- Sputnik International, 1920
Americas
Sputnik brings you all the latest breaking stories, expert analysis and videos from North and South America.

Radiation from World War II Weapons Found in St. Louis Elementary School

© AP Photo / Ed GunderThis April 27, 1956, file photo shows the area in which the United States hydrogen bomb tests will take place in the Pacific Ocean. North Korea said it successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb in its latest nuclear test Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017. Outside experts haven't been able to verify that claim, but say it's plausible. If true, it would represent a major step forward in North Korea's effort to develop a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States.
This April 27, 1956, file photo shows the area in which the United States hydrogen bomb tests will take place in the Pacific Ocean. North Korea said it successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb in its latest nuclear test Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017. Outside experts haven't been able to verify that claim, but say it's plausible. If true, it would represent a major step forward in North Korea's effort to develop a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States. - Sputnik International, 1920, 17.10.2022
Subscribe
During World War II, the US Government ran a secretive program known as the Manhattan Project to develop nuclear weapons. St. Louis was an integral part of the program, processing the majority of the Uranium. The radioactive material was improperly stored and leaked into Coldwater Creek.
An elementary school in suburban St. Louis has significant radioactive contamination from waste originating from World War II-era nuclear weapons.
Jana Elementary School, part of the Hazelwood School District in Florissant, Missouri sits near the floodplains of Coldwater Creek, which was contaminated by the Army when radioactive waste from the production of nuclear weapons was dumped near the St. Louis Lambert International Airport, which also sits near Coldwater Creek.
Test launch of a French M51 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), capable of carrying up to 10 nuclear warheads - Sputnik International, 1920, 14.10.2022
World
UK Defense Chief Chides Macron for 'Revealing His Hand' on Nuclear Weapons
The US Army Corps of Engineers have been cleaning the area of nuclear waste for more than 20 years. A previous report by the Corps found contamination in the area but at much lower levels and did not look in and around the school. This new report, done by the Boston Chemical Data Corporation, found radiation levels “far in excess” of what they expected. The report specifically mentioned the Kindergarten play area, basketball court, cafeteria, boiler room, and school library as having high levels of lead 210, polonium, radium, and other toxins.
Boston Chemical did not reveal who financed the study.
“I was heartbroken. It sounds so cliché, but it takes your breath from you,” Ashley Bernaugh, president of the Jana PTA said. “We should be thinking about fundraisers and bake sales, but instead, we're worrying about bomb waste.”
The contamination is expected to dominate the Hazelwood School District board meeting on Tuesday.
Destin Cramer, left, and Noah Rice place a new sticker on the door at the ceremonial opening of a gender neutral bathroom at Nathan Hale high school Tuesday, May 17, 2016, in Seattle - Sputnik International, 1920, 14.10.2022
Americas
Media Debunks GOP ‘Hoax’ Claiming Schools Keep Litter Boxes for ‘Students Who Identify as Cats’
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, internal radiation contamination, like when radioactive particles are breathed in or swallowed, can stay in the body and is absorbed by organs. Radiation exposure is known to cause most types of cancer, including leukemia and various skin and bone cancers.
The report notes that “a significant remedial program will be required to bring conditions at the school in line with expectations.” The previous Corps study also found “low-dose” contamination in the soil of residential homes near Coldwater Creek.
“The time has passed. It's long passed. This has been here since the 1940s,” Bernaugh said.
Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала