Report claims feds ignored St. Louis-area radioactive contamination for nearly 75 years

Records obtained by three media outlets show that the federal government and private companies ignored and downplayed the threat of radioactive contamination in the St. Louis area for nearly 75 years. 

According to the Missouri Independent, MuckRock, and the Associated Press, radioactive waste stored near Coldwater Creek in St. Louis County posed a threat to nearby residents as early as 1949. 

The report also cites increased cancer rates among people living on and near Coldwater Creek. 

The report says documents show the feds knew about the potential health risks of the creek but shrugged them off as “slight,” “minimal,” or “low-level.” 

The documents for the report were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.