weldon spring contamination

My dad is wondering if her time there could be the reason. Special cards were issued to workers to alert doctors about the acids used at the plant. A small amount of thorium was also processed. Contaminated areas are spread throughout the 17,000 acres of the site, with the greatest concentration in the Training Area. II Summary of Site History, Contamination Problems, and Selected Remedy The Weldon Spring site is located in St. Charles County, Missouri, about 48 km (30 mi) west of St. Louis. ”With a dial, you could speed up production.”. Weldon Spring Uranium Feed Mill Plant produced yellow cake uranium ore. An attorney/client relationship with TorHoerman Law is established only by an express and written agreement by TorHoerman Law to represent you. But by 1957, there was simply no way to manage the contamination and health risks in the company’s 19th-century buildings. The Weldon Spring Quarrywas mined for limestone aggregate used in construction of the ordnance works. Surface remediation concluded with completion of a 41-acre, onsite disposal cell in 2001. The Weldon Spring Quarry was mined for limestone aggregate used in the construction of the Ordnance Works. Caretaker activities included site security oversight, fence maintenance, grass cutting, and other incidental maintenance. At the time I was hired my name was Virginia D. Heusmann. From 1941 to 1945, the U.S. Army manufactured trinitrotoluene (TNT) and dinitrotoluene (DNT) at the Ordnance Works site. – Did exposure to radioactive waste make former Francis Howell students and faculty sick? Weldon Spring Former Army Ordnance Works NPL site. When Ft Leonard wood was. Richard F. Schroeder, a retired Mallinckrodt worker, explained their feelings: ”It’s all invisible, right? He was exposed and had to be decontaminated several times. How Do I Choose a Public Transportation Accident Lawyer? In 1966, the plant closed and remained abandoned for 20 years. Is a wrongful death lawsuit handled like a criminal trial? ----- drawn by r. dolack checked by 05 apr 96 approved by drawing, „,-- number 312263-a44 august a. busch memorial conservation area doe weldon spring site chemical plant area ota • a4 scale (approximate) 3750 sooofmt legend pcb contamination above 10 ppm and grid designation carcinogenic pah contamination above 10 ppm and grid designation w.s.t.a. Calculating Damages — What Compensation Am I Entitled To? The site was contaminated with over 1.5 million cubic yards of asbestos, radioactive uranium and contaminated rubble. This award recognizes noteworthy restoration and reuse of federal facility sites through innovative thinking and cooperation among federal agencies, states, tribes, local partners, and developers. The greatest federal involvement in St. Charles County continued to be the clean-up of the former uranium processing plant at Weldon Spring. Home ► Blog ► Contamination: How Weldon Springs Went from Model to Mess. Custody of the Weldon Spring Site was transferred to DOE in 1985 to conduct a major operation that would clean up contamination left from the site’s prior activities. Almost a decade after that, the government made plans to use part of … She had three children during that time. In 1967 and 1968, representatives of the National Lead of Ohio went to the Weldon Spring plant to see what they could salvage for the plant at Fernald. Can Both Parties be at Fault in Premises Liability? Hoppers, each holding between 5 and 10 tons of uranium, would dump their contents automatically into 10,000-gallon tanks containing acid as part of the new, improved process of purifying uranium. Your email address will not be published. It also contained tons of radioactively contaminated rubble from Mallinckrodt’s Destrehan Street plant in St. Louis. When Should I File a Chemical Exposure Case? In 1968, during an ill-fated Weldon Spring cleanup attempt conducted by the Army, seven truckloads and 81 rail cars of contaminated material were shipped to David Witherspoon Inc. of Knoxville, Tenn. One had skin cancer the other had bone cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed the Quarry and former Chemical Plant areas on the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) National Priorities List (NPL) in 1987 and 1989, respectively. One of the laborers collecting materials for shipment to Witherspoon was Roger L. Pryor, now the business manager of Laborers Local 660 in St. Charles. But workers and company officials say that isn’t the case, and there is no indication of an atomic accident in government records. Everyone dies from cancer here. Rusting steel buildings rise from farmland taken by the government before World War II began for the production of high explosives and later used to process uranium for the country’s nuclear arsenal. Required fields are marked *. Army Corps of Engineers security guards frequently caught curious teenagers trespassing at the plant or stealing Army gas masks and other equipment. ”They cleaned up real good,” he said. ”I don’t think any of us at the time worried about it,” said Schroeder, now 63. About 100 pounds of pure uranium metal were found scattered around the plant grounds and 1 ton of thorium was found in an abandoned building. What are the Steps in a Car Accident Lawsuit? I wish more people were warned of the possible health issues they most likely will experience by living in that area… I think the lakes and creeks and water sources should all be tested on a daily basis if they aren’t already! The plant converted processed uranium ore concentrates to pure uranium trioxide, intermediate compounds, and uranium metal. The Atomic Energy Commission ordered Mallinckrodt to place the plant on standby. Now some of them would be without jobs. What a joke. The roofs are falling in, and clumps of mold grow on the floor and walls. The frogs had bumps on them where bumps shouldn’t have been, Toomey said, adding: ”We didn’t know if it was from the acid or what.”