Poisoning the James River With Kepone
![kepone concentrations in fish dropped over time](graphics/keponefish.png)
kepone concentrations in fish dropped over time
Source: Virginia Department of Energy, Kepone in the James River Estuary: Past, Current and Future Trends (Figure 2)
Allied Chemical and then Life Science Products Company manufactured chlordecone, a pesticde with the brand name of Kepone, at a small plant in Hopewell between 1966-1975. The process created so much dust that workers refered to it as the "flour factory." When workers developed obvious health symptoms, the risks of exposure to the product was revealed.
Kepone was released into the James River primarily through the Hopewell wastewater treatment system. Some flowed via stormwater, and kepone waste was deposited in a local marsh as well.1
Public awareness of the kepone disaster facilitated action by the US Congress. It passed the Toxic Substances Control Act in 1976.1
Links
- Encyclopedia Virginia
- International Journal of Social Determinants of Health and Health Services
- Virginia Humanities
- < href="https://virginiahumanities.org/2016/12/the-legacy-of-kepone/">The Legacy of Kepone
- Virgina Museum of History and Culture
- Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
- Viginia Environmental Endowment
References
1. Robert J. Huggett, "Kepone and the James River," Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) Books and Book Chapters 102, 1989, p.418-420, https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsbooks/102; "Kepone: The 'Flour' Factory," Richmond Magazine, July 8, 2005, https://richmondmagazine.com/news/kepone-disaster-pesticide/ (last checked July 13, 2024)
2. "Summary of the Toxic Substances Control Act," Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-toxic-substances-control-act (last checked July 13, 2024)
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