Federal money is finally pouring into north St. Louis County for residents sickened by legacy nuclear waste, with compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act now topping $100 million for Missouri claimants. Sen. Josh Hawley says a total of $101,950,000 has gone to people harmed by Manhattan Project-era contamination since the law was expanded last summer. The payouts are meant to cover unreimbursed medical costs and one-time awards for qualifying cancers and related illnesses, and local advocates say families are already using the funds for chemotherapy, utilities and other urgent bills.
In a May 18 press release, Hawley’s office said the Department of Justice provided the $101,950,000 figure as part of a broader national distribution after RECA’s reauthorization. The statement notes that his staff is helping residents file claims and that the statutory filing window closes on December 31, 2027. The office has posted phone numbers and online tools so people can check eligibility and pull together the paperwork.
Who qualifies and what they can receive
The Department of Justice outlines how the Manhattan Project Waste category works and what it pays out. Living claimants who meet the residency and diagnosis rules are entitled to the greater of $50,000 or their documented out-of-pocket medical expenses, while surviving spouses, or surviving children if there is no spouse, may receive $25,000. The law also spells out the specific Missouri ZIP codes that qualify and sets the rules for residency, timing and the medical documentation applicants must provide, according to the Department of Justice.
Local claims and cleanup timelines
Interest around St. Louis has been intense. St. Louis County told Spectrum News that roughly 17,000 current or former residents have applied for RECA compensation, and advocates say the money is already changing household budgets. “This is the cost of treating cancer,” longtime organizer Dawn Chapman told Spectrum, adding that “RECA changes lives.”
The payouts are also landing against a long and slow cleanup backdrop. Coldwater Creek remediation is projected to stretch into the late 2030s, while excavation work at the West Lake Landfill could begin in 2027, a milestone that has given residents a sliver of relief after decades of frustration.
DOJ projections and what to expect
Justice Department budgeting documents show the Civil Division is gearing up for a flood of claims after the law’s expansion. The agency estimated it could receive as many as 100,000 new filings and pay as many as 78,000 of them during the 29-month window created by the reauthorization. The Department of Justice has laid out staffing and funding plans to handle the surge and is already warning of processing delays as the program scales up, according to Department of Justice budget materials.
How to apply and where to get help
Claimants can file electronically through the RECA claim portal and should be ready to upload proof of residency, medical records and documentation of unreimbursed expenses. On the ground, there is local help available: Hawley’s office, county recorders and community groups are running clinics and keeping resource pages up to date. For details and the program hotline, see Hawley’s office.
For families who have spent years living in the shadow of the region’s Cold War-era contamination, the money is less a windfall than overdue relief. With many residents still likely eligible and cleanup work slated to continue for decades, local advocates say the next few years will be crucial for outreach and hands-on help with filing claims.
