Times Beach, Missouri became the largest civilian environmental buyout in U.S. history. In 1983, the federal government ordered residents to leave after discovering dangerous dioxin contamination beneath their homes. This is the full story of how a quiet Route 66 town turned into a national environmental scandal. In this episode of Yore Town, we dive deep into the Times Beach disaster — from the origins of the contamination to the Superfund buyout, the demolition of the town, and the lasting impact on environmental regulation in America. What began as a dust control solution on unpaved roads became a defining moment in U.S. environmental history. The contamination involved 2,3,7,8-TCDD — one of the most toxic forms of dioxin ever studied — and ultimately led to the permanent disincorporation of the town in 1992. This is not just a story about chemicals. It’s a story about community, trust, government response, and the turning point that erased a town from the map. What You’ll Learn: The true history of Times Beach, Missouri How dioxin contamination happened Who Russell Bliss and NEPACCO were What the EPA discovered in 1982 Why the Meramec River flood changed everything How the Superfund program handled the crisis What happened to former residents Why Route 66 State Park now sits where a town once stood Chapters 00:00 The Contamination Revelation 02:41 The Origins of Times Beach 05:25 The Dust Control Solution 08:28 The Dioxin Discovery 11:11 The Federal Response 13:52 The Cleanup and Aftermath 16:53 The Legacy of Times Beach If you enjoy deep dives into forgotten American towns, environmental disasters, and the turning points that changed communities forever — subscribe to Yore Town for more Small Towns. Big Stories. New episodes every week. Episode Quotes "23 miles of dirt roads and dust control issues" "The initial estimate to buy out Times Beach was $33 million" "The town legally ceased to exist in 1992" Resources Route 66 State Park - https://mostateparks.com/park/route-66-state-park Superfund Law (CERCLA) - https://www.epa.gov/superfund/cercla Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - https://www.epa.gov Times Beach, Missouri - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Beach,_Missouri Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.