Atomic Fallout
Over six months, more than two dozen journalists and researchers pored over 6,700 pages of federal government documents, many of which had been either newly-declassified or never before reviewed.
We consulted experts to analyze the reports anew, to see if the environmental and radioactivity testing done decades ago could be seen and understood in a different, modern light.
The result is “Atomic Fallout,” a sweeping historical investigation. In addition to the full report, you can explore the the history of the St. Louis nuclear waste site in an interactive map and read some of the key findings of our joint report. If you’re a journalist interested in applying our lessons to your own reporting project, or just want to know more about the process, there’s also a guide to how our ‘Atomic Fallout’ reporting came together.
10 Articles
Were you or a family member affected by radioactive fallout and nuclear waste from the Manhattan Project or Cold War? We want to hear your story.
A proposed expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Program could add thousands of new claimants and cost hundreds of millions in taxpayer funds.
Biden supports expanding compensation to radiation victims in Missouri, New Mexico
The St. Louis region has struggled for decades with contamination left over from the effort to develop the atomic bomb in the 1940s.
Energy secretary stops short of endorsing atomic waste victims fund in Missouri visit
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm visited a contaminated site in St. Charles County, saying: “There is no doubt that we have to clean up these sites and there’s no doubt that the testing and remediation is ongoing now…We’ve got to make sure that people feel safe.”