MO senators and congressman ask army to provide answers on Cold War-era human testing experiments in St. Louis

Note: Since Monday, 24 September, when we published the article Breaking News: Secret US military testing of radiological materials on poor and minority  on our Climate Connections blog, it has become one of the most read articles  since the blog’s debut in 2009.  GJEP also worked with the Institute for Public Accuracy, on their press release  Exposed: Secret Cold War Inhalation Experiments on Poor, Minority Communities in St. Louis; Possible Radiological Testing, as well as The Sojourner Truth show on KPFK Los Angeles and other media to help make sure that more people are informed of the secret testing.
 
Our prelude to Monday’s Climate Connections article stated:  In a story that is breaking right now, Dr. Lisa Martino-Taylor, a sociologist in St. Louis. MO (US), has introduced evidence that “secret military tests conducted during the Cold War targeted poor and minority communities for exposure to what is likely radiological material.”

The following is an update on the cover-up.
 
–The GJEP Team
 

Compiled by Orin Langelle and Anne Petermann
 
U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Roy Blunt, R-Mo are calling for an investigation into the secret testing on humans during the Cold War.
 
After hearing that Senator Blunt and Senator McCaskill are asking for an investigation related to the 1953-1954 and 1963-1965 open-air military/USPHS tests, which focused on the DeSoto Carr, Pruitt-Igoe and other affected areas, Dr. Lisa Martino-Taylor told us, “any real and legitimate investigation will include public comment and participation from former residents in the affected areas.  Their voices have not been heard.  It would be very inappropriate for government agencies- some of which designed these tests- to conduct an investigation without availing themselves of the first-hand experiences of those residents who were directly affected.”
 
Select quotes from yesterday’s online St. Louis Beacon:

“Given the nature of these experiments, it’s not surprising that Missouri citizens still have questions and concerns about what exactly occurred and if there may have been any negative health effects,” McCaskill said in a statement.

“The National Research Council recommended that additional studies should be conducted and it’s my goal to find out whether or not they were.”

In a statement, Blunt said, “The idea that thousands of Missourians were unwillingly exposed to harmful materials in order to determine their health effects is absolutely shocking. It should come as no surprise that these individuals and their families are demanding answers of government officials.”

In his letter, Blunt asked the Army to report on the specific areas exposed to the spraying, the health impact of exposure to the chemical compounds, and whether there was indeed a radioactive component to the testing in Missouri.

U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, whose congressional district includes some of the affected parts of the city, said Thursday that “it’s time for the Army to come clean and tell us the truth.”

“The Army has never revealed the full story about this outrageous and irresponsible Cold War testing in the midst of our community,” Clay said in a statement to the Beacon. “It’s unclear if the recommended follow-up testing was ever conducted, and if any long-term health risks exist.”

Dr. Martino-Taylor spoke to an overflowing crowd, many former residents of Pruitt-Igoe, 25 September at St. Louis Community College about her research on the cover-up experiments on humans.  The following video from KSDK (NBC St. Louis affiliate) immediately followed her talk: