Senator Hawley is urging Biden to declare a federal emergency after reports of radioactive contamination at Yana Elementary School.

ST. Louis, Mo. (KMOV) – U.S. Senator Josh Hawley sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Wednesday following the closure of Yana Elementary School in Florissant after radioactive waste was found.

“I urge you to declare a federal emergency and immediately authorize federal assistance,” Hawley said in the letter. “The federal government bears the ultimate responsibility for this situation, and it is your administration’s responsibility to fix it.”

The Hazelwood School District decided to close the facility after chemical testing revealed radioactive contamination in dust in classrooms, the cafeteria, the library and the HVAC system. More pollution was found outside the playground and ball fields.

“The parents, children, and residents of this area have waited years for the federal government to do its cleanup. Now their school is contaminated. They deserve immediate relief. You must act immediately to declare a federal emergency and allow federal aid. Holi said in the letter.

Hawley said if immediate cleanup is not possible, then the federal government should provide the necessary funds to rebuild the school elsewhere.

“The federal government should never expose this country’s children to radioactive contamination in their schools. And parents and other residents of this area should no longer have to wait for a cleanup. The Army Corps has been ‘cleaning up’ contaminated sites for at least two decades,” Hawley wrote. “Enough is enough. I ask you to act immediately.”

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a division of the CDC, concluded in 2018 that radioactive contamination in and around Coldwater Creek may increase the risk of certain types of cancer for people who play or live there.

The US Army Corp of Engineers has been digging for radioactive waste along the river in recent years. Officials with the Army Corp of Engineers said Wednesday they will conduct further testing both upstream and downstream along Coldwater Creek to the Missouri River.

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