S10 Ep140: The Ghost Town (Times Beach, Missouri)
Summary
This episode details the 1970s dioxin contamination in Missouri, beginning with Judy Piot’s discovery that Bliss Waste Oil Company sprayed toxic chemical waste on her horse stable, killing animals and harming her family. The narrative then shifts to Times Beach, where residents faced a dual crisis of catastrophic flooding and hidden dioxin poisoning from the same oil company. Despite government delays and denial, the town was eventually evacuated, becoming a symbol of environmental negligence and corporate irresponsibility.
Topics discussed
Introduction: Judy Piot's farm animals fall ill and die
Shenandoah Stables becomes a house of horrors
Discovery of waste oil and dioxin contamination
History of dioxin production and government cover-up
The history of Times Beach and its dust control methods
1982 flood and initial dioxin testing in Times Beach
Panic, evacuation, and community division
Russell Bliss's testimony and legal troubles
Federal buyout announcement and relocation
Stigma faced by displaced residents
Judy Piot's second exposure and town disincorporation
Cleanup, incineration, and final controversies
Outro and listener support information
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