The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was expanded earlier this summer, and leaders in St. Louis County are attempting to make it easier to access the application.
The act compensates individuals who develop cancers or other diseases due to radiation exposure from U.S. nuclear weapons testing or from uranium mining.
The program, which had been dormant since 2024, now includes ZIP codes throughout the St. Louis region for the first time. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., was successful in expanding RECA to extend coverage to current and former residents who were exposed to radioactive waste produced by the Manhattan Project, or those who have lived close to Coldwater Creek.
A ZIP code in the Metro East that also contained a factory that processed uranium and thorium did not make it into the latest RECA expansion.
Those who lived in, worked or went to school in the impacted Missouri zip codes after Jan. 1, 1949, and contracted certain cancers are eligible for compensation, said St. Louis County Executive Sam Page on Wednesday during a press conference in Clayton.
He said he anticipates payouts could cost more than $4 billion.
“We expect up to 300,000 people to be eligible for this compensation based on where they lived or worked or attended school,” Page said. “So I encourage anyone who may be eligible for RECA to visit our webpage, stlouiscountymo.gov, and click on the RECA claim form now available button.”
Page said qualifying individuals can receive a one-time, tax-free payment of $50,000 or reimbursement of out-of-pocket medical expenses with no cap.
For now, a 24-page printable copy of the application is available.
“It'll be available electronically in December, so it's a little bit more difficult to manage, and the documents have to be certified,” Page said. “But there was a lot of eagerness in the community to get this going, because it’s time-limited, and we want to get people started with the application.”
Danielle Spradley previously worked with Congresswoman Cori Bush on RECA issues. Now a spokeswoman for St. Louis County, Spradley said it was during that work that she learned members of her own family had grown up near Coldwater Creek and qualified for compensation under the act.
She warned people to be wary of scammers.
“We’ve already seen cases where there are people saying that they are an attorney and they will fill out their applications for people,” Spradley said. “This was before the application was even out, trying to charge exorbitant fees for helping to fill out these applications. By law, they can only charge 2% to help someone fill out an application, and if you are getting calls (from) someone trying to charge you exorbitant fees to help you fill out your application, please report that.
“It's a huge deal for people that have been sick for a long time,” she added.
The program is currently authorized to run through December 2027.
Additional information on applying
● Under the RECA law, people wanting to make a claim for compensation must be able to prove they were “physically present” in these ZIP codes for at least two years after Jan. 1, 1949, either at a place of residence, work or school.
● People making successful claims can get $50,000 or reimbursement for their documented out-of-pocket medical expenses, whichever is greater. Survivors of victims can get $25,000.
● Hawley’s office says people wanting to make a claim should prepare their documents: proof of residency or having worked or attended school in the affected area; proof of medical conditions, including medical records, and proof of out-of-pocket expenses.
● Individuals can call the state attorney general’s office to report scams.
● Those interested in applying for RECA compensation can obtain an application here on the county’s website. The U.S. Department of Justice also has an online portal that isn’t available until December, but applications can also be downloaded here. The form must be completed and mailed, along with documentation to: U.S. Department of Justice, Radiation Exposure Compensation Program, P.O. Box 146, Ben Franklin Station, Washington, D.C. 20044-0146.
This story has been updated.
