Midwest
Officials knew Manhattan Project chemicals disposed improperly at Missouri sites, documents reveal
Several moms in suburban St. Louis have been working to get toxic sites in the area cleaned up, a major undertaking to fix widespread contamination that some government officials apparently covered up for decades.
“This was the best kept secret of St. Louis. The Manhattan Project wasn’t well known here, and it’s still a pretty good secret here,” Just Moms STL co-founder Karen Nickel said.
Nickel formed her group alongside her neighbor, Dawn Chapman, in 2013.
“Over the years, we had heard bits and pieces of the story and what we thought was the story,” Nickel said.
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The two moms spent several years going through thousands of documents that revealed those in charge of disposing of toxic waste in Missouri likely knew that crew had mishandled those chemicals.
“Right away, we were going, ‘Oh my God. This is so different than what we thought,”’ Chapman said.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said, over time, more details about the Manhattan Project in St. Louis came to light.
“As early as the 1960s, you had the public beginning to get some sense of it. But really, it wasn’t until the ‘80s and the ’90s that the full scope of this began to come into view,” Hawley said.
“As recently as last year, we got a new cache of documents that showed the full extent of the government’s knowledge and what the government knew years ago — 30, 40, 50 years ago — that they had poisoned the creek, that their landfill that they dumped the waste into was going to cause huge problems, environmental problems and health problems. And they lied about it.”
Coldwater Creek in St. Louis, an area where children and family visit, apparently was contaminated by toxic chemicals left behind by the Manhattan Project. The creek is now being sampled for radioactive material by the Army Corps of Engineers. (Army Corps of Engineers/Kay Drey Mallinckrodt Collection)
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Hawley is pushing to expand and extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which will expire this year. The legislation would make it so people who may have been sickened by chemicals in St. Louis and other areas could receive compensation from the government.
“We’ve come to find that St. Louis was a uranium processing site. So was Kentucky. So was Tennessee, that the extent of the testing that was done in the West was far greater than we knew,” Hawley said.
The documents included internal memos from Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, a company hired by the U.S. government to process chemicals for nuclear weapons. The cache also included testing and sampling from government agencies as well as warnings that sites exposed to those chemicals may not have been safe.
SEE THE DOCUMENTS BELOW. APP USERS: CLICK HERE.
“The evidence was there, the facts were there, and it told the story from beginning to end,” Nickel said.
Mallinckrodt Chemical Works in St. Louis worked to process uranium that would eventually help create the first sustained nuclear chain reaction. After the plant shut down, the company worked to dispose of the chemicals. An internal memo from 1949 revealed workers discussed health and safety concerns that came with where they stored the waste.
“Point No. 2 concerns the problem of the disintegrating K-65 drums at the airport,” the memo stated. “This is recognized as a severe problem.”
Federal officials first stored the waste at a site near St. Louis Airport. The location was near a creek that stretched 14 miles through North St. Louis County. The barrels were left out in the open and exposed to the elements.
“Right away, you could see that the government knew how dangerous this waste was,” Chapman said.
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Barrels of waste remained out in the open in Missouri after the shutdown of a chemical plant tied to the Manhattan Project. (Kay Drey Mallinckrodt Collection)
The internal memo from Mallinckrodt detailed concerns among workers that the chemicals could have leaked into the creek.”
The health hazard to workers handling the K-65 material, especially in broken drums, is much more serious and immediate than the possible hazard of stream pollution,” it said.
“They were so toxic that they were told, ‘Do not touch those. Those are too dangerous,’” Nickel said.
High water and flooding have been additional yearly concerns along Coldwater Creek.
“Of course, they wouldn’t put dangerous waste next to a creek that floods,” Chapman said. “They knew it was probably leaking into the creek, but they didn’t know how much.”
Army Corps of Engineers officials said because of the flooding throughout decades, their cleanup job today has been complex.
Flooding and high waters occur annually along the potentially contaminated Coldwater Creek of St. Louis. (Karen Nickel )
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“Wind and rain, and also flooding events, took some of those contaminants, and they were carried down the stream in the sediment and then deposited during flooding events and also just during the normal flow,” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District Program Manager Phil Moser said. “This is all historical contamination from decades ago, and that’s why it’s so difficult today finding this contamination.”
The Army Corps of Engineers has been sampling for radioactive material all along Coldwater Creek, some of which dated to before the St. Louis population boom.
“This was before homes were built. And lo and behold, in the late ‘50s and ’60s, homes were being built on top of this,” Nickel said.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, crews moved the waste to a different location near the airport and again left it out in the open.
