133 m)8 more rows
What causes dioxin?
Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and also cause cancer. Due to the omnipresence of dioxins, all people have background exposure, which is not expected to affect human health.
Why are dioxins toxic?
Dioxins are a group of highly toxic chemical compounds that are harmful to health. They can cause problems with reproduction, development, and the immune system. They can also disrupt hormones and lead to cancer.
Why was Times Beach Missouri evacuated in 1983 quizlet?
Soils had become contaminated with dioxin.
What happened at Love Canal?
The Love Canal area was originally the site of an abandoned canal that became a dumping ground for nearly 22,000 tons of chemical waste (including polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxin, and pesticides) produced by the Hooker Chemicals and Plastics Corporation in the 1940s and '50s.
What is left Time Beach?
Today, the land that was once Times Beach has been turned into Route 66 State Park. The only building that remains is a former roadhouse, now a museum and gift shop.
Why was Times Beach Missouri evacuated in 1983 quizlet?
Soils had become contaminated with dioxin.
What is left Time Beach?
Today, the land that was once Times Beach has been turned into Route 66 State Park. The only building that remains is a former roadhouse, now a museum and gift shop.
What happened at Love Canal?
The Love Canal area was originally the site of an abandoned canal that became a dumping ground for nearly 22,000 tons of chemical waste (including polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxin, and pesticides) produced by the Hooker Chemicals and Plastics Corporation in the 1940s and '50s.
What is Eureka MO known for?
Often referred to as the Gateway to the Missouri Ozarks because of its rolling hills and status as an expansion city for the early setters, Eureka provides a stunning array of citywide nature trails, paths and waterways located throughout more than 164 acres of parks and public land, including a state park — Route 66 ...
When was Times Beach evacuated?
It was the largest civilian exposure to the compound in the history of the United States. In 1985, the State of Missouri officially disincorporated the city of Times Beach.
How many families were evacuated from Times Beach?
Although the decision for relocation in 1982 was made in the best interests and safety of the Times Beach residents, the evacuation was not an easy transition. Eight hundred families had to leave their lives completely behind. Initially, parents worried about what to do and where to go for financial assistance. As they began to settle into their new lives, their logistical and financial worries were soon replaced by the fear that their children would be afflicted by sudden chronic illnesses. The psychological trauma caused by relocation was immeasurable.
How many dioxins were found in the state of Missouri?
The EPA's handling of the events in Missouri caught national attention in late 1982 when the Environmental Defense Fund, a public interest group, published a leaked EPA document that listed a total of 14 confirmed and 41 possibly contaminated sites in the state of Missouri. The town of Times Beach was one of the locations listed. The Environmental Defense Fund also claimed that the EPA had decided to lower dioxin cleanup protocol standards. Although the CDC advised for cleanups in locations where dioxin levels were as low as 0.001 ppm, the Environmental Defense Fund report suggested that new EPA protocols would only necessitate clean up in locations where dioxin concentrations were above 0.1 ppm.
When did the EPA buy out Times Beach?
Discussions of a federal buyout commenced on January 7, 1983 , when President Ronald Reagan created the Times Beach Dioxin Task Force, which consisted of representatives from the EPA, CDC, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Army Corps of Engineers. During a press conference on February 22, 1983 , the EPA announced that the federal government would pay $33.0 million of the estimated $36.7 million cost to buy out the 800 residential properties and 30 businesses of Times Beach. The remaining $3.7 million would be the responsibility of the state.
How much did Bliss oil the beaches?
In 1972, Times Beach hired Bliss to oil its 23 miles of dirt roads (due to lack of funding, Times Beach was unable to pave its roads). For $2,400, Bliss sprayed approximately 160,000 gallons of waste oil in Times Beach over a period of four years.
How big is Times Beach?
The site of Times Beach now houses a 419-acre (170 ha) state park commemorating U.S. Route 66 —the famous highway that stretched from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, and passed by the community—as well as the history of the Times Beach area. The park opened in 1999.
What episode of Modern Marvels is Times Beach?
The story of Times Beach was featured on History Channel's Modern Marvels, in the episode "Engineering Disasters 20".
