U.S. spent $33.1 million to relocate Times Beach after dioxin-tainted oil use
In the 1970s Times Beach, Missouri, was dusted with oil that later proved to contain toxic dioxin, leading federal agencies to fund a permanent relocation of its 2,000 residents for $33.1 million.
During the early 1970s, the Missouri town of Times Beach spread waste oil on its dirt roads as a dust suppressant, a practice that later revealed the presence of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a dangerous dioxin variant. Early signs of toxicity emerged when livestock and a child fell ill, prompting health officials to investigate. In late 1982, a major Meramec River flood forced residents to evacuate, and federal agencies warned that the contaminated oil could be further dispersed by floodwaters.
On February 22 1983, the EPA, FEMA and the state announced a $33.1 million Superfund allocation to permanently relocate the town’s roughly 2,000 inhabitants, purchasing about 800 homes and 30 commercial properties. Subsequent cleanup included a temporary incinerator that operated from 1996 to 1997, processing 265,354 tons of dioxin-laden material, of which 37,234 tons originated from Times Beach. After demolition and remediation, the site was converted into Route 66 State Park and removed from the National Priorities List in 2001, marking the end of one of America’s most notable environmental crises.
Why it matters
It shows how hazardous waste mismanagement can force whole communities to relocate and cost billions to remediate.
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