On this day, December 3, 1982, a soil sample from Times Beach, Missouri, was found to contain dioxin levels 300 times higher than the safe limit. This alarming discovery came after years of toxic waste contamination, which eventually led to the town’s evacuation and permanent closure.
The dioxin, a highly toxic chemical, had been spread throughout the town in the early 1970s when waste oil laced with the substance was used to suppress dust on roads. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared the area uninhabitable, and Times Beach became a symbol of environmental disaster and the dangers of industrial negligence.
Do you remember hearing about the Times Beach disaster?