FLORISSANT, Mo. — Victims of radioactive exposure in St. Louis County rallied together at Ward Chapel AME Church in Florissant on Saturday.
Just Moms STL and elected officials answered questions and provided resources as it relates to fixing the problems that contamination in Cold Water Creek has caused.
"Where exactly is the contamination? Want to share their stories about their health. What's happened to them? Their families? When it's going to be cleaned up. What can we do to help," said Karen Nickel, co-founder of Just Moms STL.
Shirley Alexander came to the informational and is fearful of loss.
"My nephew Anthony Johnson, 32, is fighting cancer, my little nephew has cancer, and my brother who had cancer," she said. "From 1949 to now, this is still going on and we're not really informed."
In 2005, Robert Bayer's five-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a rare type of cancer for someone her age.
"Unfortunately she didn't make it and she passed away on April 21st, 2007," he said as he pulled her picture from his wallet.
Both of these lifelong North County residents are dealing with health complications spurred by the contamination in Cold Water Creek. Nuclear waste left over from the push to build the first atomic bomb during World War II has sat in their backyards.
The Army Corps of Engineers has been moving from site to site to get the waste cleaned up.
State Representative Chantelle Nickson-Clark for District 27 said, "There are some areas for improvement. However, we know that they are diligently working to clean up North County and doing an effective job and trying to prevent reoccurrence in the community."
There has also been a focus on passing the Radiation or Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), the program that provides compensation to people who got sick from the government's radioactive waste. In the past, the program did not include Missouri.
'There really isn't any opposition about RECA. It really is what we're hearing is the cost. And what is the cost to someone's lives here," Nickel said.
These residents want relief.
"It's been years. We have been neglected. And it's really heartbreaking," Alexander said.
"I don't think it should be swept under the rug. People need to be recognized for what they went through," Bayer continued while explaining that his siblings are also beginning to get complications due to the exposure.
Legislators are looking to get the compensation fund itself passed before it expires in June.