Goal 1
Weldon Spring Site Field Trips Are Tops on Educators' Calendars

Although Legacy Management (LM) sites are found in a wide variety of locations throughout the United States, LM sites typically reside in relatively remote areas. These sites aren't often thought of as a sought-out destination for the public! However, the LM Weldon Spring Site located in St. Charles, Missouri, about 30 miles west of St. Louis, is unusual in that it has become a popular public attraction and one of the premier field trip destinations for hundreds of schools across the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Historically, the site was used for trinitrotoluene (TNT) and dinitrotoluene (DNT) production during World War II and uranium refining during the Cold War era. After a 20-year period of inactivity, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) remedial action of the site started in 1986 and was substantially complete by 2002. A 45-acre disposal facility was constructed to encapsulate contaminated waste from the site. In order to address issues associated with remaining contamination, the site adopted the unique approach of operating an interpretive center to ensure institutional control and community involvement commitments would continue to be met.

The vision for an on-site Interpretive Center (the Center) began in 1999 with a proclamation signed by then-U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Bill Richardson and the directors of the Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri Department of Natural Resources. DOE's philosophy was to make the site a community asset by offering educational opportunities that would ensure long-term understanding of the conditions that remain. However, the challenge was to get the word out to the public that the site was not only cleaned up and safe, but a fun and educational place to visit as well.

The entire site and the Center opened to the public in 2002. Since the site is located directly on a highway that leads to some of the area's most popular tourist attractions, the visitors started trickling in. People couldn't help but stop, point at the massive disposal cell, and ask, “What is that thing?” Center staff became very adept at explaining the entire history of the site and the reason for the disposal cell. Many members of the public already knew the history of the site, but were pleased to find that the Center answered their questions and addressed any doubts they had about the safety of the site. The Center also became an important tool for explaining the long-term surveillance and maintenance program for the site.

However, visitation really started to grow when it became clear that the Center provided a much-needed source of environmental education for area schools. Teachers were looking for science-oriented field trip destinations that could show students the practical applications of concepts they were learning, and the site offered just that and more. A variety of educational programs were developed ranging from a hike to the top of the disposal cell and subsequent discussion about human impact on the environment, to learning about ground water flow, and even the properties of radioactive materials. Each program was carefully designed to hold students' interest through many hands-on activities, while sending a clear message about the site's history and future. All programs were developed with the ability to be tailored to fit a wide age range and were crafted to complement Missouri science curriculum standards.

For 2007, it is projected that the Center will reach nearly 20,000 members of the community, largely through scheduled groups, but also through walk-in visitors and outreach efforts to schools that have limited field trip funding. Schools are calling earlier and earlier to schedule trips, causing the Center calendar to fill up quickly and require scheduling groups as far as eight months in advance.

The Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center will continue to provide the community with pertinent information about the site. Public response to site activities has been very positive and LM feels that this type of feedback is essential to ensuring long-term understanding of the site mission.