ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Approximately 15,000 pages of newly-disclosed documents reveal that federal agencies knew about the dangers of radioactive contamination in north St. Louis County since as early as 1949.

Residents who fought to prove this now want justice.

“In 2012, in an 11-month period, I had a total hysterectomy due to masses on my ovaries. I had an adrenal gland removed due to a tumor, I’ve had thyroid cancer,” said Christen Cammuso, Missouri Coalition for the Environment.

Previously unreleased government records show radioactive waste was known to pose a threat to people living near Coldwater Creek as early as 1949. But federal officials repeatedly downplayed the risks, and dismissed potential risks off as “minimal” or “low-level.”

“In 2012, I learned about this issue. My parents had no idea that they moved their family into a neighborhood that was contaminated with radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project,” said Karen Nickel, Just Moms STL.

According to the records, the government and companies responsible for nuclear bomb production and waste storage sites knew the health risks affiliated with spill, and improperly stored contaminants.

“Since they sat those steel drums out there, with radioactive contamination, and watched it wash right into that stream,” Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley said.

The senator has announced new legislation to create a fund for the victims of radioactive contamination in the St. Louis region. Thousands of residents could receive financial compensation.

“It is time for the government to authorize a fund to pay for the medical bills of every person who has gotten sick because of their negligence,” he said. “It’s that simple. It is not hard; it is simple. So I will introduce legislation on the floor of the Senate.”

In addition to getting residents compensated, the group Just Moms STL wants cleanup to be done within the next five years, and says the U.S. Energy Department should foot the bill.