Residents deserve more than the Corps' insistence that it doesn't know where the uranium in the creek came from.

Something in the coverage of the radioactive waste in Rattlesnake Creek in Tonawanda caught our eye this week.

The creek flows into Two Mile Creek from under the Ashland II landfill and contains radioactive waste. The radioactivity is below government limits. That is good.

What is bad is that thorium and radium were found in Ashland II. Uranium was found in the creek.

The government admits it dumped thorium and radium shades of uranium on the site.

It also admits it used uranium in the Manhattan Project where it developed the nuclear bomb. It also admits thorium and radium came from the project.

It denies the uranium found in the creek came from the Manhattan Project or is buried in the Ashland II landfill now being excavated.

Meanwhile, Chuck Swanick, who just a few months ago was ready to "go to war" over the cleanup is shrugging his shoulders and telling us it's safe.

Then he's holding secret meetings to discuss it with a select few residents.

We don't buy it. That uranium came from somewhere and to not know where is the scariest part of | all. Don't forget, initial tests years ago showed Rattlesnake Creek free of contamination. Now it's not. We don't mean to be alarmist, but what if an unfound pile of waste is migrating into that peaceful little drainage ditch?

What sort of danger could city residents be in? Wouldn't it be better to know?

We think so.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Emphasis added.