Using social media, over 2700 cases of cancer, tumors, and auto-immune diseases have been documented. And that's just in one neighborhood.
A spokesperson with the Army Corps of Engineers said that the cleanup is a slow and tedious process. "Things have to be moved at the slow pace in order to protect the environment."
Doctor Fasil Khan, who is the director of the county health department said that sometimes disasters unfold slowly and the real extent of the damage is only realized once you start counting the people around you.
Ever since 1973, very little has been done to clean up the mess. The worst part is that 50,000 tons of highly radiotoxic and uncovered waste from the Manhattan Project sits in the West Lake landfill located in North St. Louis, Missouri. The Post-Dispatch also reports that radioactive material from Mallinckdrodt's downtown project could be there as well. Residents are furious that little has been done to clean up the waste.
Clusters of cancer as well as elevated levels of sickness and death have been recorded. This includes an ongoing health survey in which 45 cases of appendix cancer show up. While rare, it's 1,075% higher than the national average.
What's worse is that an underground fire from an adjacent landfill is making its way toward the radioactive waste. The fire has apparently burned for years with no attempt at putting it out. No other radioactive site in the country is like this.
Further compounding the problem is a series of private corporations that swirl around the ownership of the landfill and the material dumped there. These entities have repeatedly shown a priority to mitigate corporate liability at the community's expense.
Phoenix-based waste hauler, Republic Services, which currently owns the landfill, tried to block court-ordered monitoring data from being provided. But Attorney General Chris Foster fought back and won.
About three weeks ago, the Department of Natural Resources released a letter indicating the fire was moving closer to areas with high levels of radioactive contaminants.
This would only make the problem worse unless something is done.
