East Michigan News

In 1973, a chemical company in St. Louis, Michigan, shipped a flame retardant polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) that was mislabeled as a nutritional supplement to a livestock feed mill, causing it to be mixed into animal feed. This disaster exposed an estimated 8.5 million Michiganders to PBB-contaminated farm products, and its impact is still felt today.

Brittany Fremion, a Central Michigan University history professor, and Ben Peterson, an Alma College lecturer of political science and history, are co-editors of a new book titled "The PBB Disaster at 50: Reflections, Critical Lessons, and a Path Forward." The book aims to inform the public about the disaster and its ongoing real-world impacts.

"The book features essays from multiple authors with accounts from individuals at the forefront of the PBB disaster," said Fremion. These accounts include stories from farm families directly affected by the contamination. Essays also outline the health impacts that continue to result from PBB exposure, such as increased thyroid problems and cancer rates.

"Medical problems associated with PBB are passed down from one generation to the next," Peterson noted. This highlights how a historical problem remains relevant today.

Fremion and Peterson hope to eventually make the book available at no cost. To promote their work, they will host a talk at the Museum of Cultural and Natural History at Central Michigan University on September 9th and will freely distribute copies there.

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