USACE completes remediation of eight North St. Louis properties
ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, has completed remediation and backfilling work at seven residential properties and one common ground parcel in the Cades Cove area of North St. Louis County, marking a major milestone in the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program cleanup effort.
The project involved remediating eight properties in total: six houses were demolished to reach the contamination, one adjacent property with a house that did not require removal, and one common ground property behind the homes, are now fully remediated.
Throughout the project, crews removed approximately 11,750 cubic yards of contaminated soil from the eight properties between March 9 and June 28, 2026. The soil was transported in 1,479 truckloads to the St. Louis Airport Site loadout facility for preparation and off-site disposal. As of Sep. 16, 57 railcars carrying approximately 4,735 cubic yards of contaminated soil had departed the loadout facility, while the remaining material is stockpiled there for later shipment.
Following excavation, crews placed approximately 3,430 cubic yards of clean fill and restored the residential properties to grade and replaced all sidewalk panels that were removed during remediation. Backfilling occurred from May 28 through Sept. 3, 2026, almost a month ahead of schedule.
Final surface restoration includes reseeding the properties with perennial rye, annual rye and Kentucky 31 tall fescue, along with erosion control blankets on sloped areas. Seeding of the properties was completed Sept. 10.
The remediation followed more than a decade of methodical investigation. Sampling in the Cades Cove area began in 2014 and continued through 2025 as USACE and its contractors worked to define the location and depth of contamination to ensure that the full extent of contamination was understood prior to remediation being completed. Before remediation, the project team collected 1,693 samples from 163 boring locations.
To verify cleanup, the USACE verification contractor used the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual guidelines identified in the Final Status Survey Plan. The contractor performed gamma walkover surveys and collected soil samples to verify that the eight properties meet remediation goals outlined in the Record of Decision for unlimited use and unrestricted exposure to human health and the environment.
"Completing remediation at Cades Cove represents years of investigation, planning and coordination with property owners and the surrounding community. This work demonstrates our commitment to safely removing contamination and restoring affected properties while advancing the broader cleanup mission in North St. Louis County, " said Col. Andy Pannier, St. Louis District commander and district engineer. “I couldn’t be prouder of the entire team that made this priority a success.”
The project was completed without safety incidents, unexpected excavation conditions or significant setbacks. During excavation, crews used water for dust suppression and conducted continuous air monitoring to verify remediation activities did not affect the surrounding community. Teams also completed daily surveys of the general work area, haul routes, personnel and equipment to ensure contaminants were not inadvertently spread during remediation. Trucks carrying contaminated soil were tarped, inspected, decontaminated when necessary and surveyed by health physics technicians before leaving the remediation area and after unloading at the St. Louis Airport Site.
The approximately $15 million effort also established a framework for future FUSRAP remediation in residential areas, should it be needed. The work required demolition and excavation of soil in an active residential setting, coordination with property owners and nearby residents, confirmation sampling and restoration of the affected properties.
Some closeout work will continue after the physical remediation. A temporary access road will remain through October 2027 to support future remedial activities, including planned work in the creek behind the subdivision, currently planned for May through September 2027.
Four groundwater monitoring wells also remain in the Cades Cove area. The wells are expected to be sampled quarterly for at least one year to meet Record of Decision requirements and verify that remedial activities did not negatively affect groundwater quality.
Project documentation will continue through 2027. The Remedial Action Summary is projected for completion in late 2026, followed by subsequent project documentation and final closeout reports for the administrative records.
The owners of the six properties where homes were demolished retained ownership throughout the cleanup. Once final project documentation is complete, the properties will be available for unlimited use in accordance with the Record of Decision.
For a more in-depth look into the project, visit https://dvidshub.net/r/twq8rm.
The Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program addresses contamination resulting from activities conducted as part of the nation's early atomic energy program. Congress transferred execution of FUSRAP to USACE in 1997. The St. Louis District manages FUSRAP projects within its area of responsibility.
For more information about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District and its FUSRAP mission, visit http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil.
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