Radiation

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 landfill contains thousands of tons of nuclear waste and byproducts from World War II-era atomic bomb development efforts.

Venice, Madison and Granite City have ties to World War II-era production of radioactive materials used by the U.S. Atomic Weapons Commission — just like St. Louis and St. Charles counties in Missouri.

Speaker Mike Johnson says after consulting with U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, Republican leadership has decided not to hold a vote on a bill that would renew the program without adding new states.

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.

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said the House needs to stop “screwing around” and pass his bill expanding the program to the St. Louis area.

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act cleared its first major legislative hurdle on Thursday. It would provide compensation to sick St. Louisans living in areas with radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project.

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.

Expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act could have helped with care for people suffering after living near contaminated waterways and sites across Missouri.