Bringing together Columbia Journalism School and the Mailman School of Public Health, this team will produce the first comprehensive assessment of contamination risks facing residents near America’s Cold War-era nuclear weapons sites. The project will analyze existing soil and water data across all 16 sites being remediated under the federal Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, conduct independent sampling in four priority communities, and publish the findings as a paired investigative series and peer-reviewed paper. Alongside the reporting, the team will release a public database and a low-cost testing guide that any community can use to assess potential contamination on its own.
Cold War Nuclear Sites2026-2027
