PBB Disaster of the 1970's Poison's all of Michigan

     In the early 1970's Michigan dairy farmers woke up and headed out on their farms to tend to their herds of cattle.  Many of these farmers lived on generational farms, successfully taking over the business from their father and one day proudly passing the farm business down to their sons.  The farmers looks over in the field, the sun starting to show it's majestic glow over the horizon, and watch the cows graze.  A smile crosses the farmers face as they realizes they are helping to feed Michigan.  They love their job and they do it well.  Little did they know that one of the biggest cattle feed plants in Michigan is about to poison the entire state of Michigan making it the largest chemical contamination in U.S. history known as "Cattlegate." 

     Even in the 1970's scientists were trying to find out ways to make animals fatter and cows to produce more milk.  As the population of the U.S. grew there were more and more demands to have more foods available at the supermarket.  To help keep costs low the farmer had to find new ways to get more out of their animals.  St. Louis Chemical Plant in St. Louis, Michigan was dabbling with Magnesuim Oxide in the cattle feed to help produce more milk called "NutriMaster".  They also made other chemicals, such as PolyBrominated Biphenyl (PBB) for other uses that was sold under the name of "FireMaster" which was a flame retardant.   Confusion set in as to what happened next.  I read discussions where "FireMaster" ran out of bags so they were using the "NutiMaster" bags or the bags looks similar to each other and were accidently crossed mixed.  Another story I read drew attention to the mix-up of the bags and a superior told him that it was a new name to the Magnesium Oxide and to mix it with the feed anyway.  These bags were then packaged up and sent to feed mills all over Michigan for farmers to buy for the cows.  Feed for other animals, such as pigs and chickens, were also processed in the same machinery as the cattle feed and traces of PBB were added into the feed because the machines were not properly cleaned out between the different types of feed. 

     In the Autumn of 1973 farmers were noticing odd things happening.  Milk production was dropping rapidly among their cows.  Their bovines were miscarrying or delivering still-born calves.  Some calves, that were born, had deformities.  Chicks were being hatched with their legs twisted and the talons deformed where they couldn't stand up.  The farmers were clueless why this was happening over and over.  Some farmers had agents of the Department of Agriculture come out to the farm to investigate.  The agent would brush the farmers off telling them it was because of "bad husbandry" (Ren Chemista).  These were farmers who have been raising animals all of their lives and watching their fathers raise animals.  The farmers knew what they were doing in raising animals yet that still did not explain what was suddenly happening.  Farmers started to feel ashamed thinking it WAS their doing and they didn't want to talk about it to neighbor farmers.  They didn't want to appear as a failure. 

     The Farm Bureau started to get involved as more and more farmers were starting to ask more and more questions.  Feed samples were sent to the State of Michigan for questioning.  They came back fine with no abnormal results.  Someone was able to send some feed outside of the State of Michigan for testing and it came back with high amounts of PBB.  By now it was mid April 1974.  The State of Michigan realized there was a problem and they quickly realized the monstrosity of it all.  They didn't know how to properly handle the situation as nothing like this had happened before in the United States. 

     The Michigan PBB contamination is a historical event of seemingly miniscule proportions with broad, far reaching, consequences over a 40+ year time span.  The PBB has been an ongoing event that has been involved with medical testing and environmental issues since the 1970's.  It is important because not only did the PBB effect the farmers, it also effected 90% of Michiganians through a series of tiers, the first tier being the farmer and the employees with the initial contact with the contaminated feed.  The second tier being the consumers who consumed the animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs.  The third tier would be the offspring of those who were originally contaminated within the first and second tier by utero or breastfeeding, both in animal as well as humans. 

