U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Outdated and poorly maintained sewage and stormwater systems have led to chronic sewage backups in communities across the country.

Lawmakers formed a new committee to document the effects of radioactive waste in the St. Louis region and other Missouri sites and to search for policy solutions.

The signs released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warn of ‘low-level radioactive materials present’ near the suburban St. Louis creek.

St. Louis native Lee Hendrix is the author of the new book, “Peep Light: Stories of a Mississippi River Boat Captain.” He discusses the dangerous work of starting as a deckhand and how he ascended to the pilothouse.

The islands and sandbars are made out of the remnants of regular dredging on the bottom of the river. The Army Corps of Engineers says the new creations will provide an environment for wildlife and are a better alternative than dumping sediment outside the river.

Venice, Madison and Granite City have ties to World War II-era production of radioactive materials used by the U.S. Atomic Weapons Commission — just like St. Louis and St. Charles counties in Missouri.

“The Great River” by Boyce Upholt traces the history of humans’ relationship with the Mississippi and what engineering over centuries has created.

The site near Jana Elementary is one of many the Army Corps of Engineers is cleaning up along the 14-mile Coldwater Creek, the waterway contaminated with radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project.

The Army Corps shelved 14 flood control measures authorized in 1965 for the area because of “low cost-benefit ratios.” The federal lawmakers noted that decades later the communities experience frequent flooding.

Replacing the sewer line is an essential step in fixing Cahokia Heights' faulty system that's left residents with backed-up toilets, flooded basements and standing water in their yards.