Just Moms STL Blog Post

This was written by Alice, one of our student interns. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue.

On June 29th, Civitas was joined by Karen Nickel and Dawn Chapman, the founders of Just Moms STL. Just Moms was created in 2013 with the goal of getting justice for those living near the West Lake Landfill. The landfill contains radioactive waste, and is responsible for the consequential spread of the dangerous matter across the community. For example, Coldwater Creek, which has been played in by hundreds of kids across the years, was proven to be contaminated by the landfill. Upon a quick conversation, us Civitas interns discovered at least five of us knew people who had played in the creek. All of which is to say, this is an issue that pertains to all of us as St. Louisans. Nickel and Chapman have been working with their community, who live around both the landfill and the creek, to get environmental justice. Years back, they noticed the strange odors coming from the landfill, and the amount of people who died of strange cancers in the area. Because of their persistent advocacy for the truth, we now know today just how dangerous the West Lake Landfill is. Their journey in creating their organization and fighting for the truth was documented on the 2017 HBO documentary Atomic Homefront. 

Since the documentary’s filming, Nickel and Chapman have continued their work and built relationships with various non-for-profits and bureaucrats. In 2018, they were informed by the EPA that they had made the decision to move 70% of the radioactive waste at the site. However, this has not happened yet.  And what’s worse is that about a week before Biden’s inauguration, Nickel and Chapman were informed that the testing they had demanded did in fact show that the radioactive waste had been spread and could be anywhere in the community. In short — they were right. The waste, which at this point had been proven to be harmful, could be all over their community. They emphasized while speaking to us how much they DIDN’T want to be right. “It was like a punch in the gut,” Chapman said. 

Faced with the fact that they, and most of their community, had likely been exposed to harmful radioactive waste, JustMoms continued fighting. They now work with Cori Bush, the Missouri congresswoman who was historically elected in 2020. Nickel and Chapman attend numerous zooms with the EPA to work on a cleanup plan and a possible buyout for those who live in the area. I was impressed by both women’s ability to admit their privilege as, “white, cis, women.” Chapman told us about a friend, a Black man in Mississippi, who was fighting for justice after he discovered Coca-Cola had accidentally poisoned the community with lead. He had finally arranged a meeting, hoping to get environmental justice for his people, when he discovered they had it early, deliberately leaving him out of the discussion. Chapman described her anger for the man, as well as her acknowledgement that his race held him back in a way hers did not. Both women talked about the intersection of environmental and social justice, and how it is no coincidence that so many Black and Brown communities were affected, and continue to be affected, by the landfill, as well as other environmental issues across the country. 

When asked how they stay motivated, the answer was relatively simple: their kids, their community, and other communities just like theirs. Chapman explained how fulfilling it was to help other people like them fight for justice within their communities. Unlike many before them, neither woman can move given that, (1) it’s not easy to pick up and move your whole family, and (2) they can’t, in good conscience, sell their house to another family. After all, they were not informed about the potential danger of the landfill when they first moved in. The area has a legacy of people finding out about the potential harm posed by the landfill, moving away, and handing it off to the next person who would have to deal with it. Both Chapman and Nickel discussed how they were refusing to be part of that legacy — they are going to stay and fight.  Hearing Karen Nickel and Dawn Chapman speak about their experiences and their fight for environmental justice was inspiring and refreshing. Their goal at the moment is to, “get the shovel in the ground” and begin the removal process. They are working with Cori Bush to get a law requiring people to disclose the dangers of landfills like West Lake if you’re buying a house within three miles of one. They are working with a new administrator, Mike Keegan, who they are hopeful about. To support the group, visit http://www.stlradwastelegacy.com/, and watch their documentary, Atomic Homefront to learn more!