     For over a year diary, beef, chicken and pork products all tainted with PBB have been sold off the supermarket shelves across the state.  The government didn't want to let people know how bad it was so they tried to keep things quiet.  I read one article where a vet in Big Rapids was threatened by the government if he went public about the ordeal.  The government realized that people have been infected with the bad meat and there wasn't much they could do about it at that point.  Products were quietly pulled off store shelves leaving many wondering what was going on.  Think about it.  You had milk, butter, cheese, eggs, chicken, pork and beef products pulled off the shelves.  Farmers who were using manure to fertilizer their crops now had traces of PBB on the vegetables.  It was literally everywhere.  Food from outside states were quickly shipped in while Michigan grown food was destroyed.  The PBB laced manure eventually soaked into the water supply poisoning some of the farmers wells. 

Alvin and Hilda Green's Farm in Chase, Mi.
Image found on web.

     Farms had to close its doors.  Farms that have been in the family for decades had to shut down.  This was a financial disaster for farmers all over Michigan. An environmental epidemiologist, Lorraine Cameron said, "The Michigan dairy industry nearly went under" (Erb).   Livestock were herded up in deep pits and shot.  Nothing could be saved from any animal.  It all had to be put down and destroyed.  Sounds of gun shots filled the air as neighbors would come out and help the farmer put down his herd.  Some farmers couldn't pull the trigger.  It wasn't just shooting an animal.  They were shooting down the lifestyle they knew and loved.  They were shooting down the money they would earn.  In all,  approximately 30,000 cattle, 4,500 swine, 1,500 sheep, and 1.5 million chickens were destroyed, along with over 800 tons of animal feed, 18,000 pounds of cheese, 2,500 pounds of butter, 5 million eggs, and 34,000 pounds of dried  milk products were destroyed ." (MichiganDepartmentofPublicHealth http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch_PBB_FAQ_92051_7.pdf ) 
More than 500 farms had to be quarantined across Michigan.  The effect had already taken its toll.  Hundreds of thousands of Michiganians had already absorbed some trace of PBB into their system by eating the poisoned foods.  Even after 40 years later people still have traces of PPB in their system and are experiencing health issues.  Even the soil and water is showing traces of PBB in it.  In 1998 the chemicals were still being found in the soils and water and in the fish.

Used from the Detroit Free Press Sept. 23, 2012

       The State of Michigan has 3 main dump sites on state land.  One in Kalkaska, the other in Mio over by Pennsylvania Crossing near Mt. Tom road and a municipal dump site near St. Louis.  Several years ago water testing was done near the Kalkaska dump site and it turned up positive for PBB.  How high of level's?  I am not sure.  A lot of this is still being kept quiet.  Clean up from the St. Louis, Michigan Superfund sites are still being worked on as chemicals are leaching out into the Pine River.  Michigan Department of Public Health did not know exactly how to deal with this issue as very little was known about PBB and it's effect on humans and the environment.  They did a study of 300 people divided up into those who were exposed to PBB and those who were not exposed.  Those who were exposed to PBB had a variety of health issues but the federal agency did not publicize the information.  In fact, this study remained unknown until a formal investigation in 1977 (Reich 306).

Taking a load of cows to the dump site
Pic found on the web.

     The state issued a 25 acre parcel in Kalkaska to bury the PBB poisoned animals.  The geology of the terrain seemed suitable for the purpose as well as the high elevation above sea level so it would have the least minimal effect for water contamination.  Wells were put into place for periodic water testing.  Current data could not be found on whether or not contaminations are leaking out of the pits.  On July 5, 1974 Michigan Department of Agriculture receives a restraining order from the Kalkaska County Commission not to bury animals there.  Then on August 21, 1974 the Michigan Court of Appeals overturns circuit court decision and burial resumes 6 days and continuing until 1977.  there were 2 pits for burial, one hat buried 11,000 animals, and the other pit buried 20,000 animal
carcasses.  The animals were brought to the pits alive and then put down under a vet's watch.  The animals were then cut down the center of the body to help relieve the pressure of the gas the carcasses creates. 

     Mio, Michigan, was selected as a burial site in 1977 under a court order as the other pits have filled over capacity.  The animals that were buried there had only a small amount of PBB detection.  A few years later, due to PBB Action Committee to get ride of the burial site, they had 1500 animals moved to a burial ground to radioactive wastes in Death Valley, Nevada. 

