Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
Back to profile4 entries
2014
DDT contamination near the former St. Louis plant
DDT contamination was identified in the neighborhood surrounding the former Michigan facility. Soil was removed and replaced at 96 residential properties as part of the response.
1979
Controversy over John Coulter's pesticide lecture
After Australian researcher and politician John Coulter discussed Velsicol's handling of information about the cancer risks of chlordane and heptachlor, the company contacted the director of Coulter's institute. Coulter subsequently lost his position, although a later court hearing found that the stated reasons for the dismissal were not substantiated.
1978
United States v. Velsicol Chemical Corporation
A civil court imposed a $30,000 penalty for more than 300 alleged violations of an NPDES permit involving discharges of endrin and other pesticides into sewage.
1973
Michigan PBB cattle-feed contamination
A packaging error at the Michigan Chemical Corporation plant allowed several thousand pounds of polybrominated biphenyls to enter cattle feed. The contaminated feed reached farms across Michigan, leading to the destruction of the state's cattle herds and a major long-term environmental cleanup.