WASHINGTON, DC — Compensation for St. Louis-area victims of radioactive contamination is not likely to happen after a deadline to reauthorize the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) ends today.
Since Congress is not in session on Friday, if the bill doesn’t clear by Thursday, the federal government will not accept RECA claims postmarked after June 10, stopping payments to anyone in the United States who may have developed diseases from contamination.
Senator Josh Hawley issued this statement on X today, “RECA expires today because the House has done nothing. I hope when @SpeakerJohnson gets back from Europe he will get focused on America – and make time to meet with radiation survivors, like he promised.”
Sneators Hawley and Eric Schmitt stressed the urgency of passing the bill, citing its importance for thousands affected by radioactive contamination in Missouri and beyond. The issue was highlighted by contamination at Jana Elementary School and concerns about the West Lake landfill, Coldwater Creek, and a former uranium plant site. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently completed a project to remove contaminated soil from Coldwater Creek.
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