Podcast Summary

Podcast: New Books Network – New Books in History
Host: Matthew Powell
Guest: Dr. Gregory S. Wilson, University of Akron
Episode: Gregory S. Wilson, "Poison Powder: The Kepone Disaster in Virginia and Its Legacy"
Date: December 7, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the Kepone disaster in Hopewell, Virginia, through the lens of Dr. Gregory S. Wilson’s 2023 book, Poison Powder: The Kepone Disaster in Virginia and Its Legacy. The conversation delves deep into the environmental, health, political, and global ramifications of industrial chemical pollution—specifically the production, exposure, and aftermath of Kepone (also known as chlordecone). Dr. Wilson shares his unique personal connection to the region, his interdisciplinary research process, and insights into the ongoing legacy of industrial chemical regulation in the United States and beyond.

Main Discussion Points

1. Personal & Regional Connection to the Story

[03:40 – 05:59]

Dr. Wilson’s childhood in coastal Virginia intersected with the Kepone crisis, sparking his later interest in environmental history.
“The water, the river, were really vital and important parts, not just for the economy, but for the culture... that peninsula area of Virginia was really tied to the water in really important and historical ways.” (Gregory Wilson, 04:12)
Moved to Ohio, but the Kepone memory persisted, ultimately leading to this research when he noticed no comprehensive history had been written.

2. Environmental History and Scientific Data

[08:14 – 15:55]

The book foregrounds the James River as both ecological entity and historical actor.
Discusses the challenge and necessity of synthesizing scientific data for historians.
Wilson leaned heavily on interdisciplinary cooperation, especially with scientists, to interpret complex data.
“I think historical thinking is not the exclusive domain of the humanities. It overlaps and intersects a lot, I think, with science... how we've interacted with our world in the past... has, you know, important lessons.” (Wilson, 09:33)
Oral histories provided both context and scientific explanation, enriching the narrative with personal experience.

3. Timeline and Unfolding of the Kepone Disaster

[16:01 – 21:40]

Background: Kepone production in Hopewell began in 1970 at Life Science Products, under contract for Allied Chemical.
Regulatory response was “relatively swift” compared with other cases but still marked by “moments when regulators saw what was happening, but they let it go.”
Major intervention only happened after the health department conducted plant inspections and worker medical exams, leading to a shutdown in 1975.
The larger public outcry only erupted after environmental contamination entered the spotlight, not just worker safety.

4. Industry vs. Environment: Local Attitudes and Trade-Offs

[21:04 – 24:41]

Economic reliance on the chemical industry formed Hopewell’s identity ("chemical capital of the south").
Persistent attitude: "What you're smelling is money"—prioritizing jobs and industry over environmental concerns.
Social division: Even after Kepone, many felt the situation was overblown, wanting to continue chemical production but “safer.”
“...even after, even during, and even after kepone, you know, there's a lot of people in Hopewell who still, you know, think that the kepone case was overblown, right? ...but we can still keep making chemicals, right? We can still keep doing what we do, but now we can do it safer.” (Wilson, 23:27)

5. Workers: Lawsuits, Solidarity, and Divided Opinions

[26:52 – 32:29]

Many workers experienced acute health impacts ("Kepone shakes"), prompting lawsuits against manufacturers.
Not all workers participated; some dismissed the effects as “part of what we do,” while others joined lawsuits as risks became clearer.
Community outside the workforce often unsympathetic, viewing lawsuits as opportunistic.
“There was a large group of workers that did [join lawsuits], but not all… There was certainly that attitude then, and I think it was still there among some people that, that, you know, it was a lot of attention over something that maybe wasn't that damaging.” (Wilson, 28:13)

6. The Environmental Management State and Regulation

[33:32 – 38:57]

Dr. Wilson describes the “environmental management state” as both a federal and state-level apparatus that grew in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Kepone disaster led to significant new legal frameworks and stricter environmental controls in Virginia (and federally), serving as a catalyst for toxic substance regulation.
Advocates for the “precautionary principle”—manufacturers should prove safety before marketing chemicals, which remains lacking in US regulation.
“The precautionary principle is not a bad thing... We have the opposite, where lots of chemicals are introduced... with little or no attention, very little regulation.” (Wilson, 37:07)

