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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 18 OctOber 2023

Cleanup cost for nuclear contamination sites has risen nearly $1 billion

By JIM SALTER and ination. Uranium was pro-
MICHAEL PHILLIS cessed in St. Louis starting
Associated Press at the onset of World War II
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The esti- as America raced to devel-
mated future cost to clean op nuclear bombs, and the
up 19 sites contaminated waste has contaminated a
by nuclear waste from the creek, a landfill and other
Cold War era has risen by properties.
nearly $1 billion in the past In July, reporting as part
seven years, according to of an ongoing collabora-
a report released Tuesday tion between The Missouri
by the U.S. Government Independent, the non-
Accountability Office. profit newsroom MuckRock
The GAO report urges the and The Associated Press
Army Corps of Engineers cited thousands of pages
to improve management of documents indicating
practices for cleaning up decades of nonchalance
contaminated sites under Coldwater Creek flows, April 7, 2023, in Florissant, Mo. A new report released on Tuesday, Oct. 17, and indifference about
the Formerly Utilized Sites by the Government Accountability Office says that future cleanup cost of 19 sites contaminated the risks posed by uranium
by Cold War era nuclear waste has risen $1 billion since a 2016 estimate.
Remedial Action Program, Associated Press contamination. The gov-
or FUSRAP. The recommen- ernment documents were
dations include improved ability, noted that more says exposure over a long tivists have long fought for obtained by outside re-
planning so resources can than two-fifths of the sites period may result in ane- compensation for people searchers through the Free-
be better shared among are near low-income and mia, cataracts and other with cancer and other seri- dom of Information Act
sites and developing more minority communities. health conditions. ous illnesses might be con- and shared with the news
comprehensive cost esti- "Decades after the federal But in the St. Louis area, ac- nected to nuclear contam- organizations.q
mates. government generated
Officials say inflation is large amounts of toxic nu-
partly to blame for the clear waste as a result of
cost increase, along with nuclear weapons produc-
uncertainties about the tion, America's most un-
cleanup. The report found derserved communities still
that four sites with "compli- bear the brunt of deadly
cated cleanup remedies contamination from one
or large amounts of con- of the most significant en-
tamination" are responsible vironmental disasters in our
for about three-fourths of nation's history," Raskin said
the cost increase. Two of in a statement.
those sites are in New York The Corps of Engineers re-
state — one near Niagara ported about $2.6 billion
Falls and one in Lockport. in future costs associated
The others are in Armstrong with FUSRAP, according to
County, Pennsylvania, and its fiscal year 2022 finan-
in the St. Louis area. All told, cial statement — nearly
the 19 FUSRAP sites are in $1 billion higher than 2016
eight states, all in the East estimates. The report said
or Midwest. The Depart- yearly inflation adjustments
ment of Defense said they contributed to about half
would work to implement of the increased cost.
the GAO's recommenda- Corps officials said that the
tions, the report stated. rest "stems from cleanup-
"The U.S. Army Corps of En- related uncertainties, such
gineers remains committed as sites that did not have a
to cleaning up and com- complete estimate in 2016
pleting projects being ex- because they were still un-
ecuted under the Formerly der investigation, as well as
Utilized Sites Remedial Ac- sites where the understand-
tion Program (FUSRAP) to ing of the amount and ac-
protect the health and cessibility of the contami-
well-being of communities nation has changed over
and the environment," a time," the report stated.
statement from the agen- The report noted that FUS-
cy said. "We have received RAP sites vary from rough-
the Government Account- ly a single acre to a site
ability Office's report and made up of 2,400 acres
we are currently working to (971 hectares). Contami-
address their recommen- nation largely consists of
dations." low levels of uranium, tho-
U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of rium, radium and associ-
Maryland, a member of ated decay products. The
the House Committee on CDC's Agency for Toxic
Oversight and Account- Substances and Disease