Dioxin Contamination
The company gained some notoriety as a manufacturer of the chemical, 245 trichlorophenol, a precursor of Agent Orange which was a defoliant used in the Vietnam war. An explosion in a pilot plant in 1968 had killed a chemist and spread dioxins over the debris. 79 employees contracted chloracne whilst cleaning up and even some of their families were affected by traces brought home on clothing. There was more controversy when the company appeared reluctant to reveal the location of sites where the contaminated plant debris was buried and when the case notes of an independent investigator were mysteriously stolen from her home.
A specialised 245 unit was built soon after, with stringent controls and safety measures to prevent any future accidents but when the Seveso disaster in 1976 reawakened public concern over this issue, Ted Needham, the company chairman, deemed it expedient to close down this now uneconomical plant. The reluctance of his employees to work in it may also have influenced his decision.
Problems continued with dioxin emission from the works incinerator which burned residues from the chlorination plant. This caused further public protest and instigated official investigations that culminated in prosecution and a fine of £150,000 for contamination of the river Doe Lea and surrounding farmland in 1996. The river attained the dubious distinction of being the most polluted in the world with regard to dioxins.
From 2005 onwards the Bolsover works were gradually demolished and the site is awaiting decontamination and eventual redevelopment.
Read more about this topic: Coalite