In the small town of St. Louis, Michigan, a simple marker tells the story of a terrible environmental disaster. In the 1970s, the Velsicol Chemical Company accidentally mixed the toxic fire retardant chemical polybrominated biphenyls, known as PBB, into livestock feed which was then distributed across Michigan, causing a statewide health crisis.
But for the people of St. Louis, the problem went deeper. The company had been dumping harmful chemicals including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, known as DDT, into the land and water for years. When the plant closed in 1978, the contamination was so severe that it left the town’s soil, river, and groundwater polluted.
Today, the marker near the old factory site explains what happened and honors the residents who have fought for decades to clean up the pollution. The Pine River is still being cleaned, and the marker serves as a reminder of the dangers of industrial pollution and the ongoing struggle to make it safe again.
Visiting the marker shows how one small town continues to fight for a cleaner future after a long battle with its toxic past.