What happened to the Meramec River in Times Beach?
However, right after the completion of the soil tests, Meramec River broke its bank, flooding the town like never before. The flood water further spread toxins across the town and to other areas.
How much money was spent on Times Beach?
By the time the agency was done with the process, $250 million had been spent and nearly 265,000 tons of dioxin-contaminated soil incarcerated.
Why did the working class make their permanent home in Times Beach?
Although the initial plan called for a vacation town, it wasn't long before a small community of predominately working-class families made their permanent home in Times Beach, partially due to the Great Depression rendering second homes impractical.
When was Times Beach founded?
Times Beach was founded, oddly enough, as a newspaper promotion. In 1925, folks who paid $67.50 for a six-month subscription to the old St. Louis Times received a tract in Times Beach. The lots were small, and you needed at least two to build a house.
What is Times Beach like?
As Leistner describes it, Times Beach was idyllic. The sense of community, of belonging, made up for any financial lacking. “It was like everybody was related to everybody,” Leistner says. “If you were born and raised there, you grew up there, but then you moved there.”
What was the dioxin level in Times Beach?
At the time, the EPA considered anything above 1 part per billion hazardous. In Times Beach, the dioxin level was more than 100 parts per billion. Those who returned were instructed to leave, and anyone who hadn’t was told to stay away. A guard and a caution sign were posted at the entrance to town, a bridge that came across from the high side of the river, to keep people out.
Why did Judy Piatt spray oil on her horse arena?
In 1971, Judy Piatt hired Bliss to spray waste oil on her horse arena, near Moscow Mills, to alleviate dust. Nobody knew it then, of course, but that oil contained massive levels of dioxin, far more than the oil sprayed at Times Beach. Within a couple of days, cats, dogs, and birds in the vicinity began to drop dead.
When did Leistner move to Times Beach?
Leistner grew up in Valley Park and moved to Times Beach in December 1956, at age 18.
Who was responsible for the dioxin that Bliss dumped in Times Beach?
For one, Houk made his oft-quoted statement in the early ’90s at a convention sponsored by Syntex, the company responsible for the dioxin that Bliss dumped in Times Beach. And despite McClellan’s best efforts to engender compassion for him, Bliss remains an unsympathetic character to those affected by his actions.
Is Times Beach a year before the EPA will test?
Times Beach officials called the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but it said it might be a year before it would be able to test. “We didn’t like that, because people were building new homes. Businesses were locating there,” Leistner says. “We decided that we would do it ourselves, so we started taking up a collection to pay to have our streets tested.” When the EPA got wind of that, it decided to test immediately, too.
When was Times Beach founded?
Times Beach was founded in 1925 as a summer resort. Named after the St. Louis Star-Times, lots were sold for $67.50 and included a 6-month subscription to the newspaper. For a short time, it became the premier vacation destination for wealthy people traveling from St. Louis.
How much did it cost to remove the Times Beach?
From 1996 to 1997 the government removed 265,000 tons of contaminated soil and debris from Times Beach and 28 other sites in eastern Missouri at a cost of $110 million dollars. With the assurance of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Missouri took back the land and created the Route 66 State Park.
When did Missouri State Penitentiary close?
The prison opened in 1836, and several terrifying executions have occurred here. The prison closed in 2004, but you can now explore the old building through a guided tour. If these walls could talk, they would have so many scary stories to tell.
Where did Bliss get his waste oil from?
It turns out that one of the contractors that Bliss received his waste oil from was Northeastern Pharmaceutical and Chemical Company. During the Vietnam War, the facility produced Agent Orange.
Why was Times Beach evacuated?
As with most things that begin with human error as the cause of an accident, the town of Times Beach did not escape unscathed from the error that caused it to be evacuated. The contamination cause was due to a leak of dioxin, which prompted a town-wide evacuation during 1983. The news of the accident and, by extension, the evacuation, was so widespread that eventually, it made it into newspapers around the world. Interestingly enough, the cause of the contamination was nowhere near the town and was, in fact, 230 miles away in Verona, Missouri. The company from which the toxin came from was the Northeastern Pharmaceutical and Chemical Company, Inc., also known as NEPACCO, which manufactured an antibacterial ingredient commonly used in household cleaners, known as hexachlorophene.
