This special report by Reuters details the history and ongoing environmental and health concerns around Treasure Island, a former toxic dumping ground and US Navy training site for radiological decontamination. Treasure Island is now home to many civilian families who were unaware of this history and the possible health risks to their community. Monitoring, studies, and cleanup are ongoing.
Treasure Island: Various Residents
“In January 2014, the Navy unearthed a round piece of metal with low-level radioactivity next to their home. [Kathryn] Towne recalls her daughters suffering rashes, asthma, thyroid issues. At 10, one daughter was diagnosed with ovarian cysts. There is no telling whether these conditions were related to the nearby pollutants. Towne, herself a Navy daughter, said she trusted the military. ‘My kids played all over every inch of that island,’ she said. ‘Had I been informed, I could have made a decision to not move there.’”
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