“The controls back in the day were surely not what they are now. That’s why we’re in the current situation,” Moser said.
Crews stored the Manhattan Project chemicals at multiple sites around St. Louis. (Fox News)
Advocates and lawmakers, including Hawley, said the cleanup could move faster.
“For years, the people of St. Louis were told, ‘Don’t worry. There’s no significant radiation.’ Or they were told, ‘Hey, we’ve cleaned it all up.’ In fact, those things were not true,” Hawley said.
“It was taking years to do testing and really get the scope and magnitude of how contaminated North County is,” Chapman said.
Testing from almost 50 years ago found possible contamination in parts of the creek. A 1977 report from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee detailed samples from Coldwater Creek. Testing in drainage ditches, which carried run-off water into the creek, showed average radiation levels were almost five times higher than usual.
“We haven’t seen that level at these sites, since I’ve been here for sure,” Moser said.
In the 1970s, workers moved the waste once again, this time to West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton, Missouri.
“It is not possible in this United States of America to purchase a home next to a site that has Manhattan Project radioactive waste just sitting up for decades,” Chapman said.
Chadman, Nickel and thousands of others eventually would call neighborhoods near the West Lake Landfill home.
“The time to act is now. This should have been done 50 years ago, but it hasn’t been. So, now it’s time to do it,” Hawley said.
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Abdullah Mason and Albert Bell previewed their championship bout and came face to face at the press conference. The two fighters square off this Saturday, July 4, at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center.
- Cleveland-based 22-year-old southpaw Mason (20-0, 17 KOs) of Bedford, Ohio, defends his WBO lightweight title after claiming the vacant belt last November by decision against Sam Noakes.
- Toledo’s 33-year-old Bell (28-0, 9 KOs), who makes his first bid to become a champion, took the fight on short notice, replacing Joe Cordina of Wales.
See below what Mason and Bell had to say at the press conference on Thursday, following the open workout.
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Mason: I’m prepared to come out on top
“I’m excited. I’m super excited,” Mason said. “This is something me and my brothers have been looking forward to doing since we were amateurs. We fought on the same card a few times as amateurs, and all of us did it together on the last show my father threw here in Cleveland. It was huge.”
“At that time, we were like, ‘Yo, when we do this on a professional level, it’s going to be big for Cleveland.’ And now, it’s big for not only Cleveland, but it’s on TNT, so this is a national stage, a world stage with DAZN. I’m just excited to be able to put this show on with two of my brothers on the card.”
“I feel like it [fight vs Sam Noakes] was definitely a much-needed experience. That’s not the type of fight you have all the time in your career. It was something I felt like I had to do that night. Every fight is different, and it definitely gave me some insight into how I’ll approach the rest of my career. So, it was a much-needed experience and a great fight.”
“It [opponent change] was definitely unexpected. Albert Bell – that’s our guy from Toledo. But it’s boxing. You’ve got to be prepared for anything, and I’m prepared to come out on top. Everything happens for a reason.”
“One thing I do want to say is, I’m the youngest world champion in boxing for a reason, and I’m prepared to show that when I step into the ring.”
“Boxing is offense, defense and IQ, and you’ve got to put it together and tailor it to the person you’re stepping in the ring with. So, with the opponent switch, I just have to tailor it to the person across the ring from me, and that’s Albert Bell.”
Bell: We’re here now, and that’s all that matters
“I mean, it caught me by surprise,” Bell said on stepping in to face Mason on short notice. “It was an ideal opponent for me. I wasn’t really thinking about fighting Abdullah, especially not this soon. But everything made sense. I talked to my pops about it, and it made sense, so I stepped in to save the card, get my world title opportunity and put on a show for all of Ohio.”
“I mean, I get turned down by a lot of guys. I’m not saying that in a cocky way or trying to act like I’m the boogeyman or anything like that, but a lot of guys say no when my name comes across their table. I would’ve had the name I was supposed to have by now if it weren’t for that, but what’s delayed is not denied. We’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”
“I just need to be the best version of myself. I know he’s coming to be the best version of himself. He’s prepared, I’m prepared. We’re ready. We’re two top fighters, and we’re professionals. We’re both Ohioans. We’ve got history with each other, and it’s gonna be a show for sure.”
Mason vs Bell undercard
In the co-feature, Bruce Carrington (17-0, 10 KOs) of Brooklyn makes the first defense of his WBC featherweight title against Rene Palacios (19-0-1, 10 KOs) of Mexico.