Why did the CDC investigate the Times Beach contamination?
The investigation was opened in 1974 but it wasn't until 1979 that the actual contamination - which had leached through the soil - was traced to Times Beach, and it was discovered in 1982 that the levels of dioxin in the soil had not decreased, leading to the evacuation of the contaminated town.
How much dioxin did Bliss use to make his own crankcase oil?
This is where the trouble began, as Bliss used all 18,500 gallons of dioxin to mix into his own crankcase oils before using the compounds on other jobs. The mixture was then used on the floor of his own horse arena and due to its tremendous capability to keep dust levels down, he began advertising this as one of his services. In Moscow Mills, the Shenendoah Stable caught wind of these services and hired Bliss to come and spray down their arena, which led to tragic consequences. The stable lost 12 of their horses and a second stable, Bubbling Springs Ranch, also faced the same tragedy after Bliss had sprayed down their stables.
Why was Times Beach evacuated?
Once home to more than 2,000 people, the town was completely evacuated 1983 due to dioxin contamination. Times Beach was founded in 1925 as a summer resort just prior to Route 66’s designation as a federal highway.
Why did Times Beach grow?
The population of Times Beach grew during the 1940s when road improvements made commuting more practical and there was a serious housing shortage in St. Louis. Following World War II, all hopes for a summer resort were dashed due to gas rationing and the town developed into a lower-middle-class city.
Why was the Meramec River Bridge closed?
The 1932 Meramec River Bridge closed in 2009 due to safety reasons. Funds are being raised to save the bridge today. By Kathy Weiser-Alexander, 2019. © Kathy Weiser / Legends of America, updated October 2019. A postcard from the 1950s shows Steiny’s Inn in its heydays of Route 66.
What was the problem with the Meramec River Bridge?
To solve the dilemma, the city hired waste hauler Russell Bliss to oil the roads in the town.
How much did it cost to clean up Times Beach?
During the years of 1996 and 1997, the government removed 265,000 tons of contaminated soil and debris from Times Beach and 28 other sites in eastern Missouri at a cost of $110 million dollars. An incinerator was built on the Times Beach site by a company called Syntex, which was the parent company of NEPACCO. After the soil was incinerated, the incinerator was dismantled and the site was turned over to the State of Missouri.
When did bliss spray oil?
For four years between 1972 and 1976, Bliss sprayed waste oil on the roads. Bliss had first used the technique of spraying waste oil to control dust in horse stables. When, in 1971, spraying resulted in the death of 62 horses, the stable owner automatically suspected Bliss of contaminating the stables.
Who took over the Bridgehead Inn?
In 1947, Edward Steinberg took over the Bridgehead Inn, cleaned it up, and ran Steiny’s Inn here until 1972. Route 66 and the Meramec River Bridge enhanced the area’s growth and in 1956, an auxiliary bridge was built for eastbound Route 66 traffic to the south of the 1931 bridge.
When was Times Beach founded?
Times Beach was founded in 1925 as a part of a newspaper promotion: A 6-month subscription to The St. Louis Times plus an extra $67.50 bought a 20-by-100–foot lot along an unsettled stretch of the Meremec River.
Where is Times Beach?
It was located just off Route 66, a two-lane highway that ran from Chicago to Los Angeles and was once was one of the major routes across the American Southwest. Unfortunately, Times Beach never had the money to pave its roads, and all the dust kicked up by cars and trucks was a real nuisance.
How did Bliss get his oil?
Bliss got the oil for free the year before, when a chemical manufacturer that had made most of its money selling napalm to the military paid him to get rid of its waste materials. He mixed six truckloads of that waste–which turned out to be hexachlorophene tainted with dioxin, a dangerous chemical that, once absorbed, can remain in the human body for more than 10 years–with a tankful of used motor oil. Next, he sprayed this carcinogenic cocktail all over town.
