• In 1942, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) established the Manhattan Engineer District, also called the "Manhattan Project", to create the world's first atomic bomb

• Throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, private companies throughout the U.S., under contract with the government, performed work during World War II for the Manhattan Project. Work was continued during peacetime through the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)

• Much of the contamination at these work sites resulted from processing ores to recover uranium and thorium

• When these sites ceased their work, they were cleaned up to the standards at the time. However, standards were redefined in the early 1970s, and many of these previously "cleaned up" sites had radiological and chemical contamination that exceeded the new standards.

• Therefore, FUSRAP was established in 1974 to deal with these issues and reviewed conditions at more than 600 sites.

Image shows FURSAP Sites that are being remediated throughout the U.S. and those that have been completed and are now managed by the DOE.

• In addition to the three St. Louis FUSRAP sites that were the main source of contamination, over 100 properties in the vicinity of the St. Louis FUSRAP sites were also potentially contaminated due to improper waste handling.

•  Some areas of the St. Louis FUSRAP sites contain levels of radioactivity above levels that allow the land to be used for any purpose. These areas will remain radioactive for thousands of years, and long-term health risks could increase to unacceptable levels, especially if potentially contaminated materials are excavated without proper protection and handling methods.

•  Erosion around FUSRAP sites such as SLAPS has already caused nuclear waste to seep into nearby land and water, such as Coldwater Creek. Remediation has taken place to remove and contain radioactive contamination. Generally speaking, at St. Louis FUSRAP sites, the contamination is several feet below ground level and/or is in areas that are restricted from the general public. 

• Cleanup efforts are continuing for the St. Louis FUSRAP sites and its nearby properties. Once cleanup is complete, oversight of any property use restrictions will be turned over to the DOE Office of Legacy Management. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers clean up the sites but along with that is a cleanup process

• Collect information on a site and then a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) is handled to come up with cleanup alternatives

• The public is informed through meetings to agree upon a cleanup remedy, this remedy is chosen and then documented in a Record of Decision (ROD)

• The remedy is then carried out and for the St. Louis sites, excavating and removing the contaminated soil and materials is common

• The site workers wear appropriate protective clothing and wear a thermoluminescent dosimeter and personal air monitors. 

• The soil and material is transported to facilities outside of Missouri

• Samples of the soil are taken regularly to make sure the clean up levels are met