ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A federal agency said it wants to put new signs along Coldwater Creek in Florissant, Missouri, warning residents about possible radioactive waste.
The US Army Corps of Engineers in St. Louis (USACE) said the purpose of the new signs is to "help inform the community and let them know where to go for accurate information along with resources for anyone that wants to dig in the area."
But some said they believe the signs don't go far enough.
Right now, the question remains how many signs there will be and where exactly they'll be placed in Florissant. The USACE said the signs will likely be placed near existing Missouri Sewer District (MSD) signs that state warnings of no playing, swimming or fishing in the creek.
Andy Quinones, senior communications manager with the City of Florissant's Government Affairs, said the new proposed signage along Coldwater Creek will be what the city needs.
"I think it's a very good idea," Quinones said. "These informational signs The Army Corps of Engineers wants to put out only will help educate the community. We believe in being very transparent."
Meanwhile, Christen Commuso with the Missouri Coalition for the Environment said it's something that should've happened years ago.
"Unfortunately, we don't believe these signs will have the impact that is needed or desired. They're very wordy, kind of bland in nature. I can't imagine any child stopping along the creek and reading this long sign before getting into it," Commuso said.
Commuso said she'd like to see the signs be a brighter color and wants the Army Corps to consider a permanent barrier like a fence.
According to the USACE, it has already removed hundreds of truckloads of contaminated soil which will be shipped to US Ecology in Idaho and disposed of.
The waste was left over from the effort to build the first atomic bomb during World War II.
"We were kind of hoping to see the same signs they currently use at their storage and cleanup sites and along the fence line at West Lake landfill. These are already recognized signs by the federal government. The bright yellow and magenta radioactive warning signs," Commuso said.
Commuso said she'll continue to advocate for more transparency from the federal agency as well as encouraging more residents to voice their opinions. The USACE said it also wants to see more public input.
"It's baffling to us why something as simple as a warning sign has taken this long," Commuso said.
The next Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) meeting will be next Tuesday at the Hazelwood Civic Center East in two sessions from 2-3:30 p.m. and 7-8:30 p.m.