How long was the Pueblo in prison?
The crew and captain of the U.S. intelligence gathering ship Pueblo are released after 11 months imprisonment by the government of North Korea. The ship, and its 83-man crew, was seized by North Korean warships on January 23 and charged with intruding into North Korean waters. ...read more
Why was Chuck Berry arrested?
Louis, Missouri, on charges relating to his transportation of a 14-year-old girl across state lines for allegedly “immoral purposes.” “Never saw a man so changed,” is how the great Carl Perkins described the experience of ...read more
Where did the Mayflower dock?
On September 16, the Mayflower departed Plymouth, England, bound for the New World with 102 passengers. The ship was ...read more
When did the EPA evacuate Times Beach?
In 1979, the EPA came to town and took soil samples, and in 1982 the agency announced that the levels of dioxin–“the most potent cancer-causing agent made by man,” the newspaper said–in Times Beach were off the charts. The agency evacuated the town just after Christmas.
When was Times Beach poisoned?
According to the town’s last mayor Marilyn Leistner, Times Beach wasn’t told about its potential poisoning until November 1982, when a reporter called and informed the city clerk that Bliss might have doused the place with toxic dioxin.
How many people were forced to leave Times Beach?
Over 800 families were forced to leave their lives and belongings behind at Times Beach. People’s lives were ruined. Many were homeless. Residents got sick and the sick got sicker. Children learned from news media that animals fed Times Beach soil – the very soil they had been playing on for years – was killing the animals. Kids at their new schools refused to play with the Times Beach children and treated them like diseased outcasts, and so did their new neighbors. Mayor Leistner notedthat as health problems increased among Times Beach families, so did physical and alcohol abuse. Leistner by the way only became mayor after one mayor suddenly resigned and moved away following the discovery of PCBs in town, and his replacement had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized.
How many horses died in the Jefferson County Dioxin Hearing?
Judy and her kids got headaches, nosebleeds, abdominal pain and diarrhea. After just a few months, over 60 horses died. When Judy called him on it, Bliss claimed he had sprayed nothing but old motor oil. Bliss testifying at a Jefferson County dioxin hearing, January 1983.
What happened to the horses that sprayed oil?
In the weeks that followed, birds began dropping dead, dogs and cats were falling ill, and horses who came near the place were getting sores and losing their hair. Judy and her kids got headaches, nosebleeds, abdominal pain and diarrhea. After just a few months, over 60 horses died. When Judy called him on it, Bliss claimed he had sprayed nothing but old motor oil.
When did the EPA get involved with Times Beach?
That’s when the EPA finally got involved. By mid -1982, the agency was making rounds on the farms and reportedly visited Times Beach as well, but still no one informed the town itself what had happened. That fall, the Environmental Defense Fund leaked an internal EPA document detailing that the agency had previously known of 14 confirmed and 41 possibly contaminated sites in Missouri, with Times Beach at the top of the list.
Who was the EPA attorney who was involved in the Times Beach cleanup?
Riverfront Times also discovered that in 1982, the DOJ – then acting on behalf of the EPA and the White House – withheld documents on the Times Beach cleanup including handwritten notes of EPA attorney James Kohanek pertaining to the Missouri dioxin sites and their proposed cleanup. They cited executive privilegeand refused to turn the information over to Congress for reasons that remain secret to this day.
When was Route 66 incinerated?
More than 265,000 tons of tainted soils were incinerated at the site beginning in 1996, and by 1997 all was declared well and the state opened up a Route 66-themed park on the former site with a ribbon cutting ceremony on September 11, 1999.
How Times Beach Came to Be
Waste Oil to Pave Roads
Times Beach was founded in 1925 on the flood plain of the Meramec River, southwest of the river, in a promotion by the now-defunct St. Louis Star-Times newspaper. A purchase of a 20 × 100 ft (6 by 30 m) lot for $67.50 included a six-month newspaper subscription.
In its early years, the town was primarily a summer resort, but the Great Depression combined with gasoline rationing during World War II reduced the feasibility of summer homes. The town becam…
Evacuation
Formation of The Route 66 State Park