7. Economic Fallout: Impact on the Fishing Industry and Counter-Movements

[38:57 – 46:36]

The state’s fishing ban dealt a “massive part of the story,” causing severe economic impact, but it was a rare, bold regulatory move.
Fishermen and political allies joined a broader conservative backlash against environmental regulation, echoing national patterns in tobacco, auto, and climate policy pushback.
Rise of “corporate science” to counter state scientific claims, with rival lobby groups producing competing data.

8. The International Dimension: Kepone’s Global Legacy

[46:36 – 55:53]

Production and export of Kepone (chlorodecone) was international, with devastating long-term effects on workers and environments worldwide, notably in Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Despite a US ban (1978), usage continued elsewhere, particularly on banana plantations in the French Caribbean, underpinned by colonial and racial inequities.
The French government banned the chemical domestically but not in overseas territories.
“...the legacy of colonialism and the racial colonialism... plays a very central part in why it was allowed to continue on those islands.” (Wilson, 52:49)

9. Reflections on Legacy, Oral Histories, and Lessons Learned

[55:53 – End]

Persistent pollutants like Kepone pose ongoing threats—Hopewell’s river sediment remains contaminated.
Oral histories revealed the disaster's ongoing emotional and health toll; some continue to downplay the impact or idealize industrial past.
Notions of safety, dignity, and ecological stewardship require more robust regulatory approaches and public vigilance.
“We have to recognize that... long-term damage that comes from short-term decisions is critical to understand.” (Wilson, 57:15)
Silver linings: creation of the Virginia Environmental Endowment and eventual river clean-up—though much work remains.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

On scientific history:
“Historical thinking is not the exclusive domain of the humanities. It overlaps and intersects a lot, I think, with science...”
(Dr. Gregory Wilson, 09:33)
On economic identity in Hopewell:
“‘What you're smelling is money’... It was part of the identity that Hopewell had become this industrial chemical city. And I think there was just a lot of acceptance of that.”
(Gregory Wilson citing City Manager Clint Strong, 21:07)
On worker health and fear:
“It was also their wives and their kids…there was a lot of fear about it. Again, a trust that had been broken, and now we're not sure, and we're afraid of... our spouses, our kids, what might happen to them.”
(Wilson, 32:49)
On the “precautionary principle”:
“Having the maker of those prove first... that they are safe, that their effects are not going to be bad…would... have more benefits to the ecology and to human health.”
(Wilson, 37:25)
On the global injustice of Kepone regulation:
“The legacy of colonialism and... racial colonialism... plays a very central part in why it was allowed to continue on those [French Caribbean] islands.”
(Wilson, 52:49)
On persistent pollutants:
“They're not called persistent pollutants, you know, for no reason... they're designed to be persistent... they get embedded inside the soil, in the water, in bodies.”
(Wilson, 56:39)
On humor and community coping:
“There were bars making... Keep On cocktails and stuff like that... poking fun at its lethality.”
(Wilson, 67:06)

Key Timestamps

Personal origins and research genesis: 04:12 – 06:54
Historians and scientific data: 08:14 – 14:38
Timeline of Kepone disaster and regulation: 16:01 – 19:49
Hopewell’s industrial identity: 21:04 – 24:41
Worker reactions and lawsuits: 26:52 – 32:29
Concept of the environmental management state: 33:32 – 38:57
Fishing industry & anti-regulatory backlash: 39:23 – 44:51
International export and French Caribbean legacy: 46:36 – 55:53
Reflections, ongoing legacy, and oral histories: 55:53 – End
Pronunciation and humorous anecdotes: 67:03 – 69:22

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Main Discussion Points

1. Personal & Regional Connection to the Story

[03:40 – 05:59]

Dr. Wilson’s childhood in coastal Virginia intersected with the Kepone crisis, sparking his later interest in environmental history.
“The water, the river, were really vital and important parts, not just for the economy, but for the culture... that peninsula area of Virginia was really tied to the water in really important and historical ways.” (Gregory Wilson, 04:12)
Moved to Ohio, but the Kepone memory persisted, ultimately leading to this research when he noticed no comprehensive history had been written.

