MISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa (KMTV) — Neighbors packed a community center in Missouri Valley Wednesday night seeking answers about Cold War-era contaminants polluting wells outside of town.
RELATED | Harrison County neighbors believe cancer cases linked to contaminants from Cold War missile sites
AN EARLIER VERSION OF THIS STORY SAID THAT THE CLEANUP PROCESS WILL BEGIN IN TWO YEARS ONCE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY IS COMPLETE. THE ARTICLE HAS BEEN CORRECTED. THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS SAYS THE FEASIBILITY STUDY WILL BE COMPLETE IN TWO YEARS, BUT IT ISN'T CLEAR WHEN THE MITIGATION PROCESS WILL BEGIN.
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It was a brief period — in the early 1960s — when Atlas missiles were housed outside Missouri Valley. The Army Corps of Engineers says it learned in 2013 that TCE — a cancer-causing chemical used to clean the missile sites — was contaminating drinking water for some rural residents, and some say it is making them sick.
"I've had a brain tumor removed, I have all sorts of neurological issues — why did it take so long to tell us?" DeAnn Paul asked during the community meeting.
The Corps is currently testing methods for cleaning up the affected area, including injecting an iron-based solution into groundwater, which neutralizes the TCE. Neighbors at Wednesday night's meeting say they are frustrated by how long it is taking.
"I get it. It's the government. It's slow, but that doesn't make us feel any better," one neighbor said.
"When does the cleanup start?" asked another neighbor.
Project Manager Scott Sawyer with the Corps of Engineers told residents a process has to be followed in order for cleanup to be funded.
"It is not quick, I know it's not quick and it's not going to make anybody happy. I'm not expecting this to make anybody happy," he said.
Sawyer says he expects a feasibility study will be complete in another two years. It's not certain when the mitigation process will begin.
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