Radioactive waste finding raises worries at Missouri school

FLORISSANT, Mo. (AP) — Radioactive waste in a creek that meanders through part of suburban St. Louis has long been suspected of causing rare cancers and other health problems for residents who live nearby. Now, new studies suggest Coldwater Creek also has caused contamination around — and perhaps inside — a grade school.

Students are still attending Jana Elementary School in Florissant, Missouri, despite a private company’s new report that found radioactive material far above the expected level for the school that sits within Coldwater Creek's flood plain. The Hazelwood School Board plans to meet in closed session Tuesday night to discuss what should be done next.

Contamination was found in classrooms and the library, in the HVAC system and on the playground and nearby fields, according to a report from Boston Chemical Data Corp. The study completed earlier this month was performed on behalf of law firms involved in a class-action lawsuit — one of many seeking compensation for those who blame illness or death on living near the creek.

The Boston Chemical study cited levels of radioactive isotope lead-210 that were 22 times the expected level on the kindergarten playground. It also found high levels of polonium, radium and other material in various places throughout the school.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says high levels of radiation can increase the risk of cancer, while high levels of lead can impact a child's development and attention span.

“Remedial measures are appropriate to reduce exposures to radioactive materials for users of the school building and grounds but are complicated by the potential for recontamination due to flooding of the contaminated Coldwater Creek,” the report stated.

The private study follows an examination by the Army Corps of Engineers that found...