ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — An effort to compensate people who live along Coldwater Creek in north St. Louis County and areas in St. Charles is one step closer to reality.
Lawmakers tell our I-Team that similar laws are being passed in other states, and it’s time for that to happen in Missouri.
Much of the focus has been on radioactive contamination in and along Coldwater Creek, which runs through north St. Louis County. State Rep. Tricia Byrnes (R-District 63) said people in Weldon Spring in St. Charles County have been largely ignored.
“My son came down with a cancer that's only happened as many times as 50 in medical history," said Byrnes, who represents part of St. Charles County.
Byrnes believes it’s a result of growing up and raising her family in north St. Louis and St. Charles counties. They’re areas with histories of radioactive and toxic waste that started in the 1940s, during the development of the atomic bomb. She said her proposed legislation, known as House Concurrent Resolution 21, would demand compensation from the federal government. The money would go toward medical screening and care.
“It really makes you wonder how it's gone on this long. But you can understand how much Missouri has just been gaslit by a federal government," Byrnes said. “For the first time, the residents from the various sites are coming together as one voice."
A total of $287 million has gone to compensation and medical bills for residents of Missouri under Federal Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP), which “compensates current or former employees (or their survivors) of the Department of Energy, its predecessor agencies, and certain of its vendors, contractors and subcontractors, who were diagnosed with a radiogenic cancer, chronic beryllium disease, beryllium sensitivity, or chronic silicosis, as a result of exposure to radiation, beryllium, or silica while employed at covered facilities. Byrnes said local residents also need compensation for their suffering.
“Why do you think this legislation is so needed?” the I-Team's Paula Vasan asked her.
"It's needed because it's gone on for decades," she said. "And I think that the spread of damage across Missouri, from St. Louis City all the way to St. Charles County, it's so vast ... I think it's probably easily going to take over $300 million.”
She said federal programs compensate people for injuries related to the atomic bomb. They’re people living in certain areas in 11 states, including Texas, Colorado and New Mexico.
But people in our area who also believe they’re suffering as a result of long-term exposure to atomic waste aren’t covered under any federal programs. That’s despite a Center for Disease Control and Prevention report in 2019, which estimated that long-term exposure to Coldwater Creek “could have increased the risk of developing lung cancer, bone cancer or leukemia.”
This comes as school officials announced Jana Elementary is not expected to reopen. The Florissant school gained national attention after reports of radioactive contamination at its site.
Want to reach out to Paula Vasan about this story or another investigative tip. Email paula@ksdk.com.