The long-empty Reserve at Winding Creek apartment complex in Hazelwood has a new and unwelcome distinction: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has confirmed contaminated soil on the property along Coldwater Creek. The complex has been vacant since record flash flooding in July 2022, and it is now ringed with security fencing to keep people out while Corps crews perform subsurface sampling to map the contamination and design a cleanup that will zero in on the creek banks.
Contamination Stays Buried For Now, Corps Says No Immediate Risk
According to Spectrum News, a Corps spokesperson said the contamination of concern is below ground level and, based on what engineers know so far, “subsurface condition does not pose a risk to someone being in or around the buildings.” Crews started sampling in March, focusing on the area around a former clubhouse as they evaluate how to dig out the bad soil without tearing up more than they need to.
How Much Dirt And How Long The Crews Will Be There
FOX 2 reports that the Corps currently estimates about 322 cubic yards of known contaminated soil on the site, though officials say the total could climb to “upwards” of 6,000 cubic yards once work is complete. Remedial work is slated to run from October 2026 through March 2027, with removal efforts aimed first at the areas closest to the Coldwater Creek banks.
A Small Piece Of A Much Bigger Cleanup
The find at the former apartment complex slots into a decades-long federal effort to deal with Coldwater Creek contamination that traces back to Manhattan Project era uranium processing. Earlier this year, the Corps moved to demolish six homes in the nearby Cades Cove subdivision as part of its FUSRAP cleanup, according to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers release. National coverage has chronicled how the problem started and why neighbors have been sounding the alarm for years. The Associated Press has documented how residues from wartime operations migrated into the creek and surrounding floodplain over time.
What Neighbors Can Expect Next
Officials say sampling will continue at Reserve at Winding Creek and that the fenced complex will stay closed while engineers lock in a final cleanup plan. The Corps says it intends to prioritize removal along the creek banks and return the land to safe conditions once work wraps up. Still, local coverage notes that full remediation of the entire Coldwater Creek corridor will be a marathon, not a sprint, and depends heavily on federal dollars. Spectrum News reports that, under current funding levels, complete cleanup could stretch into the late 2030s.
Residents Push For Speed, Answers, And Compensation
Neighbors and advocacy groups continue to press for faster action along the creek and more support for people who have lived near the contamination. Federal compensation has become a key part of the debate, with lawmakers and residents pushing to expand Radiation Exposure Compensation Act coverage while local organizers demand clearer timelines and stronger health resources. Coverage of how neighbors band together has tracked the mounting pressure on agencies to move more quickly.
