More St. Louisans could get radiation relief

Last summer was the first time people in Missouri affected by the federal government’s radioactive waste could apply for compensation, and a new bipartisan bill recently introduced in Congress would expand who qualifies — including parents whose children died after developing illnesses linked to radiation exposure.

The House bill was introduced by Del. James Moylan, R-Guam. Congressman Wesley Bell is a cosponsor. He said the bill adds nine ZIP codes in the St. Louis region, including 63106, one of the St. Louis ZIP codes advocates had previously pushed to have included in RECA. The other additions are 63107, 63112, 63113, 63115, 63120, 63133, 63136 and 63137. There are 21 qualifying Missouri ZIP codes.

Millions of dollars have been paid out so far to St. Louis-area residents affected by radioactive waste left over from the Manhattan Project — the top-secret federal government program established to create the world’s first atomic bombs during World War II. After the war, uranium processed in St. Louis was transported to surrounding areas, contaminating sites including Coldwater Creek and the West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton. Radioactive material and debris were also dumped in a quarry in Weldon Spring, close to the Missouri River.

“Long before I got to Congress, I heard from St. Louisans about how they had been affected by the radioactive contamination from the Manhattan Project, and I made a promise — those folks endured decades of health crises, economic struggles and profound neglect by the very government that should be protecting them,” Bell said during a joint press conference with Moylan and other advocates last month.

The bill also eliminates the age limit for leukemia patients. Right now, people with leukemia must have been initially exposed after age 20 and contracted the disease at least two years after first exposure. The new bill also would allow parents to apply for compensation on behalf of their children who died after developing illnesses linked to radiation exposure.

Recently, St. Louis Public Radio heard from parents who said they were disheartened to learn they didn’t qualify for compensation after losing their children to cancer — despite living in qualifying ZIP codes and near the West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton, a 200-acre site where the Cotter Corp. illegally dumped radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project.

The bill also expands the list of qualifying illnesses to include cervical cancer, prostate cancer, rectal cancer, uterine cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and skin cancer.

It increases the compensation amount as well.

Under current law, eligible individuals who developed certain diseases after being exposed to Manhattan Project waste can receive a $50,000 lump sum plus reimbursement for qualifying out-of-pocket medical expenses. Their surviving spouses can receive $25,000, or surviving children can split $25,000 if there is no surviving spouse.

Under the new legislation, claimants would be eligible for $150,000 in compensation plus qualifying out-of-pocket medical expenses. Those who have already been approved for compensation under the current program would be eligible to receive the difference.

The expansion of RECA last year to include Missouri came after more than 10 years of advocacy by local groups including Just Moms STL. It was revived in July 2025 following efforts led by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri.

Christen Commuso, a policy specialist at the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, said it’s time to push even harder.

“I am extremely hopeful that this bill will move forward. I think the expansion last year proved that there’s always reason for hope in this,” Commuso said. “I know that there are other sites within Missouri that also had a part in the nuclear weapons program. So we’re going to keep researching those. As long as we’re learning new things, we’re going to keep pushing for everybody to be included.”

Missourians can apply for RECA compensation under the current program through December 2027.

In addition to expansion in the St. Louis region, the bill broadens eligibility beyond Idaho, New Mexico, Utah and select counties to fully cover Arizona, Colorado, Guam, Montana and Nevada.

St. Louis American reporter Sylvester Brown Jr. contributed to this report.

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