Radioactive waste was found at a Missouri elementary school, according to a newly released report.
Levels of “radioactive isotope lead-210, polonium, radium and other toxins” were also found in samples taken from the library, kitchen, ventilation system, and classroom surfaces, according to the report.
Boston Chemical said in the report that “a significant remedial program will be required to bring conditions at the school in line with expectation.”
“I was heartbroken,” Ashley Bernaugh, the president of Jana’s parent-teacher association who also has a son who attends the school, told theSt. Louis Post-Dispatch.“It sounds so cliché, but it takes your breath from you,” added Bernaugh.
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers first found contamination within 300 feet of the school during testing in 2018, but did not test inside the school or on the ground immediately surrounding the building, per the report.
Over the summer, a request parents made to the school board for additional testing was denied, Bernaugh toldThe St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Still, in August families received notice that another study would occur.
In the report, Boston Chemical did not state who funded the study.
Christen Commuso, who works with the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, told NBC affiliate KSDK thatdeadly diseasessuch as “leukemia, bone cancer, lung cancers” and more could result from contact with the toxic chemicals.
The Hazelwood School District said in a statement Friday that it is “aware of the report” and that the Board of Education will consult with attorneys and experts “to determine next steps.”
“Safety is always our top priority,” the district said, “and we are actively discussing the implications of the findings.”
The report will be discussed Tuesday during a Hazelwood School Board session that will be closed to the public, board president Betsy Rachel said, per thePost-Dispatch.
Bernaugh said she and others in the community are “100% committed” to holding the school accountable for getting the issue “cleaned up immediately,” according to KSDK.
source: people.com
