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Removal Of Radioactive Soil Forces 18-Month Road Closure

(Photo credit: KSMU file photo)
KSMU - Ozarks Public Radio
(Photo credit: KSMU file photo)

HAZELWOOD, Mo. (AP) — A portion of a St. Louis County road will be closed for a year and a half, in part to remove radioactive soil along a contaminated creek.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the 18-month closure of a stretch of Pershall Road in Hazelwood also will allow for replacement of a bridge. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been removing soil along the north St. Louis County creek for many years.

Radioactive waste was illegally dumped there decades ago, causing environmental damage and creating health concerns for people who lived near the creek.