The first warning sign was the stench that seemed to fill the air of Dawn Chapman’s suburban St. Louis neighborhood in 2012. “You could smell burning, but there was something different about it, like jet fuel,” she says. Her three children started to wake in the night with irritated eyes or bloody noses caused, she believes, by the caustic fumes.
By January 2013 Chapman, then a full-time mom, had discovered the source of the overpowering odor: a fire in an underground quarry at the Bridgeton Landfill about two miles from her home. The blaze raised fresh alarm about a decades-old issue—how much atomic waste had been stored in the region post-World War II, with some radioactive material mixing with a local creek and, separately, 43,000-plus tons of it piling up at West Lake Landfill, which is next to Bridgeton Landfill.
Frightened for her family, Chapman went to a community event about air quality and met Karen Nickel, a fellow stay-at-home mom who was wondering whether her own health issues were connected to the nuclear waste. The two bonded immediately. “We were in shock because of what we were learning,” says Nickel, 60.
This story is from the August 26, 2024 edition of People US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 26, 2024 edition of People US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
DIRECTOR DAVID LYNCH 'THERE'S A PRICE TO PAY FOR SMOKING'
THE FILMMAKER IS LIVING WITH COPD AFTER DECADES OF SMOKING WHICH IS WHY HE'S URGING OTHERS TO QUIT
Kate's Emotional Return
PRINCESS KATE'S GRADUAL STEP BACK INTO ROYAL DUTIES WITH PRINCE WILLIAM BY HER SIDE UNDERSCORES THEIR UNSPOKEN STRENGTH AMID IMMENSE PERSONAL CHALLENGES
The Wonderful World of WICKED!
GET READY FOR A HOLIDAY TRIP TO OZ! STARS SHARE A LOOK INSIDE THE NEW MOVIE VERSION OF THE BROADWAY HIT
THE SEXY GUYS OF NEW GIRL
Six years after their hit sitcom ended, the inhabitants of Apt. 4D-Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris and Damon Wayans Jr.-reunite for the first time and prove that being hilarious is always sexy
THE ART OF ROMANCE
With Adam Brody, aka the Hot Rabbi, leading the pack, these actors from the year's hottest love stories could teach a master class in swoon
BENNY BLANCO'S GUIDE TO BEING THE PERFECT GENTLEMAN
He cooks. He hosts. He woos. Now the music mega-producer and songwriter is sharing his secrets to success-in life and love
ROYALLY SEXY
Your majesty! When it comes to playing royalty, these distinguished gentlemen know just how to behave
JOHN KRASINSK IS THE SEXIEST MAN ALIVE!
After a crushworthy role on The Office, the devoted family man is now one of Hollywood's hottest directors
Emilia Pérez | NETFLIX
A crazy, daring tale-with songs!-of crime, revenge and gender reassignment
The True Story Behind Elvis's 1968 Comeback
A new documentary shows Elvis Presley like he's never been seen before. Netflix's Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley (streaming now) explores the significance of the rock and roll legend's '68 Comeback Special that aired on NBC on Dec. 3, 1968, when he was at a major crossroads in his career.