Dangerous levels of radioactive waste were detected near an elementary school, a report found.
An independent report found traces of radioactive isotopes on the grounds of Jana Elementary School in Florissant, Missouri.
The school lies alongside the Cold Water Creek, a tributary of the Missouri River that was heavily contaminated by an upriver facility that produced nuclear weapons during World War II.
In 1942, the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works in downtown St Louis began producing weapons-grade uranium for the Manhattan Project. Waste from the factory was stored at a site near the creek at St Louis Lambert International Airport.
The Army Corps of Engineers has been working to clean up the disposal site and the creek for over 20 years, but a new test by an independent group showed that the situation was far worse than previous reports indicated.
After testing dust in the school’s library, kitchen, classrooms, and playgrounds, scientists from the Boston Chemical Data Corp found traces of radioactive isotopes of thorium, radium, polonium, and lead. In particular, it found large amounts of the dangerous isotope thorium-230, which emits alpha radiation.
It also found traces of lead-210, an isotope that decays into polonium-210 every few days. Both of these isotopes are alpha emitters.
The same contaminants were detected in St Louis area homes that previously faced flooding from Cold Water Creek. Residents in these homes were found to have an increased risk of lung cancer, bone cancer, and leukemia.
The report also found that previous tests done by the Army Corps of Engineers were ‘incomplete and inadequate.’ The report claims the military failed to test any samples from inside the school itself:
‘The school staff and students spend the majority of the day indoors yet no indoor samples were collected or tested. The soil samples collected were on portions of the property furthest from the school building. Radioactive contaminants are spread towards the school buildings by creek flooding, nevertheless, all of the Army Corps soil samples were taken at least 300 feet from the school buildings, and thus away from areas most used by children and staff, and away from locations where the greatest number of people would be expected to congregate.’
The report suggested Jana Elementary School needs a thorough cleanup to rid itself of radioactive material in dust. It also said certain areas with higher levels of contamination might have to be closed for good – especially the kindergarten playground, where high levels of radium-266 were detected.
However, nothing short of a full remediation of Cold Water Creek will protect the school in the long run. If the creek floods again, negate any cleanup efforts and deposit the same radioactive materials all over school grounds.
Ashley Bernaugh, the president of the Jana Parent-Teacher Association, told the St Louis Post-Dispatch that she was ‘heartbroken’ to hear about the results. ‘It sounds so cliché, but it takes your breath from you.’
‘Safety is always our top priority, and we are actively discussing the implications of the findings,’ Hazlewood School District stated after the report was released. The school board said it was consulting with attorneys and experts to determine its next steps.
Bernaugh said the PTA had previously asked the school board to conduct more tests at the school, but were refused in July. They received notice about the new tests in August, but it is unclear who contracted Boston Chemical for the task.
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