James River Closed | A Talk With Historian Gregory Wilson on the 50th Anniversary of the Kepone Environmental Disaster

In December 1975, Virginia Governor Mills Godwin closed the James River to fishing in response to the Kepone environmental disaster caused by pesticide contamination. Join us for a talk by historian Gregory Wilson, author of “Poison Powder: The Kepone Disaster in Virginia and Its Legacy,” exploring the repercussions of Kepone’s impact on Virginia’s environment and the lasting effects of the disaster.

The toxic impact came to light after workers at Life Science Products, a small pesticide factory in Hopewell, Virginia, became ill after exposure to Kepone, the brand name for the pesticide chlordecone. News of ill workers eventually led to the discovery of widespread environmental contamination of the nearby James River and the landscape of the small, working-class city.

A book signing will follow the program. Wilson is Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Akron, where he researches and teaches Ohio history, as well as public history, labor and the environment in the 20th century.

This event is co-sponsored by the James River Association and the Virginia Environmental Endowment.

This is a free event, but registration is required. For more information, contact education@lva.virginia.gov.