Times Beach

Overview

Times Beach is a one-square-mile former city in St. Louis County, Missouri. Roads there were sprayed with dioxin-contaminated waste oil in the early 1970s to control dust. After a 1982 investigation confirmed the contamination, residents evacuated due to flooding. The EPA allocated $30 million to relocate all residents and businesses. The site was added to the Superfund National Priorities List in September 1983.

The main contaminants of concern are 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, known as TCDD, found in soil, and organic compounds found in debris. Health risks came from ingesting or touching contaminated soil. Cleanup actions included excavating contaminated soils and sediments, thermally treating them in an on-site incinerator, demolishing structures, and constructing spur levees to control erosion during floods. The incinerator treated more than 265,000 tons of dioxin-contaminated materials from 27 sites across eastern Missouri. Permanent relocation of residents ran from March 1983 through September 1994. Final destruction work wrapped up by September 1997.

Cleanup at Times Beach was organized into four operable units covering site evaluation, interim central storage, final destruction, and permanent relocation. The interim central storage facility operated from September 1984 through January 1989. Final destruction remedial action ran from September 1991 through September 1998. After excavation and incineration finished, the EPA restored the land with clean soil and vegetation.

The site was deleted from the National Priorities List in 2001, and sources note the deletion occurred in both June and September 2001. The EPA confirmed that human exposure is under control, construction is complete, and all cleanup goals for current and anticipated future land uses have been met. A 2012 EPA reassessment found that use of the park does not pose significant health risks to visitors or park workers. After cleanup, the state of Missouri took ownership of the land. The site reopened in 1999 as Route 66 State Park, which offers more than seven miles of trails, picnic areas, and boat access to the Meramec River.

Community members with questions can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinators or Remedial Project Manager assigned to the site.