A chilling piece of U.S. history has resurfaced — one that former residents of a St. Louis, Missouri housing project suggest left them with decades of illness, grief, and unanswered questions. In the 1950s and '60s, U.S. Army contractors secretly sprayed chemicals over the Pruitt-Igoe housing complex as part of Cold War experiments, according to declassified records and community testimony reported on by NewsNation. Community members now believe those "tests" shortened lives in their neighborhood.

What happened?

Past residents of Pruitt-Igoe (which was demolished in the 1970s) recall trucks releasing a dense chemical fog into their streets and mysterious "maintenance workers" installing sprayers on rooftops, according to NewsNation. 

"You couldn't see through it, that's how thick it was," community member Jacquelyn Russell told NewsNation about the fog. 

The Army has admitted it used zinc cadmium sulfide — a compound containing cadmium, a known carcinogen — in more than 30 tests across the U.S. and Canada. St. Louis was chosen because it resembled Moscow in density and geography, making it a Cold War testing ground. The Army has also said the use of the substance was nontoxic, as CNN reported in 2023. 

Decades later, however, many who grew up in Pruitt-Igoe connect the fog to lasting health problems: brain and kidney cancers, chronic illness, and premature deaths in their families. 

"My government used me like I was a Guinea pig," one former resident told NewsNation. Another, referring to the continuing secrecy about details of the tests, said, "They're waiting on all of us to die."

Why is this important today?

The allegations indicate a devastating legacy of apparent environmental racism and lack of transparency. The Pruitt-Igoe population was largely Black and low-income, raising deep concerns about why this community was chosen. 

Those who lived there have suggested that the secrecy robbed them of both protection and medical accountability, leaving them to face the possibility that their illnesses stem from government-sanctioned exposure.

The long-term effects of cadmium exposure include lung damage, bone weakness, and multiple forms of cancer. Even the National Research Council, which has downplayed the risks, has acknowledged that its findings were limited because key Army records were still missing or classified, as documented by NewsNation. That lack of data has only fueled mistrust.

What's being done about the experiment?

Today, critics and advocates are pushing for justice. Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) is working to include Pruitt-Igoe residents in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which provides financial support to communities harmed by federal nuclear programs. 

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Meanwhile, researchers such as Dr. Lisa Martino-Taylor continue to seek the release of classified documents that may confirm whether radioactive particles were part of the tests.

For everyday people, the story serves as a sobering reminder: government secrecy and corporate negligence can have generational consequences. Advocates — including Erin Brockovich, who was quoted by NewsNation about the lack of transparency surrounding Pruitt-Igoe — have emphasized that harmful practices can be hidden in plain sight.

One past resident warned, per NewsNation: "It can happen to you. Don't get duped and think it can't happen to you. We didn't think it was going to happen to us."

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