PART TWO: The Times Beach Environmental Disaster - Times Beach, Missouri 1970's

PART TWO: This episode follows the fallout at Times Beach after officials confirmed severe dioxin contamination. Flooding spread contaminated soil through the town, and residents were told they could not safely return home. The federal government eventually bought out the community, relocating most families and dismantling the town.The episode covers the painful aftermath for homeowners, the final mayor who stayed through the town’s closure, and the years-long cleanup effort that demolished buildings and incinerated contaminated soil. It also returns to the people and companies tied to the original contamination, highlighting how little accountability many residents felt there was. It closes on Times Beach’s larger legacy: the disaster helped shape America’s response to hazardous-waste sites through Superfund, while leaving behind a lasting story of shortcuts, government delay, and an entire community forced to disappear.

Government Profiles & Technical Data

• EPA Times Beach Superfund Site Profile: This live federal database hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contains technical cleanup reports, legal consent decrees, engineering milestones, and the formal Record of Decision regarding the transportable soil incinerator.
• EPA Feature: A Town, a Flood, and Superfund: A comprehensive historical retrospective compiled by the EPA Region 7 Office, featuring a detailed timeline of events from the 1960s production of Agent Orange in Verona up to the modern deletion of Times Beach from the National Priorities List.

Historical & Community Archives

• Route 66 State Park Visitor Center: Located in Eureka, Missouri, the park’s visitor center is housed in the historic Bridgehead Inn, the only physical building from the town of Times Beach left standing. It functions as a mini-museum containing historical photographs, newspapers, and physical memorabilia from the town's resort era up to its disincorporation.