Two companies in Hopewell manufactured Kepone, the brand name for the pesticide chlordecone, between 1966 and 1975. Allied Chemical produced it irregularly from 1966 to 1974. Allied Chemical then subcontracted with Life Science Products, a small startup, which produced it for one year. In 1975, investigations revealed that lax safety standards at Life Science led to workers suffering from Kepone poisoning, which caused pain and made their bodies shake. In addition to poisoned workers, investigators found unsafe levels of Kepone waste in the James River and surrounding environment. The disaster led to the closure and dismantling of the Life Science factory, an immediate fishing ban on the James River that continued until the 1980s, and new state and federal laws to address toxic substances. The United States cancelled all registrations for Kepone use by the end of 1977. Civil and criminal litigation that stemmed from the disaster led to large fines and settlements and established precedents in environmental law.
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