Cold Water Creek facts for kids
Coldwater Creek is a 19-mile long stream in northern St. Louis County, Missouri. It flows into the Missouri River. This creek is well-known because it became polluted with radioactive waste many years ago.
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Where is Coldwater Creek?
The creek starts from a small lake in Overland. It then flows north through towns like Breckenridge Hills, St. Ann, and Bridgeton. Part of the creek even goes under Lambert International Airport through a large pipe.
North of the airport, the creek turns northeast. It passes through cities such as Hazelwood, Berkeley, Florissant, and Spanish Lake. The creek flows near schools, golf courses, and soccer fields.
Finally, Coldwater Creek ends by joining the Missouri River. This happens between the Lewis Bridge and the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area.
The History of Coldwater Creek
The name "Coldwater Creek" comes from the original French name, Rivière de L'eau Froide. This means "River of Cold Water." The Spanish also had a name for it: Rio Fernando, or "Ferdinand River."
How the Creek Became Polluted
In December 1989, the U.S. Department of Energy found radioactive material in and along the creek. This discovery stopped a flood-control project that had been planned for years.
The radioactive material came from two nearby dump sites. Both sites got their waste from the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works. In 1942, Mallinckrodt worked with the U.S. government's Manhattan Project to make uranium for weapons.
Dangerous waste from the Mallinckrodt plant was stored at a place called the St. Louis Airport Storage Site (SLAPSS). Later, in 1966, some of this material was moved to another nearby location on Latty Avenue. Over time, radioactive material from both the SLAPSS site and the Latty Avenue site ended up in the creek bed.
Efforts to Clean Up the Creek
In 1989, Coldwater Creek was added to the National Priorities List. This is part of the Superfund program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Superfund program helps clean up the most polluted sites in the country.
Community Concerns and Health Studies
Between 2008 and 2011, people living near the creek noticed many cases of cancer, other illnesses, and birth defects. Many of these people were graduates of McCluer North High School. They started to organize and share their concerns.
In August 2015, the United States Army Corps of Engineers confirmed they found a radioactive substance called thorium-230 in the creek. In January 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked into the high rates of cancer in the area. They confirmed a possible link between the health issues and the polluted creek.