Cranes working at the superfund site.
taken by Jill Moyer
October 2014

      The community of St. Louis gathered together in 1997 after the Superfund  remediation had failed and created the Pine River Superfund Citizens Task Force so they can hire their own experts to secure second opinions on different issues.  As recent as 2012 the Environmental Protection Agency started a residential clean up of the soil.  Contaminated soil is being removed and taken to an approved landfill.  Concerned citizens are wondering if this is going to do more harm than good because it will put the poisons back in the air as the soil is moved about.  The citizens are skeptical because there had already been several attempts to deal with this contamination and none seem to have worked or the funds ran out to care for it properly.  There was a granite tombstone marker from what would


Granite tombstone used to mark the entrance
of the Velsicol Plant.
Taken by Jill Moyer
early Spring of 2012

have been the gates of Velsicol warning about contamination site that was been removed in October 2013.  The City Manager, Bob McConkie told The Morning Sun, "It's putting to rest the stigma of death and starting a new era for the city.  It's the beginning for a new day for the health and welfare of both residents and the environment. " 

       Over 9 million Michigander's consumed meat and milk for a year after the mistake of PBB was found in the animal feed.  It is estimated that everyone in the state had some levels of PBB in their system.  PBB is found in fat cells.  In time the level exposure drops but it still effects the human body.  Studies found that children had more health problems than their parents mainly due to breastfeeding.  There is a lot of fat in breast milk and that was transferred to as babies.  Michele Marcus, Professor at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University said, "PBB is 100 times more concentrated in breast milk than in blood."  My mother was told by doctors when she had me not to breastfeed because of PBB crisis.

     Adults and children have come down with a variety of illnesses:   Thyroid Disease, elevated liver enzymes, Adrenal Hyperplasia, Colitis, Crohn's Disease, Pancreatic Cancer, Breast Cancer, Testicular Cancer, rare throat disorders where sometimes the esophagus is removed, miscarriages, bowel problems, multiple digestive troubles, hair loss, skin rashes, and memory loss. Some children of farmers had died in their early and mid 20's due to some form of cancer from the PBB.  Studies are still being done to see if they truly are linked to the PBB poisoning.  Even daughters from the next generation that were exposed to mid to high levels of PBB have been known to have more miscarrages than those whose parents had a lower dose of PBBs in their system.  Studies are being done to see if there is a connection between certain cancers, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease.  PBB is stored in adipose tissue and has endocrine modifying properties.  it has been known to mimic estrogen, block androgens, and interfere with thyroid function. 

     Michigan Department of Community Health created a study of more than 4,000 people who were in contact with the PBBs back in the 1970's calling the group "The Michigan PBB Registry."  this study includes children and grandchildren as well as the primary people.  the PB's leave the body at a slow rate "about 15 years for half of the PBB in the body to be eliminated" (The Michigan PBB Registry).  Blood work has been done in March 2014 in area's around Michigan and will be sent to Emory University in Atlanta, Ga., for studying to  check the levels of PBB in the blood.  Those results will not be ready for some time.  Citizens of St. Louis and employees of Velsicol were dropped from further studies in 1990 partly because the people were exposed to a variety of chemicals and it is difficult to fin a person that was having health effects solely to PBBs.  However, they were recently reinstated in the study due to grants available t the Michigan PBB Registry.

     Michigan health officials viewed the PBB as an agricultural issue and not a health issue which led to confusion as to whether to do studies on humans or not.  No one, at the time, knew the exact effects of PBBs on a human body to compare it with other sources such as heredity issues or other factors.  Those who were exposed to PBB had a variety of heath issues but the federal agency did not publicize the information.  In fact, it remained unknown until there was an investigation in 1977 (Reich 306).  Again, heath officials did not deem it necessary to share the findings as the findings were not an agriculture issue.




St. Louis Chemical Plant on the Pine River.

