WELDON SPRING, Mo. — Just 24 hours after the release of an eye-opening report showing the government ignored radioactive waste in our region for decades, state and federal leaders are re-energized and demanding change.
State Representatives Tricia Byrnes, Doug Clemens and Richard West hosted a news conference on Thursday to respond to the report and discuss next steps.
Multiple leaders stood side-by-side with community members and environmental activists in Weldon Spring.
"Our federal government knew this since 1949 and never told anything to the public until 50 years later," Byrnes said. "Our region has been so desensitized to the insanity that has happened to us."
On Wednesday, the Missouri Independent, the AP, and Muck Rock released a report.
The journalists scoured through 15,000 documents of emails and hand-written letters.
It showed government officials and companies involved with building the atomic bomb in St. Louis knew about the contamination from the radioactive waste.
These documents show, there were known risks by the end of the 1940s.
It also revealed federal government agencies and companies were aware of the health risks and the spread in the area.
However, the report said officials downplayed it and wrote it off as slight, low-level or minimal risks.
It wasn't until decades later that clean-up measures took place.
From the dumpsite site in Weldon Spring in St. Charles to downtown St. Louis where radioactive materials were moved from the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works to West Lake Landfill and Coldwater Creek in North St. Louis County, the exposure widened and left deep wounds.
Environmental activist Christen Cummoso works with Missouri Coalition for the Environment.
Cummoso lived near Coldwater Creek and Latty Avenue growing up.
Now, she lives with the burden.
"In 2012, in an 11-month span, I had a hysterectomy, I had the removal of an adrenal gland because of a tumor, I had thyroid cancer and then within the next year, they found a tumor on my other adrenal gland," Cummoso said with tears rolling down her face.
The organization Just Moms STL has also been spearheading efforts for change.
Co-founders Karen Nickel and Dawn Chapman have their own personal stories about how radioactive waste has impacted their life.
Now, they want to save others.
"We need medical monitoring, we need compensation, and we need oversight," Chapman said.
For Representative Byrnes, this also hits close to home.
“My son came down with a cancer that's only happened as many times as 50 in medical history," said Byrnes, who represents part of St. Charles County.
Just this past session, Byrnes sponsored legislation regarding these issues, which passed the Missouri House of Representatives with a unanimous vote.
Congressman Cori Bush could not attend the event, but had a representative there and sent this statement:
“This report confirms what we in the community have known for decades: that for the past 75 years, the federal government actively and knowingly treated St. Louis as a dumping ground for harmful and toxic radioactive waste. For years the federal government and multiple other responsible parties continued to gaslight us and downplay the serious – and often deadly — health hazards that this waste carried. The federal government must not continue to allow our communities to be further collateral damage. They must not only apologize for this cruel act of negligence, but they are responsible for cleaning up this mess. Since my first day in office, I have been committed to holding them accountable and to pushing for immediate and swift action. I will continue partnering with local advocates, lawmakers and impacted community members on legislative solutions, including an upcoming bill which would provide compensation to residents harmed by the Manhattan Project waste and assess the many chronic health conditions that are a likely result of this government negligence. No more lives can be taken.”
US Senator Josh Hawley attended the news conference.
He toured part of the area, including Jana Elementary.
This fall, the school shut down due to mixed reports of radioactive waste inside and outside the school.
It sits near Coldwater Creek.
Hawley plans to introduce a piece of legislation on the Senate floor.
"We'll say if you lived in these areas and you developed these diseases or conditions or illnesses, you should be compensated," Hawley added. "It’s time to put a stop to it, it’s time for the federal government to have a fund to pay a medical bill because of their negligence. We need to test every property and every school building. We have a path forward to fix it and help people exposed to make this right."
He's asking the federal government to foot the bill, since the federal government is now in charge of clean up and oversight in these areas.
During the news conference, reporters raised questions about some of the heavy industrial companies and their involvement in Hawley's political career, first as Attorney General, then running to become a U.S. Senator.
He also faced questions about the private companies who played a role in dumping the radioactive waste.
Through state and federal election records, 5 On Your Side's Political Reporter Mark Maxwell learned, all three of the companies he named at the news conference have written his campaign, or Senate Republican campaigns, big checks to help him get elected.
This includes Mallinkcrodt, Cotter and Republic Services.
When he was Attorney General, he reached a $16 million dollar settlement with Republic Services, the company that operated the landfill.
The company was fined $1 million and the settlement included limits on how victims could use the compensation, barring them from using it for damages.
At the news conference, 5 On Your Side's Justina Coronel asked Hawley, "Why not have these companies pay who were also responsible for this?'
He responded, "Well... I mean... great point. Great point. This is where I hope there'll be some legal recourse. And I'm not a law enforcement officer anymore, but I hope there'll be some legal recourse here. Mallinkcrodt. We've got Cotter, exactly. Absolutey, they're the ones that dumped this in a landfill, lied about it. Republic is the name of the company."
Another reporter asked about the campaign contributions and asked if he'd return those.
He said, "Mmm... let me look at that. That's a good question. Let me look at that."
As for the current administration, Chapman said they are waiting to learn more from Attorney General Andrew Bailey.
"I’m anxious to hear what Attorney General Andrew Bailey will find in his apparent investigation. Those documents were handed to him this spring. He is the only elected official that had these documents to review them," Chapman said.
Before leaving, we asked if anyone had heard from Bailey since the release of the report.
Many said no, others stayed quiet.
Representative Byrnes said, "No I haven't heard from him and I'm a representative."
Attorney General Andrew Bailey's office sent us a statement saying this:
"My office assigned an attorney to investigate this matter when we received documents in May. We will convey our findings to the appropriate parties, and will do everything in our power to hold the federal government accountable. We stand ready to assist Senator Hawley and other advocates to protect the people of St. Louis.”
"We have been in contact with both Representative Byrnes and Senator Hawley on this issue."
The Department of Energy provided the following statement:
"The Department does not underestimate the impact that nuclear research and the production of nuclear weapons had on communities, and the Department proudly works alongside partners at the federal, state and local levels, including in Missouri, to protect the health and safety of community residents, and protection of the environment."
5 On Your Side has reached out to Mallinckrodt for a statement but has not heard back.
There are two meetings coming up for community members to attend.
Just Mom STL will host an event on July 18th to discuss the latest at West Lake Landfill.
On August 2nd, there is a town hall meeting hosted by Reps. Richard West, Tricia Brynes, and St. Charles County Councilman Joe Brazil.
It's at the New Melle Community Center at 6:30 PM.
It'll cover concerns about water, health and future growth.