See that high school on the right called Francis Howell High School? That was my high school.

See that huge pile of big white rocks on the left? That was the Weldon Spring Ordnance Works site. It was a superfund site that was recently “cleaned up” by piling a mountain of rocks over it. The plant converted processed uranium ore concentrates to pure uranium trioxide, intermediate compounds, and uranium metal. A small amount of thorium was also processed. Wastes generated during these operations were stored in four raffinate pits located on the plant property. Uranium processing operations resulted in radiological contamination of the area. My mom and dad graduated from the same high school. My dad was in the marching band. They used to have a parade through the plant after football games back in the mid-60’s.

And then they covered it up with rocks. Here’s one of my favorite pictures I’ve taken standing at the base of that “mountain.” And here’s another I took of a friend on top of it.