Yesterday, I went exploring abandoned fort ruins by this radioactive creek on a trail that is pretty popular.
This creek is infamous because of Mallinckrodt nuclear waste contamination. Mallinckrodt basically made a deal with the federal government to have exclusive rights to produce weapons-grade uranium. When the nuclear waste from the project was less profitable, then they thought it would be they dumped and transported the waste out on uncovered trucks to local landfill sites and left barrels along the creekside. The factory producing the uranium ended up contaminating the creek and the groundwater due to their actions.
There were no animals around when i was there, and the water smelled strongly like metal. It was weird because even in winter places like this usually have quite a few birds like at least some squirrels or sparrows, but there were none. I'm sure it's different during the other seasons but for an uncomfortably warm day it was very eerie.
Anyway the government has been cleaning the creek for decades but refuses to share how radioactive it is.
There are a few schools that are close to this creek and kids and residents who live near it have higher cancer rates.
Still, despite the evidence that this creek is dangerously radioactive from multiple different testing companies and the cancer statistics, our officials still deem this creek "safe." The company was never really punished for the dumping and mishandling of radioactive materials either in fact they company denies ever handling uranium despite the proof.
In my opinion, it's wild to me that people still swim in this creek during the summer, especially after I have gotten close enough to smell it.
Sources
Kite, A. (2024, February 21). Records reveal 75 years of government downplaying, ignoring risks of St. Louis radioactive waste. Missouri Independent. https://missouriindependent.com/2023/07/12/st-louis-radioactive-waste-records/
‘This is a moral failure.’ A Missouri community says leftover radioactive waste is making them sick. (2024, December 20). PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/after-decades-of-nuclear-waste-exposure-this-missouri-community-wants-action
“I was heartbroken”: Radioactive waste found at Jana Elementary School outside St. Louis. (2022, October 19). CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/radioactive-waste-found-jana-elementary-school-outside-st-louis/