     In 1979 the U.S. stopped manufacturing PBB.  St. Louis Chemical Plant sold out to Velsical Chemical Corp.  Illegally, Velsicol buried 269,000 pounds of PBB laced feed in a 40 acre landfill (Gittleman).  The EPA made a deal with Velsicol to try to resolve the issue in the early 1980's.  Velsicol had to pay $38 million and they would no longer be responsible for further action to the contamination. The Velsicol chemical plant had been torn down and a thick clay cap placed over the top to contain the poisons.  The clay cap around the banks of the river had been leaking the poisons out into the Pine River.   For some time swimming and fishing had been banned for the Pine River.  In 1982 this was named one of the six largest Superfund sites and now 2010, St. Louis,  used to be home of the best tasting spring water, is ranked #18 as one of the most polluted sites because of the PBB contamination.  In November of 2010, Michigan has 67 Superfund sites on the National Priorities List.  A new water treatment system was installed in 2012 but the water is still being monitored and tested for poisonous chemicals. 

     Organization have formed to create awareness to other dangers of PBB and the hardships on the environment.  Working alongside Alma College, the Pine River group helped sponsor the Eugene Kenaga International DDT Conference in 2008 to bring awareness of the hazards of using chemicals and the dangers it does to the environment (10 Lorenz).  A law was passed in 2003 in Europe banning the chemical and China and South Korea banned PBB in 2007. 

    

    
Joyce Egginton from New York heard about what was happening in Michigan and came out to find out more information.  She wrote the book, Poisoning of Michigan that talks about the PBB crisis in Michigan.  She stated, "It was over a year before the state acknowledged that the problem existed.  And even then it didn't know how to handle it."  She went on saying she is not blaming the State of Michigan as this was a new issue and the State of Michigan did not know how to handle it properly.  Nothing like this in history has happened before.  Chemicals during the 60's and 70's were pumped into the soil to help rid the field of weeds, kill insects on plants, and to give a boost to crops to make them grow faster.  Even the animals were being fed additives to produce a meatier animal.  No one thought of the side effects of using the chemicals and the effects they would have on the environment.

     Michigan Department of Community Health has lost the resources to continue the PBB study.  Emory University, as mentioned above, currently resumed the research of the effects of PBBs by the funds of Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the US EPA (The Michigan PBB Registry).  Citizens of Michigan question as to why the study has to be done in another state where they do not come to St. Louis themselves to see what it is like.  They depend on others to relay the information to them.  People believe this is a Michigan issue and Michigan should find the funds to research what is happening to the state in regards with the poisoning.  Other people are thankful that there still is a group who is taking an interest in the matter and trying to find out how the PBB are effecting people today.

     A special senate committee for investigation was set up by the state government in January 1975.  Back in the late 1970's controversies over illness, safety, and disposal made PBB a major political issue in Michigan.  No one knew which agency to go to as they all had some part in it such as the Environmental Agency, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, as well as Department of Natural Resources for placement of carcasses.  None of the agencies wanted to take responsibility for how to handle a situation like this and it was only harming the citizens who were left with their hands tied for what to do. 

     John Lorenz, author of article, Civic Engagement as an Antidote to Corporate Greed, believes victims of environment pollutants expect their "political representatives to respond to their problems regardless of the odds"  (13 Lorenz).  The Michigan Department of Agriculture was supposed to protect the common consumer and the agricultural industry, but leaned more to protecting the industry. (309 Reich).  Farmers, in protest of not receiving restitution, became upset and brought the dead animals to the steps of the Capitol building in Lansing.  Finally, in 1982, 95th congress pass the bill HR9616 to give compensation to those who were directly affected by the contamination.  The 96th congress passed another bill HR5074 to better handle scientific evidence on toxic contamination. 

     Overall, Velsicol was primarily responsible for the PBB poisoning to Michigan residents.  However, Michigan dragged its feet in finding a root cause of the problem when the Department of Agriculture was approached by a private citizen.  The contamination site, which thought to be of no health concerns created major health issues.  Each agency thought the other agency was doing research and studies on the contamination and some agencies did not while others would not reveal its findings unless probed. 

