Nuclear Waste

Lawmakers formed a new committee to document the effects of radioactive waste in the St. Louis region and other Missouri sites and to search for policy solutions.

The committee, established to hear testimony on the issue and recommend legislation, will meet Oct. 15.

The site near Jana Elementary is one of many the Army Corps of Engineers is cleaning up along the 14-mile Coldwater Creek, the waterway contaminated with radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project.

Sen. Josh Hawley, Rep. Ann Wagner, and Rep. Cori Bush vow to fight against a bill to renew the program set to expire June 10 if Missouri is excluded.

Critics say the Radiation Exposure Compensation Fund is too expensive and should be winding down, and it’s not clear if the House will act before the looming deadline.

Veterans who helped test nuclear weapons are fighting to renew a 34-year-old law meant to help compensate for the long-term health effects of their work.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is drilling through basement floors in the Cades Cove subdivision of Florissant to determine whether there is radioactive contamination under residents’ homes.

An amendment that extended the funding and expanded it to include parts of St. Louis did not make it into the final defense funding bill. Now St. Louis-area advocates are figuring out their next steps.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade asked Gov. Mike Parson to call a special session on nuclear waste in the St. Louis area but faced criticism from grassroots activists.

The school is part of a nationwide effort to collect more information about what people know about nuclear waste and their thoughts about living near storage sites.