2. Environmental History and Scientific Data

[08:14 – 15:55]

The book foregrounds the James River as both ecological entity and historical actor.
Discusses the challenge and necessity of synthesizing scientific data for historians.
Wilson leaned heavily on interdisciplinary cooperation, especially with scientists, to interpret complex data.
“I think historical thinking is not the exclusive domain of the humanities. It overlaps and intersects a lot, I think, with science... how we've interacted with our world in the past... has, you know, important lessons.” (Wilson, 09:33)
Oral histories provided both context and scientific explanation, enriching the narrative with personal experience.

3. Timeline and Unfolding of the Kepone Disaster

[16:01 – 21:40]

Background: Kepone production in Hopewell began in 1970 at Life Science Products, under contract for Allied Chemical.
Regulatory response was “relatively swift” compared with other cases but still marked by “moments when regulators saw what was happening, but they let it go.”
Major intervention only happened after the health department conducted plant inspections and worker medical exams, leading to a shutdown in 1975.
The larger public outcry only erupted after environmental contamination entered the spotlight, not just worker safety.

4. Industry vs. Environment: Local Attitudes and Trade-Offs

[21:04 – 24:41]

Economic reliance on the chemical industry formed Hopewell’s identity ("chemical capital of the south").
Persistent attitude: "What you're smelling is money"—prioritizing jobs and industry over environmental concerns.
Social division: Even after Kepone, many felt the situation was overblown, wanting to continue chemical production but “safer.”
“...even after, even during, and even after kepone, you know, there's a lot of people in Hopewell who still, you know, think that the kepone case was overblown, right? ...but we can still keep making chemicals, right? We can still keep doing what we do, but now we can do it safer.” (Wilson, 23:27)

5. Workers: Lawsuits, Solidarity, and Divided Opinions

[26:52 – 32:29]

Many workers experienced acute health impacts ("Kepone shakes"), prompting lawsuits against manufacturers.
Not all workers participated; some dismissed the effects as “part of what we do,” while others joined lawsuits as risks became clearer.
Community outside the workforce often unsympathetic, viewing lawsuits as opportunistic.
“There was a large group of workers that did [join lawsuits], but not all… There was certainly that attitude then, and I think it was still there among some people that, that, you know, it was a lot of attention over something that maybe wasn't that damaging.” (Wilson, 28:13)

6. The Environmental Management State and Regulation

[33:32 – 38:57]

Dr. Wilson describes the “environmental management state” as both a federal and state-level apparatus that grew in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Kepone disaster led to significant new legal frameworks and stricter environmental controls in Virginia (and federally), serving as a catalyst for toxic substance regulation.
Advocates for the “precautionary principle”—manufacturers should prove safety before marketing chemicals, which remains lacking in US regulation.
“The precautionary principle is not a bad thing... We have the opposite, where lots of chemicals are introduced... with little or no attention, very little regulation.” (Wilson, 37:07)

7. Economic Fallout: Impact on the Fishing Industry and Counter-Movements

[38:57 – 46:36]

The state’s fishing ban dealt a “massive part of the story,” causing severe economic impact, but it was a rare, bold regulatory move.
Fishermen and political allies joined a broader conservative backlash against environmental regulation, echoing national patterns in tobacco, auto, and climate policy pushback.
Rise of “corporate science” to counter state scientific claims, with rival lobby groups producing competing data.

