Velsicol Chemical Corporation

Velsicol Chemical Corporation is an American chemical company based in Rosemont, Illinois that specializes in chemical intermediates for applications such as agrochemicals. It was founded in 1931 by Joseph Regenstein and Julius Hyman.

Velsicol Chemical Corporation
IndustryChemical industry
Founded1931 (1931)
Founder
Headquarters
Rosemont, Illinois
,
United States
Products
Websitewww.velsicol.com

History

When, in 1962, the landmark anti-pesticide book Silent Spring was first published, Velsicol was the sole manufacturer of two pesticides – chlordane and heptachlor – featured prominently within it. Subsequently, these pesticides were banned. At the time, Velsicol threatened legal action against Silent Spring's publisher Houghton Mifflin, though ultimately no such action was taken.[1] In 1979, Australian politician and medical researcher John Coulter gave a lecture that mentioned how Velsicol had handled information about the cancer-causing properties of the two pesticides. Velsicol contacted the director of the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science (now SA Pathology), where Coulter worked, about the lecture. Coulter lost his job in early 1980. In a later court hearing, however, none of the reasons that were given for the dismissal were found to be substantiated.[2][lower-alpha 1]

For years, Velsicol produced polybrominated biphenyls, DDT, cattle feed additives, and various other chemicals at its Michigan Chemical Corporation plant in St. Louis, Michigan. In 1973, a packaging error at the plant resulted in several thousand pounds of PBBs contaminating cattle feed which was later fed to animals across Michigan. When the error was finally recognized, all the cattle in the state were culled. The site of the St. Louis plant is one of the costliest Superfund sites in America. In 2014, the neighborhood around the plant was found to be contaminated with DDT, presumably by Velsicol decades before, prompting the removal and replacement of soil at 96 residential properties.[3] This error led directly to Gerald Ford's half-hearted approval in 1976 of the Toxic Substances Control Act, which "remains one of the most controversial regulatory bills ever passed".[4]

In 2005, Velsicol was acquired by the private equity firm Arsenal Capital Partners, who, in 2007, re-branded the unit manufacturing benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, and specialty plasticizers as Genovique Specialties Corporation. Arsenal still owns Velsicol.[5] They began selling benzoic acid and sodium benzoate again in 2015 and 2017 respectively.[6]

See also

Notes
  1. This is taken from the introduction of the book, which can be found online here: https://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/86is/introduction.html

References
  1. Linda Lear, Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1997, pp. 416-419.
  2. Martin, Brian, 1947- (1986). Intellectual suppression: Australian case histories, analysis and responses. Angus & Robertson. ISBN 0-207-15132-6. OCLC 786496707.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. "DDT Still Killing Birds in Michigan". Scientific American.
  4. Hanson, David J. (15 January 2007). "Those Were The Days". Chemical & Engineering News. American Chemical Society. 85 (3).
  5. "Arsenal Completes Genovique Sale". Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  6. "Leading Chemical Company | Manufacture, Distribution & Sales | Velsicol Chemical, LLC". Leading Chemical Company | Manufacture, Distribution & Sales | Velsicol Chemical, LLC. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
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