Developing...

A 55 gallon drum of depleted uranium was found in the area of a dismantled airplane at Opa-locka Executive Airport in Miami, NBC 6 reports.

Hazardous materials crews swarmed the scene of the small reliever airport while Miami-Dade Fire Rescue evacuated a 150-foot perimeter to assess the hazard, spokesman Arnold Piedrahita tweeted.

Depleted uranium is a radioactive heavy metal produced as waste by the nuclear power industry and its controversial use as as a coating in military armaments and munitions has been internationally criticized for decades.

The United States military has been blasted for their frequent use of the substance in overseas conflicts. Ten years after the invasion of Iraq, the toxic substance continues to contaminate hundreds of sites around the country resulting in the dramatic uptick in cases of Leukemia and birth defects.

Earlier this week, RT released this report on the effects of depleted uranium contamination in Iraq:

_____________________