The Nation - News from Dec. 21, 1986

Cleaning up the dioxin found at Times Beach, Mo., four years ago could take up to 15 years and cost as much as $203 million, the Environmental Protection Agency said. About 150,000 cubic yards of soil tainted with the toxic chemical--enough to fill 1 1/2 Olympic-sized swimming pools--have been found along 70% of the now-vacant town’s streets, in roadside ditches and in several yards. A feasibility study included alternatives ranging from doing nothing, to storing it in a concrete tank, to burning it in town incinerators. Steve Wurtz, an EPA spokesman in Kansas City, said the agency preferred on-site incineration.