Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:
Cleaning up the Weldon Spring Site
The Weldon Spring Site, located on Hwy 94 near I-64, has a unique history connecting to WWII and the Cold War. As a result of site activities during these eras, chemical and radiological contamination occurred leading to a major environmental cleanup effort starting in 1986. Yvonne Deyo and Kevin McCarthy will share the story of the Weldon Spring Site’s complicated past, present long-term surveillance and maintenance program, and future plans for providing educational resources to the surrounding community.
Meet Your Presenters
Yvonne Deyo
, Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center
Kevin McCarthy
, Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center
Related Presentations
Resources & Links
Dig deeper for more info on this topic.
- Website for Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center
- Download fact sheet on Weldon Spring Site history (pdf)
- More Fact Sheets
- WSSIC Online Tour (lots of good info)
- EPA Superfund Profile on Weldon Spring
- Wikipedia entry on Weldon Spring Ordnance Works
- Historic Photo Gallery of Weldon Spring Ordnance Works
Articles
There remains a lot of local controversy on whether or not contamination that originated at the Weldon Spring sites continues to pose a threat to water resources and residents in nearby areas. Here's some older and more recent articles related to the history of the Weldon Spring site.
- "A Pile of Nuclear Waste now a tourist attraction in Weldon Spring, MO" - post on Amazing Planet
- "Report on Cancer Risk from Weldon Spring assailed" by Blythe Bernhard, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sept. 20, 2012
- "A Monument to our Times" by Jeff Joiner, Rural Missouri, Sept. 2004.
- Reprint of 1989 St. Louis Post-Dispatch article on Weldon Spring.
- "St. Louis Burning: What killed the babies near Weldon Spring" by Ryan Schluesser, Al-Jazeera America, April 30, 2015. Part of a three part series on radiation contamination in St. Louis area.
- "The Right To Answers" - article by Jeanette Batz in Riverfront Times, March 2001.
- "Mountain of Nuclear Waste Splits St. Louis and Suburbs" - article by Keith Schneider, New York Times, March 24, 1990
The Big Muddy Speakers Series in St. Charles
is hosted by these wonderful partners:
- Greenway Network
- Missouri River Relief
- Friends of Big Muddy
- Big Muddy Adventures
- Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge
- Big A’s Restaurant
All speakers are presenting for free and Big A’s is sharing the space for free! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us!
The Big Muddy Speaker Series also takes place monthly in Rocheport and Kansas City.
A special thank you to Greg Poleski of Greenway Network and Mike Clark of Big Muddy Adventures for making this happen!
Upcoming Presentations
Leave No Trace Training on the Barge
October 14, 2026St. Louis, MO
Join us for a special Big Muddy Speaker Series on the Living Lands & Waters Barge where Perry Whitaker will lead us in a Leave No Trace Training.
See Event
Missouri River Relief: 25 Years on the Big Muddy
November 10, 2026Columbia, MO
Join us for a journey through time celebrating 25 years of Missouri River Relief's work on the Big Muddy.
See Event
Plastic Pollution, Gulf Hypoxia, and Water Quality
November 11, 2026St Charles, MO
Jennifer Wendt from MidAmerica Clean Future guides us through understanding regional water quality challenges.
See Event