This story from Ohio proves why we need good, independent investigative journalism.
Officials to test water from Ohio village near Cold War-era weapons plant after newspaper probe
LUCKEY, Ohio (AP) — Authorities in Ohio plan to test the groundwater supply across a village near a former weapons plant after a newspaper investigation published Friday found high levels of radioactivity in samples taken at a school, athletic field, library and other sites.
The Army Corps of Engineers has been removing tons of contaminated soil from the Cold War-era site since 2018 and has long maintained that residential areas were not affected by the work.
However, The Blade in Toledo said its tests showed radioactivity levels 10 times higher than normal in water from a drinking fountain at Eastwood Middle School, 45 times higher than normal at the Luckey Library and 1,731 times higher than normal at a water pump near athletic fields.
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The radioactivity detected was primarily bismuth-214, which decays from the radioactive gas radon-222. Experts agree that high levels of bismuth-214 suggest high levels of radon are also present.
Radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers.
The testing also found low levels of radioactive cobalt-60, a man-made isotope, in two wells. Experts called that finding extremely rare.
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Things that happened generations ago are still affecting us,” said Karina Hahn-Claydon, a 50-year-old teacher whose family lives less than a mile from the site. “And that’s because the government didn’t take care of it.”
Private drinking wells, unlike municipal systems, are not regulated, and responsibility for testing is left to owners. The Blade’s testing took place from April 2024 through January.
Radioactivity has been linked to an increased risk of various cancers, including blood and thyroid cancers.
https://apnews.com/article/weapons-plant-groundwater-pollution-ohio-radioactive-d92f8e63b3151a0881ce96a8309e9aca#
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