Growing up near Coldwater Creek: ‘We had no idea we were swimming in Uranium waste’ episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 1, 2025 · 26 MIN

Growing up near Coldwater Creek: ‘We had no idea we were swimming in Uranium waste’

from St. Louis on the Air

Coldwater Creek lies at the heart of one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. It’s also where Jim Gaffney played as a child growing up in north St. Louis County. “We thought we'd stay there the rest of our lives. We had no idea we were swimming in uranium waste,” said Gaffney, who has battled multiple cancer diagnoses throughout his life. Gaffney and other former residents of Coldwater Creek spoke with journalist Mike Fitzgerald, who joined “St. Louis on the Air” to discuss his recent reporting. Along with Fitzgerald, Dawn Chapman, co-founder of the group Just Moms STL, shared her insight and takeaways from the recent visit to the West Lake Landfill by EPA administrator Lee Zeldin.

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Growing up near Coldwater Creek: ‘We had no idea we were swimming in Uranium waste’

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This episode was published on April 1, 2025.

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Coldwater Creek lies at the heart of one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. It’s also where Jim Gaffney played as a child growing up in north St. Louis County. “We thought we'd stay there the rest of our lives. We had no idea we...

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