On the undercard, Cleveland’s Delante “Tiger” Johnson (17-0, 8 KOs) takes on Canada-based Mexican Christopher Guerrero (16-0, 9 KOs) at welterweight.
Plus, Deric Davis (11-0, 10 KOs) of Fort Washington, Maryland, and Carlos Ramos (18-4-1, 10 KOs) of Spain by way of Ecuador, square off at lightweight.
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ILLINOIS – A severed arm with a distinctive Green Bay Packers tattoo led investigators to identify a Plainfield man whose remains were recovered from Lake Mattoon, and two people have now been charged in the case, including the man’s mother, Illinois State Police said.
James Adams, 26, and Robin Turner, 62, are each charged with concealment of a homicidal death, a Class 3 felony, and dismembering a human body, a Class X felony.
Two charged after severed arm with Packers tattoo found in Illinois lake, police say
The backstory:
Boaters found part of a human arm floating in Lake Mattoon on the evening of June 28, according to Illinois State Police. The arm had several distinctive tattoos, including a skeleton holding a Green Bay Packers helmet and an unidentified letter or number.
Severed arm found in Illinois lake belonged to Plainfield man, police say (Illinois State Police)
Authorities searched the lake and recovered additional human remains. The victim was later identified as 38-year-old Dalewayne Turner of Plainfield.
Investigators executed a search warrant Wednesday at a home in the 2400 block of Ruth Fitzgerald Drive in Plainfield, where Adams and Robin Turner were taken into custody, state police said. Robin is reportedly Dalewayne’s mother.
Police said investigators also recovered additional evidence from the home but have not disclosed what was found.
What’s next:
Illinois State Police presented the case Thursday to the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office, which approved the charges.
Adams and Turner remain in custody as the investigation continues. State police said additional charges are expected.
The Source: The information in this article was provided by Illinois State Police and previous FOX Chicago reporting.
What to know about the ‘Speedway Slammer’ ICE detainee facility in Indiana
Miami Correctional Facility can house up to 1,000 ICE detainees.
The warden of an Indiana prison that serves as one of the Midwest’s largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers has departed his role as head of the maximum security facility.
Brian English, who ran Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, announced his exit on LinkedIn.
“After much reflection, I’ve decided to take the next step in my career and will be transitioning out of my role at the Miami Correctional Facility,” he wrote. “Closing this chapter has reminded me just how much can change when a team decides to move forward together.”
English’s announcement described the prison as a “difficult place” recovering from lockdowns, strained community relations and severe staffing shortages when he first took over in October 2022.
“Over the past three years and nine months, we’ve strengthened operations of a maximum-security prison, with a minimum-security unit, infirmary unit and a newly opened 1,000‑bed ICE detention facility,” he wrote. “We rebuilt community relations, expanded partnerships with law enforcement and Grissom Air Force Base, doubled volunteer engagement, grew programming, and improved staffing and retention in meaningful ways.”
English confirmed in a telephone call to IndyStar that Friday, June 26, was his last day on the job.
“I no longer work there,” he said via phone. “I don’t really have any comment about it. I’m just taking some time off, and I’ll be pursuing other opportunities.”
When asked if he was leaving on his own or had forced out, English told IndyStar the decision was “totally his decision.”
“That’s all I’m going to really comment about,” he said. “It was my decision to go.”
The prison, which Trump administration officials nicknamed the “Speedway Slammer” despite local protestations, has continued to suffer from serious problems during English’s tenure. An IndyStar investigation found that violence and drug use were rampant at the facility before it began accepting ICE detainees in October.
Last summer, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that the prison would become an ICE detention site, housing up to 1,000 detainees, as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration. Two detainees have since died at the facility, which as of last month housed more than 600 immigration detainees in addition to about 1,800 state prisoners.
Concerns about conditions at the prison have prompted calls to shut down ICE detention at the facility from U.S. Rep. André Carson, faith leaders and civil liberty advocates. They say detainees have complained of inadequate medical care, inconsistent food service and difficulties maintaining their hygiene.
Although state officials have said the arrangement with ICE will be profitable, delayed payments from the federal government have resulted in expenditures exceeding revenue. Prison officials have said they expect that to change as the arrangement continues.
It’s unclear who will run the prison in the interim or if a new warden has been identified. The Indiana Department of Correction did not immediately respond to an IndyStar inquiry about English’s departure. Neither did ICE.
Contact IndyStar investigative reporter Alexandria Burris at aburris@indystar.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @allyburris and on Bluesky at@allymburris.bsky.social.
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