Shenandoah Stables sits near Moscow Mills, Missouri in Lincoln County. In 1971, a waste oil hauler sprayed roughly 1,500 gallons of dioxin-contaminated oil on the site's horse arena to control dust. The spraying killed over 40 horses and made people ill. Contaminated soil was moved off-site and stored on the property before federal cleanup efforts began.
The main contaminant is 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, known as TCDD. It was found in soil at two areas, the interim storage area and the transportation area, and also in buildings within the interim storage area. TCDD is a chemical that EPA determined poses an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment based on the amount present and the ways people could be exposed.
EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1983. Cleanup was organized into separate operable units. Workers excavated and containerized 6,452 tons of dioxin-contaminated soil and building materials. That material was transported to Times Beach for incineration. Buildings were decontaminated, the site was backfilled with clean material, and the property was revegetated. Overall construction was completed in September 1997. EPA deleted the site from the NPL in September 2001.
Human exposure is under control. All cleanup goals for current and reasonably anticipated future land uses have been met, with no unacceptable risks remaining. The property now operates as a horse stable and private residence, the same use it had before contamination.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
