The Missouri House on Monday voted unanimously to pass a bill that will expand investigations for radioactive waste contamination in the St. Louis area.
The bill will now go to the governor's desk.
Currently, requests for investigation of potential radioactive contamination can only be submitted by local governments. Under House Bill 516, those requests could instead be submitted by any individual or community group in the jurisdiction of the relevant area.
The bill also eliminates a $150,000 cap on investigation expenses and says that the state will seek reimbursement for investigation costs from the federal government.
Both Democrats and Republicans spoke in favor of the bill before its passage, agreeing that addressing radioactive contamination in St. Louis and its health consequences is a bipartisan issue.
"We played our part in World War II, and even though none of us signed up for military service out of these areas, somehow we sacrificed our health and lives in the cause of freedom," said Rep. Doug Clemens, D-St. Ann. "Every man on my block died of some intestinal cancer or stomach cancer. That's statistically not possible. We had a neighborhood with 37 appendix cancers."
While the bill expands investigations, it does not make any provisions for cleaning up areas found to be contaminated.
The River City Journalism Fund supports St. Louis Public Radio's Statehouse internship. Evy Lewis is the 2025 reporting intern. See rcjf.org for more information about the fund, which seeks to advance journalism in St. Louis.
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