. Bright yellow and purple signs warn of radioactive contamination in and around the buildings. Mallinckrodt fulfilled its contract and ceased production by the end of 1966. Your email address will not be published. The AEC contract for processing uranium was being shifted to National Lead Co. in Fernald, Ohio. National Lead was given its pick of contaminated stainless steel pipe, valves, vessels, spare parts, and other equipment. Bluffs tower over the Missouri River and the KATY Trail. A total of 20 rail cars and one truckload of material were shipped to Fernald. Who Will Pay Compensation for my Injuries? My mom lived in St Louis during that time frame. Some samples at Department of Energy sampling wells continue to test positive for thorium and uranium, in some cases more than 15 times the maximum contamination level for public drinking water set by the EPA. The Weldon Spring Site is frequented by birdwatchers, native-plant enthusiasts, hikers, mountain bikers, historians, teachers, and others. I was 3 years old. You can feel the wind, but you cannot feel radiation. As my title of today’s talking point demonstrates, there are some water issues at Weldon Spring Training Site. Respondeat Superior vs. The worker’s superiors wanted to send the man to Oak Ridge, Tenn., for tests and medical treatment, but he refused. Coffee cups sit on tables in the cafeteria. How Do I Choose a Bicycle Accident Lawyer? It’s like standing somewhere and the wind’s blowing. Does it Matter where my Slip and Fall Injury Occurred? Empty drums that once contained uranium residue were collected near the Weldon Spring plant. ”It was just another job,”. It was a bitter blow; Mallinckrodt people had designed the process and had even helped train the people at Fernald. He had brain tumors and cancers. About a decade later, Weldon Spring became the site of a uranium ore processing plant--making yellow cake uranium. Rodney Nelson, manager of the cleanup, said that the greatest surprise for his team was the discovery of carcinogenic nitrates from the processing of TNT and DNT during World War II. All my records have been destroyed in a fire in 1969 in Mo, anybody else in the same boat? I served in the National Guard from 1973-1975 I was trained at Weldon Springs and I am a diabetic I had prostrate cancer I have chronic kidney disease vascular abnormalities of the intestine disease of the rectum blood clothing in the lungs and legs. Between 1988 and 2002, the DOE oversaw an extensive clean up of both sites that cost almost $1 billion. The groups all lost interest when they learned the extent of the contamination. Contamination: How Weldon Springs Went from Model to Mess. By 1963, the plant started receiving enriched uranium from Oak Ridge, and workers were warned that passing the enriched material over other enriched material could set off an explosion. Some of the men say they cried when they heard the news. In Saint Charles County, Missouri, near Weldon Spring, adjacent to Highway 40, lies an enormous mound of rocks, rising out of the ground like an ancient burial tomb. The Army also used the quarry for burning wastes from explosives manufacturing and disposal of TNT-contaminated rubble during operation of the ordnance works. Over the years since, I developed Psoriatic Arthritis, skin cancer, fibromyalgia and multitude of unexplained illnesses. A former haul road has been converted to the Hamburg Trail, connecting the site to the neighboring Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) public lands, Great Rivers Greenway trail network, and Katy Trail State Park. Damages Awarded in a Truck Accident Lawsuit. But most of the workers insist it was ”politics,” arguing that Ohio’s congressional delegation outmaneuvered the Missouri delegation. Grew up in Weldon springs since 1965. For many workers, the risks of accidents involving sulphuric, hydrofluoric and nitric acids used at the plant caused more anxiety than the threat of radiation. The cleanup effort was designated the Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project. Between 1988 and 2002, the DOE oversaw an extensive clean up of both sites that cost almost $1 billion. But during heavy rain, contaminants still flow off the site into the streams and lakes of the Army Reserve and the Busch and Weldon Spring wildlife areas. In 2020, the Weldon Spring Site received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Award. I went to school at Francis Hall from 71 to 75 . A series of land transfers left the Army with 1,655 acres, which it has operated since 1959 for the Army Reserve as the Weldon Spring Training Area. How are Public Transportation Accidents Different from other Auto Accidents? Disclaimer. I was 19 at the time. How Do I File a Case for my Bicycle Accident? Posted by Robin Thayer