St Louis Airport Storage Site (SLAPS)

Also Known As: Robertson Airport, Robertson Storage Area
State: Missouri
Location: St. Louis
Time Period: January 3, 1947 -1973; 1984-1998
Facility Type: Department of Energy

Facility Description

The Manhattan Engineer District (MED) began utilizing the St. Louis Airport Storage Site (SLAPS) in 1946 as a place to store residues from the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works. The MED acquired title to the property on January 3, 1947. In 1973 the property was transferred back to the city of St. Louis. Then in 1984, through the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act (Public Law 98-3060) the property was returned to the Department of Energy until 1997 when Congress transferred it to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
 
Although the SLAPS site was designated as part of the Formerly Utilized Site Remediation Action Program (FUSRAP) in 1984, no work under this program was performed prior to its transfer to the Army Corps of Engineers.
 
During the period of residual contamination, as designated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and as noted in the dates above, employees of subsequent owners and operators of this facility are also covered under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act.

Listing

St Louis Airport Storage Site (SLAPS) is listed as a Department of Energy (DOE) site under the EEOICPA from 1/3/1947 -1973, and 1984-1998.

Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) Classes

All employees of the Department of Energy, its predecessor agencies, and its contractors and subcontractors who worked in any area and in any job capacity at the St. Louis Airport Storage Site in St. Louis, Missouri from January 3, 1947 through November 2, 1971, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, occurring either solely under this employment or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more of the other classes of employees in the Special Exposure Cohort.

Petitions Qualified for Evaluation

Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Job Titles and/or Job Duties: All workers who worked in any area and in any job capacity
Period of Employment: During the operational period from January 1, 1946 through December 31, 1966 and the residual period from January 1, 1967 through December 31, 1998

Compensation

As of 08/10/2015, the total compensation paid under Parts B and E of the EEOICPA, including medical compensation, for workers suffering from the effects of having worked at the St. Louis Airport Storage Site (SLAPS) is $607,960.

Attention Mallinckrodt Chemical, St. Louis Airport Storage Site (Slaps) and Tyson Valley Powder Farm Workers

Did you, your spouse, or your parent become ill after working at Attention Mallinckrodt Chemical, St. Louis Airport Storage Site (SLAPS), or Tyson Valley Power Farm? You may be entitled to up to $400,000 from the United States. For more information, call Attorney Hugh Stephens at (800) 548-4494 whether or not you have already filed a claim and even if your claim has been accepted or denied.

We assist with claims, dose reconstructions, objections, hearings, reopenings, consequential conditions, impairment ratings, wage loss, health care, home care and appeals to Federal Court. No Recovery-No Fee. 2% contingent fee for initial claims/10% for objections. 2495 Main St., Buffalo, NY.

General Information

The Commission maintains a residue storage area known as the Airport Site at Robertson, Missouri. This site is located immediately north of the St. Louis Municipal Airport and east of the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation Plant on Brown Road in St. Louis County.

Consent to use and occupy the 21.7 acre tract was obtained by the Manhattan District on March 2, 1946. Title was acquired to the property on January 3, 1947 by condemnation proceedings for $20,000. It was aerquired for the purpose of storing residues from the Destrehan Street Refinery and the Metal Plant at Plant 4. A covered concrete storage pad 45′ x 250′ was constructed for storing drums. A concrete pit 202′ x 42′ x 16′ was constructed to store radium bearing residues (K-6). The area was enclosed with a chain-link fence. Later a small building containing showers, change room and office space was moved to the site. A railroad siding,and loading facilities were completed in April 1959. The site was operated by the Manhattan District and the Commission from 1946 until July 1953 when the operation was turned over to Mallinckrodt Chemical Works. Guards were maintained at the site from 1946 to 1951.

In the Metal Plant at Plant 4 and later in the new Metal Plant at Destrehan Street (6E), the slag from the reduction step was separated into two parts. The slag Immediately above the derby consisting mainly of MgF2 was sent to the Vitro Corporation at Canonsburg, Pa., for uranium recovery. The remaining slag (C-Liner), consisting mainly of dolomite liner with less than 2% uranium content was stored at the site in bulk on the ground. These shipments started on March 10, 1946 and continued until early in 1953 when the dolomite liner was replaced by a recycle MgF2 liner.

The Destrehan Refinery started up in 1946 and continued to use pitchblende ores as a feed until early in 1955. The contract to purchase these ores with African Metals Corporation required the U. S. to store the raffinate (AM-7), containing metallics such as nickel, cobalt, and copper, and radium bearing residues (K-65). African Metals retained ownership of all material except the uranium content. Although other concentrates were processed during the period, the raffinates were not separated. They were stored in bulk on the ground at the site. The pit constructed to store the radium bearing residue (K-65) was not used due to health reasons. This residue (K-65) was stored at the site from 1946 until early in 1948 in drums. This was transferred to the Lake Ontario storage area in 1948 and 1949 after most of the material had been reworked to recover additional uranium values. The raffinate (AM-10) produced after the pitchblende ores were used was stored separately. A barium cake residue (AJ-4) produced by the refinery is also stored at the site. This residue is a result of a precipitation to reduce sulphate content of digest liquor. African Metals Corporation has relinquished ownership of the barium cake.

In 1955 an interim residue plant was constructed at the Destrehan Street site to scalp a major portion of the uranium content from the magnesium fluoride slag produced in the Metal Plant.

Tailings from this operation were stored in the concrete pit at the site. About 350 tons of the pitchblende raffinate (AM-7) was processed in a small pilot plant facility at Destrehan Street to recover ionium. This material was processed in 1955-1951 and returned to the original raffinate storage at the site.
*Source

DOCUMENTS

NIOSH SEC Petition Evaluation Reports

Petition 150 (1946 to 1966 and 1967 to 1998)
SEC Petition Evaluation Report, Petition SEC-00150, Rev #: 0
Report Submittal Date: April 12, 2010

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EEOICPA CLAIMS

If you or your parent worked any of the DOE or AWE facilities listed on this website and became ill, you may be entitled to compensation of up to $400K plus medical benefits from the US Department of Labor.

Call EEOICPA Counsel Hugh Stephens at 1-800-548-4494, email hstephens@stephensstephens.com, or fill out the form below whether or not you have already filed a claim and even if your claim has been accepted or denied.

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