Radiation

Using childhood addresses, researchers found that those who lived in close proximity to the contaminated waterway as children were more likely to report they had been diagnosed with the disease.

Residents of 21 ZIP codes in St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County are now eligible to seek compensation for radiation exposure through a federal program. However, residents of Venice, Madison and Granite City did not make it in the expansion.

An expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include 21 Missouri ZIP codes scattered throughout St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County now awaits President Donald Trump’s signature.

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski of Illinois has renewed her push to include parts of the Metro East in federal legislation that would compensate residents for being exposed to radiation from the World War II-era atomic weapons program.

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.