Some residents and lawmakers in Missouri are advocating for faster cleanup at toxic sites in the St. Louis area, including the West Lake Landfill and areas along Coldwater Creek. The Just Moms STL group, founded by Dawn Chapman and Karen Nickel, is focused on advocating for the cleanup of contaminated sites in St. Louis. Many residents near these sites were unaware of the contamination when they purchased their homes. The EPA has been providing updates on the cleanup efforts using social media to make information more accessible. However, despite being designated as superfund sites and receiving federal funding for cleanup, progress has been slow, and residents feel frustrated by the lack of a firm timeline for completion.
The West Lake Landfill was added to the national priorities list in 1990, but cleanup efforts have been ongoing for nearly 35 years. The complex work is further complicated by a fire that has been burning at the site for nearly a decade, although officials have stated that there is currently no risk to residents in the area. Dawn Chapman and other residents believe that past errors and mistakes by federal agencies have contributed to the lengthy cleanup process. The EPA admitted that it did not have a specific timeline for when the West Lake Landfill would be fully cleaned up, causing further concern among residents who feel a sense of urgency about the situation.
Along Coldwater Creek, which extends from sites where radioactive waste was stored after the Manhattan Project, residents have raised concerns about the slow pace of cleanup efforts. The Army Corps of Engineers, the lead federal agency working to clean up the waterway, has estimated that the effort could take until 2038. Missouri State Rep. Chantelle Nickson-Clark, a two-time cancer survivor, is advocating for more thorough testing of the entire creek and a quicker cleanup process to protect residents from the harmful effects of contamination. U.S. Senator Josh Hawley has expressed outrage at the extended timeline for cleanup efforts and called for more urgent action to address the issue.
The Army Corps of Engineers has been conducting extensive testing along the 14-mile stretch of Coldwater Creek, including taking soil samples from homes along the creek. Residents have expressed concerns about the transparency and trustworthiness of the Army Corps of Engineers, noting that they have not always been forthcoming with information about contaminated areas. Despite the agency’s assurances that certain locations deemed safe, advocates have pushed for additional testing and cleanup efforts, particularly in areas like Jana Elementary School, where thorium contamination was found. Ashley Bernaugh, a member of the Just Moms STL group, has been actively seeking answers and action from federal agencies to address the contamination in her community.
Residents living near Coldwater Creek have been dealing with the aftermath of contamination for decades, with many expressing frustration at the slow pace of cleanup and lack of compensation for those who have become ill as a result of exposure. Advocates are calling for a more comprehensive cleanup effort, including remediation of radioactive waste found under homes and near the creek. The ongoing struggles of residents living near toxic sites in the St. Louis area highlight the need for better communication, transparency, and more urgent action from federal agencies to protect the health and well-being of those affected by contamination. The complexity of the cleanup process, combined with past mistakes by federal agencies, has contributed to delays in addressing these critical environmental and public health issues.
