It's not just kids in school who are considering the consequences of being near the radioactive-contaminated Coldwater Creek. Neighbors in the area have heard about the report, and are still trying to process its impact on their health and property values.
"We're really concerned about it," one resident told KMOX. "We're thinking about having the water tested, and a whole lot of extra stuff. We're just trying to protect ourselves."
Lucy Mwangi, another neighbor, said that if the school nearby isn't safe, she worries about what could be in store for her and her family.
"My concern is that maybe this is something that is going to affect us in the future, something we don't know," she said. "We have been here for about 18 years."
Another neighbor, Marcie DeFriese, said she thinks the findings might be overblown. She wondered whether the creek had just flooded once, contaminating it but not her own home.
"I wouldn't mind getting a report from the Army Corps of Engineers, I'm not so sure that the Boston thing isn't blowing up the numbers," she said. "I mean, I don't know what any of those numbers mean, they may not mean anything."
Several nearby neighbors said they'd like to see more testing at the school to confirm the radiation is as bad as they say, and some want testing of nearby homes. However, none of the people who spoke with KMOX say they've had health problems in their families – and some have been living in the area for 30 years.
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