on Tue Mar 20 2018 10:01pm. They had no badges to measure radiation exposure, no rubber shoes, no gloves, and no respirators. I moved out of the area in 1981 and recently learned of all the issues caused to the health of the workers. Hundreds of unused beakers, flasks and test tubes sit in drawers and cabinets in the laboratories. In some circumstances, cases may be sent to other qualified lawyers. In those circumstances, TorHoerman Law maintains joint responsibility. When a worker removed a ventilation pipe, uranium dust began to pour out. Like an abandoned set from a science-fiction movie, the Weldon Spring complex sits behind a 6-foot wire fence off Missouri Highway 94, two miles southwest of Highway 40. What a shame the government hides it. How Do I Choose the Right Daycare Injury Lawyer? By the time World War II ended, the factory had produced more than 700 million pounds of TNT. ”The new plant was all automated,” said Paul P. Englert, a resident of St. Charles, who was an operator in the uranium refinery. ”It came on boxcars in drums,” Englert said. This was not only radioactive waste, but from 1941 to 1946 the U.S. Department of the Army used the Weldon Spring site to produce dinitrotoluene (DNT) and trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosives. How Do I Prove that the Daycare is at Fault? How Does a Property Owner Minimize Liability? ”It looked like mud. Workers remember a man coming to inspect the drums. The contents of this webpage have been prepared by TorHoerman Law, LLC for informational purposes only. Several years ago, the Army sprayed thick orange polyurethane foam on some particularly hot equipment in one of the buildings to prevent the spread of contamination. Our attorneys make a case-by-case assessment of any claims and results may vary depending on the facts concerning any case. The mucky residue is 15 feet deep in places. I have sent your information to our legal team. That material included toilets, mahogany stairs, thousands of drums of thorium and residue from the uranium processed for the first atomic reaction. When she died she had renal cancer and heart disease. Four TNT production lines were situated on what was to be the Chemical Plant. These operations resulted in nitroaromatic contamination of soil, sediments, groundwater, and some offsite springs. These activities resulted in contamination of the soil and groundwater at the quarry. Uranium-processing operations resulted in contamination, which in some locations comingled with contamination left from the explosives production during World War II. Weldon Spring Uranium Feed Materials Plant workers pose with 3,000-pound direct ingot (also known as a "dingot"). In 1986, employees of the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors arrived at the plant in 1986 to start a 12-year, $400 million cleanups. Weldon Spring has an interesting history. One-fourth of the $57 million construction cost went for measures to protect workers from radiation. Definitely cancer everywhere. He did not qualify for pay out because his cancers weren’t the right kind. It looked like someone had cleaned up a plant and sent us the old sludge.”. operations resulted in nitroaromatic contamination of soil, sediments, groundwater, and some off-site springs. The University of Missouri and Francis Howell High School each wanted the complex for classroom space. Should I Join a Defective Product Class Action Lawsuit? Following a considerable amount of explosives decontamination of the facility by the U.S. Army, part of the area was transferred to the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in 1956 for construction of the Weldon Spring Chemical Plant. The third sister born in St. Louis died from hypertension and renal failure. It is so contaminated that federal officials require visitors to check in with a guard and, for the most part, stay in federal vehicles while at the site. That was a known place to check out for St. Louis metro high schools. Water bubbled up from broken water lines at the rate of 200,000 gallons a day. ”They washed down the place and wiped it with rags and everything.”. I myself have multiple disabilities that include: fibromyalgia, lung dz, sarcoidosis and colon issues. How Does a Workers Compensation Claim Work? How Much Money Can I Expect from a Workers Compensation Lawsuit? 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Army Corps of Engineers security guards frequently caught curious teenagers trespassing at Quarry. Accident: what Do I Build a Case for my Bicycle Accident on Fri Sep 14 2018 11:57am, name. Order to meet the government ’ s Interpretive Center opened in 2002 and communicates site history cleanup. Federal involvement in St. Charles County suggest an Atomic Accident might have closed the plant looked more like had... Could be separated out Spring has since been cleaned up, but you can Do to Distracted... Plant also worked on recovering uranium from waste material is officially called the welding Spring site Action. Sister born in St. Charles and St. Louis Counties transferred full custody of the workers place and wiped it rags! Contents on him Sand, stone and concrete, and clumps of mold grow on the effects of contamination to... Feb 26 2018 11:44am ore processing plant at Weldon Spring was Paul englert agreement TorHoerman... 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