      There was a television docudrama in 1981 titled, "Bitter Harvest" starring Ron Howard.  It is based on the 1973 Michigan PBB contamination incident.  http://www.imdb.com/video/amazon/vi96511001/



My daughter overlooking the Superfund site in St. Louis, Michigan.
Taken by Jill Moyer
Spring of 2012

Bibliography: 
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2010/05/19/americas-28-most-polluted-places.html
http://perdurabo10.tripod.com/mystory/id28.html
http://www.freep.com/article/20120923/NEWS06/309230153/Toxic-aftermath
http://greatlakesecho.org/2012/02/22/michigan-passes-pbb-health-study-on-to-emory-university/
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch_PBB_FAQ_92051_7.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polybrominated_biphenyl#Michigan_PBB_contamination_incident
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_Harvest_(1981_film)
http://pbbregistry.emory.edu/

Alcamo, Thomas.  “Velsicol Chemical Corp. (Michigan).”  Region 5 Superfund.  http://www.epa.gov/region5/superfund/npl/michigan/MID000722439.html  United States Environmental Protection Agency.  3 April, 2014.  Web.  29 March, 2014. 

Brush, Mark.  “$26.5 Million Goes to Central Michigan City Polluted by Chemical Company”  Michigan radio.  Michigan Public Media, The Regents of the University of Michigan. http://michiganradio.org/post/265-million-goes-central-michigan-city-polluted-chemical-company  1 April, 2011.  Web.  30 March, 2014.  

Buchsbaum, Andrew P., “To the Ends of the Earth:  The Spread of Industrial Poisons” The Harvard Crimson. The Harvard Crimsonm Inc. http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1978/3/8/to-the-ends-of-the-earth/  8 March, 1978. Web. 13 March, 2014

Chemistra, Ren.  “Poisoning Michigan:  Author revisits PBB crisis 30 years later” The Silent War Blog An exploration into understanding the complexities of the Chemical Age, the Synthetic Chemical Revolution, and the toxins that impact us all. Wordpress.com  http://www.freep.com/article/20120923/NEWS06/309230153/Toxic-aftermath  4 June, 2010.  Web.  13 March, 2014. 

Erb, Robin.  “Decades later, PBB Contamination Suspected in Illnesses and Death.”  Detroit Free Press.  http://www.freep.com/article/20120923/NEWS06/309230153/Toxic-aftermath  23 September, 2012.  Web.  March 29, 2014

Field, Susan.  “Velsicol Warning marker Removed”  The Morning Sun.  http://www.pinerivercag.org/node/26  16 October, 2013.  Web.  30 March, 2014.

Gittleman, Linda.  “New Video on PBB Contamination Ignores St. Louis Altogether”.  Morning Sun News.    http://www.themorningsun.com/article/MS/20130130/NEWS01/130139987  30 January, 2013.  Web.  29 March, 2014.

Lorenz, Edward C., “Civic Engagement as an Antidote to Corporate Greed”.  UTNE Reader  Ogden Publications http://www.utne.com/environment/civic-engagement-ze0z1210zgar.aspx?PageId=11#axzz2yDVHq9t3  October 2012.  Web.  29, March, 2014.

Michigan Department of Community Health. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch_PBB_FAQ_92051_7

Michigan PBB Registry.  “Department of Epidemiology Emory University”.  The Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center.   http://pbbregistry.emory.edu/Downloads/PBB_Clinicians_FactSheet_draft%201_12-5-11.pdf   2014.  Web.  29. March, 2014.

Reich, R.M.,  “Environmental Politics and Science: The Case of PBB Contamination in Michigan”  Am J Public Health. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1650578/?page=5  Vol. 73 Issue 3 p 302-313.  US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.  March. 1983.  Web.  29 March, 2014

Shah, P.B., “Environmental Considerations for the Disposal of PBB-Contaminated Animals and Wastes.”  Environmental Health Perspectives.  The National Institute of Environmental Heath Sciences.  Vol. 23. 27-35 April 1978 web.   29, March, 2014/

“Toxic Substances Portal – Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBBs) & Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs)  ATSDR Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/   ATSDR.  25 March, 2014 Web.  29 March, 2014.