December 16, 2025
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Remembering Kepone: 50 Years Later, a Cleaner James River
James River Association marks the anniversary of an environmental disaster that closed the James River and sparked 50 years of lasting stewardship.
RICHMOND, VA – Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of the closure of the James River to fishing following the Kepone environmental disaster, which some regard as the lowest point in the river’s history. It also marked the beginning of one of Virginia’s most significant environmental recoveries.
On December 17, 1975, then-Governor Mills Godwin issued an order closing the James River from Richmond to the Chesapeake Bay to all fishing and shellfish harvesting. The ban lasted 13 years, with all restrictions being finally lifted in 1988.
Allied Chemical and Life Science Products factories in Hopewell, VA ultimately were found liable for releasing thousands of pounds of Kepone (chlordecone) waste into the James River over the course of more than 10 years. Kepone polluted the river and poisoned factory workers, sending at least 29 people to the hospital.
The crisis destroyed commercial fisheries along the river and reshaped how an entire generation of Virginians viewed and valued the river. The pollution was so severe it drew national attention, including a segment on 60 Minutes, and made the James River a symbol of what happens when industrial pollution goes unchecked. That rock-bottom moment sparked a citizen-led recovery that has transformed the James over the last 50 years.
The following year, a coalition of concerned citizens formed the James River Association in 1976 to serve as a guardian and voice for the James River. The catastrophe also led to Allied Chemical being forced to pay what was then the largest environmental fine in U.S. history. Eight million dollars from the fine established the Virginia Environmental Endowment, a grantmaker that continues to support conservation efforts today.
Nearly fifty years later, JRA continues working with communities, partners, and policymakers to restore river health and prevent future harm. In its 50 years of operation, JRA has championed stronger safeguards for the James, including eliminating sewage overflows, securing safe storage of toxic chemicals and coal ash, upgrading wastewater treatment plants, controlling polluted runoff from urban stormwater and agricultural lands, and advancing protections for iconic species like American shad and freshwater mussels.
Additionally, JRA’s mission now includes connecting people to the river in order to overcome the negative perceptions of the polluted river of the 1970s and help individuals and communities enjoy and benefit from a much-improved river. Last year, JRA’s education program engaged over 20,000 students in river-based field trips.
“The Kepone disaster was a painful rock-bottom moment for the James and its surrounding communities. It is important for people who live along this river today to know how bad it was 50 years ago – and how far we’ve come,” said Bill Street, President and CEO of the James River Association. “The James is proof that when Virginians fight for their river, recovery is possible. That progress should inspire us to finish the job and pass on a fully healthy James to the next generation.”
Today, the James River is dramatically cleaner than it was in the 1970s. JRA’s State of the James report gives the river’s health a “B” grade, reflecting decades of restoration, stronger policy, and citizen action. Fish and wildlife populations have rebounded, access for recreation has expanded, and communities across the watershed once again rely on the river for livelihood, health, and enjoyment.
The James River is truly a remarkable comeback story. In the 1970s the James River was considered one of the most polluted rivers in the country. Now, the James River has received the highest health rating of any individual major tributary to the Chesapeake Bay in the University of Maryland’s annual Chesapeake Bay report card – for 14 years running. Additionally, in 2019, the James River was awarded the Theiss International River Prize, the most prestigious award for river restoration.
“The legacy of Kepone reminds us that we cannot let our guard down. Like a scar after a major injury, traces of the substance remain buried in river sediment – no longer actively causing harm, but reminding us of a dark time in history. For the fishermen who make their living on the river, the families who swim in the waters, and the wildlife who call the river home – we all must continue to fight for the river’s health for the next 50 years and beyond,” said Bill Street.
