Town Hall Meeting On Near Century Old Munitions Site

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- 16 years after a building contractor accidentally discovered the chemical munitions and $177 million dollars later Spring Valley residents are left with so many questions.

D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton held a town hall meeting Tuesday night and says it's her mission to clean up the area and get to the bottom of what else is underground at the World War I munitions site.

It's also Jeffrey Kraskin's mission to find out what caused his father's deadly cancer.

Jeffrey Kraskin said, "All of a sudden he came down with a mysterious disease in the end he died of small cell lung cancer."

A study conducted by Johns Hopkins determined residents were not at a greater risk for cancer because of the munitions at pit 3 that affects a swath that covers not only Spring Valley but parts of American University.

But Kraskin says more studies need to be done. He says his father's death certificate says one thing but it turns out he died of cancer. He says a health study would not cover these anomalies.

Delegate Norton and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers say they're not going anywhere.

Norton said, "Not only will it take 16 years it will be another 16 years because it has to be monitored."

The Army Corp of Engineers says they've removed enough contaminated soil to fill FedEx Field one foot deep.
A list of all the munitions that have been unearthed will be made public in November.