{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-requests-update-doe-monitoring-nuclear-contamination-weldon-spring-site/", "Hawley Requests Update on DOE Monitoring of Nuclear Contamination at Weldon Spring Site", "2023-09-28", "2023", "2023-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MO", "Josh Hawley", "H001089", "www.hawley.senate.gov", "hawley", "https://www.hawley.senate.gov/press-releases/page/", "scraper", "Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Deputy Secretary David Turk, requesting an update on the monitoring and remediation of the Weldon Spring Superfund Site in St. Charles, Mo.\n\n\u201cAs I previously wrote in my July 24, 2023 letter to Secretary Granholm, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) is alarmed by deficiencies in the Department of Energy\u2019s (DOE) monitoring of contaminants at the site, and so am I,\u201d wrote Senator Hawley. \u201cDespite your assurances that the site is \u2018remediated,\u2019 the Missouri Department of Natural Resources reports concern that uranium contamination may be spreading from Weldon Spring into local groundwater. Needless to say, contamination of groundwater is grossly unacceptable.\u201d\n\nHe continued, \u201cI am asking you once again to please provide a clear timeline on when DOE will revise its sampling plans and when Weldon Spring will be fully remediated.\u201d\n\nEarlier this month, Senator Hawley questioned Secretary Turk during an Energy Committee hearing, pressing him about the DOE\u2019s inaction on the remediation efforts at the Weldon Spring Site.\n\nIn July, Senator Hawley sent a letter to DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm, urging the Department conduct additional testing for radioactive contamination at the Weldon Spring Site, after a review of the site in 2021 led the MDNR to offer an extensive critique of the DOE\u2019s cleanup and monitoring efforts at that location.\n\nRead the full letter here or below.\n\nMr. David Turk\n\nDeputy Secretary\n\nDepartment of Energy\n\n1000 Independence Avenue, S.W.\n\nWashington, D.C. 20585\n\nDear Mr. Turk,\n\nI write in response to your September 7, 2023 email regarding the contaminated Weldon Spring Site. As I previously wrote in my July 24, 2023 letter to Secretary Granholm, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) is alarmed by deficiencies in the Department of Energy\u2019s (DOE) monitoring of contaminants at the site, and so am I.\n\nDespite your assurances that the site is \u201cremediated,\u201d the Missouri Department of Natural Resources reports concern that uranium contamination may be spreading from Weldon Spring into local groundwater. Needless to say, contamination of groundwater is grossly unacceptable. I trust that I need not remind you the health consequences of uranium contamination are significant, causing kidney and heart damage. The residents of St. Charles County deserve to know how DOE will ensure they are not exposed to contaminants in their water.\n\nDespite these significant concerns, and despite my previous letter, you did not come prepared to answer questions about the Weldon Spring site during your recent testimony. I was likewise disappointed that your follow-up email failed to answer whether the DOE will revise its sampling plans in light of MDNR\u2019s concerns. The people of St. Charles County deserve to know if DOE is ensuring their groundwater\u2019s safety.\n\nI am asking you once again to please provide a clear timeline on when DOE will revise its sampling plans and when Weldon Spring will be fully remediated. I look forward to your timely response. Thank you for your attention in this matter.\n\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:35:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.hawley.senate.gov/hawley-requests-update-doe-monitoring-nuclear-contamination-weldon-spring-site/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8456259965896606, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}