In a bid for justice, former inhabitants of a primarily-Black low-income housing complex located in St. Louis, Missouri, are seeking restitution from the US Army, citing the adverse effects of a Cold War-era testing program.
Ben Phillips was only five years old when he and his family moved into the Pruitt-Igoe housing development. Today, at 73, Phillips nostalgically reflects on his time in the once segregated but tranquil and newly built high-rise community, with one development, Igoe, reserved for whites and Pruitt, for Blacks.
Looking back, he recalled a chemical mist, presumably a pesticide, being routinely sprayed from buildings and vehicles within the compound, especially during the cool summer nights when windows would be left open due to the lack of air conditioning.
Over time, Phillips’ understanding of what the residents were subjected to on such nights significantly shifted. During the nuclear arms race of the mid 20th century, the US military feared potential biological warfare. As a precaution, it undertook experiments in 33 American cities, including St. Louis, to study how an aerosol biological agent might disperse in various environments.
Government records reveal that zinc cadmium sulfide, an inorganic compound used in the dispersal tests that illuminates under ultraviolet light, was sprayed during these trials. Initially considered harmless to humans, animals and flora, both the Army and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) continue to assert its non-toxicity.
However, Phillips disputes this claim, attributing the mysterious illnesses, including different forms of cancer, that developed amongst his family and friends in the years following the testing to the chemical exposure. He suggests a potential cover-up, a sentiment that spurred him to file a lawsuit seeking restitution for those affected. The lawsuit was later dismissed on the grounds that the government had indemnified the Army and its contractors.
In response, Phillips helped establish the non-profit organization Pruitt-Igoe Historical Accounting, Compensation, and Truth Seeking (PHACTS), committed to gaining recognition and compensation for former residents.
The NIH has flagged cadmium sulfide, a component of the tested compound, as a potentially hazardous substance that could cause cancer and internal organ damage upon prolonged exposure. Chronic exposure can also lead to conditions like anemia, lethargy, decreased levels of good cholesterol, damage to the pancreatic and reproductive systems, and ataxia, a debilitating muscular condition. Phillips’ believes that his sister’s convulsions, a condition that ceased upon relocating from Pruitt-Igoe, points toward the sinister effects of the testing.
Similar stories have been shared by other residents during interviews for the documentary, “Target St. Louis: Volume 1.” The film’s maker, Damien Smith, felt compelled to investigate claims about Pruitt-Igoe, fueled by shocking stories from his St. Louis-residing grandmother.
For Phillips, organized restitution to former residents is only part of the redemption process. He emphasizes the importance of educating Americans about past injustices that disproportionately affected socio-economically disadvantaged and marginalized communities, who, during the era, were more accessible prey given their scant societal voice.
