Bush Announces Federal Review of Coldwater Creek Cleanup
WASHINGTON D.C.—Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee released the below statement announcing a federal review of Coldwater Creek. The study, which will be conducted by the Government Accountability Office, comes as a result of a July 2021 request from Congresswoman Bush and House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney who asked the agency to conduct a thorough evaluation of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) environmental liability reporting and remediation efforts. Specifically, the Congresswomen highlighted unacceptable delays and transparency issues in the cleanup of Coldwater Creek in St. Louis.
“The contamination at Coldwater Creek is deeply personal to me. When I lived in the vicinity of the Creek, the basement of my house would regularly flood with potentially radioactive water. My son’s room was in that basement. Black families in North County have been unsafe and unhealthy for too long because of toxic water. The pace and thoroughness of cleanup at Coldwater Creek remains totally unacceptable.” said Congresswoman Bush “As a member of House Oversight, I will continue to demand answers from the responsible federal agencies and hope the GAO’s review will expedite the delivery of long overdue transparency and justice to our neighborhoods.”
As a response to Congresswoman Bush’s request for a review of cleanup efforts for Coldwater Creek, the Government Accountability Office has outlined the following objectives for their study:
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What are the reported environmental liabilities associated with FUSRAP sites and what uncertainties exist around those estimates?
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What are the demographic characteristics of communities near FUSRAP sites?
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How effectively is DOD managing the FUSRAP program?
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How does DOD manage sites that are not-yet-remediated to ensure that surrounding communities are aware of potential risks?
In May 2022, Congresswoman Bush introduced H.R. 7879, the Coldwater Creek Signage Act which would require posted signs to inform residents of the dangers of the creek and study the status of cleanup efforts.
A copy of the Coldwater Creek Signage Act Can be found here.
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Congresswoman Cori Bush sits on the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees, serves as the Progressive Caucus Deputy Whip, and proudly represents St. Louis as a politivist in the halls of the United States Congress.