Nothing Was the Same
It was as if Times Beach was not Times Beach anymore. The town fell dead. One of the most essential parts of the town was not there to fill it with life and make it new again, the people. Families had to vacate the area after the CDC informed Times Beach that no one could live there. The health of the inhabitants of Times Beach rapidly began to fall poorly. Local officials claimed that virtually every household in Times Beach experienced health disorders as a result of the dioxin contamination ranging from nosebleeds, depression, and chloracne (a severe skin disfigurement) to gene mutations, cancer, and heart disease. In addition, almost all of the residents tested for dioxin contamination by the CDC showed abnormalities in their blood, liver, and kidney functions (Schlager).
Other Incidents that Occurred from Dioxin
Agent Orange:
Agent Orange was a substance used to kill plants during the Vietnam War that consisted of two herbicides, 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D; the 2,4,5-T used to create the agent orange was contaminated with TCDD. The goal of Agent Orange was to oust guerrilla rebels in South Vietnam from their hiding spots in the highlands and densely forested areas of land (Hixson). In 1991, Congress passed a bill providing disabilities to Vietnam veterans suffering from certain illnesses from dioxin exposure. In 1993, the Institute of Medicine
reasoned that the exposure to dioxin led to several types of illnesses and skin conditions (Waite). Along with this came severe mutations that occurred in newborn babies of the time period and the increased risk of people having cancer.
Dioxin Contamination in Italy:
It was just another normal day of work at a chemical plant in Seveso that quickly changed for the worst. A work malfunction caused an unexpected chemical reaction releasing a high dose of dioxin and led to the contamination of whole the town. Two weeks after the incident, the Seveso regional authorities notified the public about the contamination and resulted in an emergency evacuation. The first signs of the effects of the toxin were seen in the people of Seveso who had nausea, dizziness, headaches, and burn-like sores on their skin. Following this, the domestic and wild animals of the town also started to become sick and some even died (Schlager).
Efforts Made Worldwide to Fix the Problem:
One of the biggest benefits from the chemical spill in Times Beach brought awareness to the harms of dioxin and many other chemicals that are in our everyday world. In 1980, the US took action and created a law called the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act to aid the aftermaths of the badly contaminated and uncontrolled toxic wastes sites found throughout the nation. Even US president Ronald Reagan responded to the Times Beach situation by creating a dioxin task force in 1982. Also, “In 1985...the EPA finally
thwidely used herbicides Silvex and 2,4,5-T. That same year, the agency set a water quality standard for dioxin, allowing no more than thirteen parts per quintillion,” (Schlager). Recently, the EPA has been taking a great amount of action to protect the public from the dangers of dioxin. It has supported Superfund sites that have been destroyed by large amounts of exposure to dangerous chemical and industrial wastes . Congress created the Superfund Program to clean up such uncontrolled, hazardous waste sites in our nation. Specifically, the EPA pledged $33 million from Superfund to purchase the Times Beach property under a relocation plan to be developed and implemented by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (NPL). Even in Vietnam, the European Union instituted safety regulations called “the Seveso II Directive” which oversee hazards concerning large-scale accidents of dangerous, threatening substances (Schlager). From minor to major resolutions to the problem, everything being done is making a difference and moving us one step closer to eventually solving this problem.
So...What Now?
So much effort has been put into solving this issue and luckily, it has improved our exposure to dioxin significantly. Yet, we are still exposed to dioxin at a considerably greater amount than what is ideally healthy for us. For years, manufacturers have been adding the germ fighting supplement called triclosan to soaps and hand washes, and virtually all soaps contain triclosan. But, once it is washed down the drain and into the environment, triclosan can generate dioxin. As we use soaps, the triclosan in the soap and slightly chlorinated tap water combine to produce a super-chlorinated triclosan compound which is found specifically in our waterways; researchers have found that when exposed to sunlight, the super-chlorinated triclosan transforms into a series of dioxins which we are finding to be stable in our environment. Although researchers have limited knowledge of the risks of super-chlorinated dioxin, we can not take the risk of being passive on the issue as we have done in past events (Raloff). It is now known what we need to do which is be in control of the issue by being proactive and doing something now before it gets out of hand later. Now that you see the issue at your very eyes, what do you want to do about it?
Chart showing US daily exposure to dioxin(EPA)
“A low-flying U.S. plane dusts the Vietnamese countryside with herbicides in Operation Ranch Hand”(Gale).
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