A St. Louis company played a major role in the secret creation of the first nuclear bomb. Mallinckrodt Chemical was hired by the U.S. government to process uranium in World War II as part of the Manhattan project. Contaminated waste was then buried throughout areas of north St. Louis County. A decade later, new subdivisions were built nearby. Many families who lived in the area now report a high rate of cancer and premature death. Author and historian Linda C. Morice grew up next to contaminated Coldwater Creek. In her book “Nuked,” she chronicles the events that led to the nuclear contamination, along with her own personal story of loss.