8. The International Dimension: Kepone’s Global Legacy

[46:36 – 55:53]

Production and export of Kepone (chlorodecone) was international, with devastating long-term effects on workers and environments worldwide, notably in Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Despite a US ban (1978), usage continued elsewhere, particularly on banana plantations in the French Caribbean, underpinned by colonial and racial inequities.
The French government banned the chemical domestically but not in overseas territories.
“...the legacy of colonialism and the racial colonialism... plays a very central part in why it was allowed to continue on those islands.” (Wilson, 52:49)

9. Reflections on Legacy, Oral Histories, and Lessons Learned

[55:53 – End]

Persistent pollutants like Kepone pose ongoing threats—Hopewell’s river sediment remains contaminated.
Oral histories revealed the disaster's ongoing emotional and health toll; some continue to downplay the impact or idealize industrial past.
Notions of safety, dignity, and ecological stewardship require more robust regulatory approaches and public vigilance.
“We have to recognize that... long-term damage that comes from short-term decisions is critical to understand.” (Wilson, 57:15)
Silver linings: creation of the Virginia Environmental Endowment and eventual river clean-up—though much work remains.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

On scientific history:
“Historical thinking is not the exclusive domain of the humanities. It overlaps and intersects a lot, I think, with science...”
(Dr. Gregory Wilson, 09:33)
On economic identity in Hopewell:
“‘What you're smelling is money’... It was part of the identity that Hopewell had become this industrial chemical city. And I think there was just a lot of acceptance of that.”
(Gregory Wilson citing City Manager Clint Strong, 21:07)
On worker health and fear:
“It was also their wives and their kids…there was a lot of fear about it. Again, a trust that had been broken, and now we're not sure, and we're afraid of... our spouses, our kids, what might happen to them.”
(Wilson, 32:49)
On the “precautionary principle”:
“Having the maker of those prove first... that they are safe, that their effects are not going to be bad…would... have more benefits to the ecology and to human health.”
(Wilson, 37:25)
On the global injustice of Kepone regulation:
“The legacy of colonialism and... racial colonialism... plays a very central part in why it was allowed to continue on those [French Caribbean] islands.”
(Wilson, 52:49)
On persistent pollutants:
“They're not called persistent pollutants, you know, for no reason... they're designed to be persistent... they get embedded inside the soil, in the water, in bodies.”
(Wilson, 56:39)
On humor and community coping:
“There were bars making... Keep On cocktails and stuff like that... poking fun at its lethality.”
(Wilson, 67:06)

Key Timestamps

Personal origins and research genesis: 04:12 – 06:54
Historians and scientific data: 08:14 – 14:38
Timeline of Kepone disaster and regulation: 16:01 – 19:49
Hopewell’s industrial identity: 21:04 – 24:41
Worker reactions and lawsuits: 26:52 – 32:29
Concept of the environmental management state: 33:32 – 38:57
Fishing industry & anti-regulatory backlash: 39:23 – 44:51
International export and French Caribbean legacy: 46:36 – 55:53
Reflections, ongoing legacy, and oral histories: 55:53 – End
Pronunciation and humorous anecdotes: 67:03 – 69:22

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Gregory S. Wilson, "Poison Powder: The Kepone Disaster in Virginia and Its Legacy" (U Georgia Press, 2023)

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Summary

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Main Discussion Points

1. Personal & Regional Connection to the Story

2. Environmental History and Scientific Data

3. Timeline and Unfolding of the Kepone Disaster

4. Industry vs. Environment: Local Attitudes and Trade-Offs

5. Workers: Lawsuits, Solidarity, and Divided Opinions

6. The Environmental Management State and Regulation

7. Economic Fallout: Impact on the Fishing Industry and Counter-Movements

8. The International Dimension: Kepone’s Global Legacy

9. Reflections on Legacy, Oral Histories, and Lessons Learned

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

Key Timestamps

Further Reading & Final Thoughts

Summary

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Main Discussion Points

1. Personal & Regional Connection to the Story

2. Environmental History and Scientific Data

3. Timeline and Unfolding of the Kepone Disaster

4. Industry vs. Environment: Local Attitudes and Trade-Offs

5. Workers: Lawsuits, Solidarity, and Divided Opinions

6. The Environmental Management State and Regulation

7. Economic Fallout: Impact on the Fishing Industry and Counter-Movements

8. The International Dimension: Kepone’s Global Legacy

9. Reflections on Legacy, Oral Histories, and Lessons Learned

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

Key Timestamps

Further Reading & Final Thoughts