Hundreds Applying for Radiation Compensation in St. Charles County

Hundreds of St. Charles County residents are applying for compensation through a federal program designed to help people suffering diseases after exposure to radiation from the government's Cold War nuclear program.

So far more than 400 people in the county have applied for RECA, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which was expanded by Congress in July to include four St. Charles County zip codes.

Among the documents needed to receive compensation, recipients must provide proof of residency in the covered zip codes. Qualifying documents can be obtained at several County offices.

"We're going to make it as easy as we can for people to get the information they need from the County to apply for this federal program," says County Executive Steve Ehlmann.

To request documents, visit the County's RECA webpage.

More than 300 people packed a RECA town hall in St. Peters Oct. 14 sponsored by U.S. Senator Josh Hawley and hosted by State Representative Tricia Byrnes (R-Wentzville), a longtime advocate on the issue who helped Hawley craft the legislation.

Four St. Charles County zip codes are covered by the law:

• 63367 (Lake Saint Louis)
• 63368 (O'Fallon, Dardenne Prairie)
• 63341 (Defiance)
• 63304 (St. Peters, Weldon Spring, Cottleville)

The four zip codes were chosen to cover people who may have lived, worked or gone to school near the EPA Superfund site in Weldon Spring, where Mallinckrodt Chemical Company refined uranium during the Cold War era. The site was later closed and abandoned for many years, before it was remediated and capped with a mountain of rocks.

At the town hall meeting, Byrnes led the discussion and looked out at the standing-room-only crowd.

"I saw people who either have lost loved ones or they're battling health problems themselves," Byrnes says. "And what was really upsetting is how many people have such rare cancers that aren't covered. So, we still have more work to do."

Byrnes says she's impressed that so many organizations are cooperating to help people apply-the County Recorder of Deeds, Election Authority, and St. Charles City-County Library system.

"There are groups helping people figure out how to navigate this so they're successful," Byrnes says. "And I have people calling me saying they were so overwhelmed at first that they weren't going to bother applying, but now they feel empowered to fill out the application by themselves."

Byrnes recommends people watch the video of the town hall on the City-County Library's YouTube channel to learn more on RECA.

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