ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (First Alert 4) – One year after a federal law expanded eligibility for those exposed to radioactive waste from World War II-era bomb testing, nearly 15,000 claims have been filed in Missouri — with nearly 3,300 approved, the rest pending and more than $150 million paid out. This from updated U.S. Department of Justice figures.
The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, or RECA, was expanded and signed into law on July 4, 2025, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The expansion extended eligibility to those impacted by radioactive contamination from Coldwater Creek and West Lake Landfill, among other sites linked to Manhattan Project waste. Nationally, more than 20,000 Manhattan Project Waste RECA applications have been filed across all eligible locations.
In Missouri, eligible zip codes include parts of north St. Louis County and north St. Louis City. It also includes a portion of St. Charles County…