U.S. Rep. Cori Bush is calling on Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring funding for sick St. Louisans exposed to radioactive waste to a vote as lawmakers return to session next week.
Bush held a press conference Friday to urge her House colleagues to extend and expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, a program that provides funding to Americans who are sick after exposure to the U.S. efforts to build nuclear weapons.
“We will not falter until every single voice is heard, until every impacted person is compensated, until every community is restored,” Bush said.
The funding is set to expire in June and does not currently include the St. Louis region.
In March, the Senate passed a standalone bill to extend RECA, expanding it to include some ZIP codes in St. Louis and St. Charles. That bill was sponsored by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and lists a range of illnesses that would qualify someone for government compensation. It passed the Senate 69-30.
Late last month, Rep. Ann Wagner sought to add Hawley’s bill to a must-pass government funding package in the House. It did not end up in the final version. Afterward, Wagner said in remarks on the House floor that, “Missourians are terrified that radioactive waste is poisoning our communities.”
Sick St. Louisans who have lived near the radioactive waste for years are watching closely to see if the funding makes its way through Congress. On Friday, community members joined Bush at St. Cin Park in Hazelwood, which is next to Coldwater Creek, parts of which are contaminated, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.
“House leadership has failed to act, leaving behind these brave souls standing behind me, and many, many more,” Bush said. “This injustice cannot stand.”
One after another, members of the group spoke about rare cancers and other health issues both they and their family members have experienced after living in affected areas. Karen Nickel has been advocating for this issue for years as a co-founder of Just Moms STL. She recalled playing in St. Cin Park and Coldwater Creek as a child and said the St. Louis region needs to be included in this program.
“People have died and are still dying,” Nickel said. “Our children are sick and have died. The amount of waste we still have in our community is unbelievable.”
