Nuclear Waste Disposal Linked to Illnesses in Chemical Exposure Lawsuits

Residents of the Coldwater Creek neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri have filed chemical exposure lawsuits blaming various health issues they are suffering from on companies who disposed of nuclear waste near their neighborhoods.

According to St. Louis Today, 13 people have filed lawsuits in U.S. District Court claiming that the reckless and negligent actions of Mallinckrodt Inc. (now Covidien Pharmaceuticals) and other corporations involved in their disposal of nuclear materials have caused their illnesses. Two of the plaintiffs from the group have passed away and are being represented by relatives.

The plaintiffs have found at least 57 types of cancers in people under the age of 50, who grew up in the Coldwater Creek area. They have also found that many of the former residents’ children suffer from cancers that are potentially chemical exposure-related as well. Some of the cancers include brain, ovarian, throat, and pancreatic cancers. Hundreds more reported that they were suffering from chronic illnesses and conditions such as infertility.

The history of nuclear waste in the St. Louis town stems from the plants that built explosives for World War II. Mallinckrodt processed uranium and radium from ore in downtown St. Louis to make bombs and the radioactive byproducts were transported to a storage site at a nearby airport from 1946 through the 1950s. Some of the contaminated materials were buried near Coldwater Creek and by the 1990s, groundwater, soil, and sediment tests showed unsafe levels of radioactive substances.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by chemical exposure, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to find out if you have grounds to pursue legal action.