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Missouri: St. Louis & St. Charles Counties

Specialized RECA guidance for Missouri residents exposed to secondary radioactive waste from Coldwater Creek, West Lake Landfill, and the Weldon Spring site.

1. The History: Manhattan Project Waste in Missouri

During the Cold War era, facilities like the Mallinckrodt Chemical Company refined immense quantities of uranium for the Manhattan Project and subsequent nuclear weapons programs. Over the decades, the radioactive waste and byproducts from these processes were improperly stored and dumped across the St. Louis region.

This led to severe, long-term environmental contamination in localized areas. Radioactive isotopes leached into the groundwater, soil, and local waterways, notably turning Coldwater Creek, the West Lake Landfill, and the Weldon Spring EPA Superfund site into lasting hazards for surrounding residential communities.

A Step Toward Recognition: For decades, residents of these communities dealt with unexplained illness clusters. The 2025 RECA expansion finally provides public recognition and financial relief to families who suffered from this secondary, environmental exposure, even if they never worked in the uranium industry.

2. Eligible ZIP Codes in Missouri

The geographic footprint for Missouri's RECA eligibility covers 21 specific ZIP codes across St. Louis and St. Charles counties. To qualify, you must prove you lived, worked, or attended school for at least 24 months (cumulatively or consecutively) anytime after January 1, 1949, in any of the following ZIP codes:

  • 63031
  • 63033
  • 63034
  • 63042
  • 63043
  • 63044
  • 63045
  • 63074
  • 63102
  • 63114
  • 63121
  • 63134
  • 63135
  • 63138
  • 63140
  • 63145
  • 63147
  • 63304
  • 63341
  • 63367
  • 63368
Map of RECA Covered Areas in the Greater St. Louis Region highlighting eligible ZIP codes
Visual overview of the covered geographic zones across St. Louis and St. Charles counties.

3. Proving Your Physical Presence

Because the Department of Justice requires official documentation to prove your 24 months of physical presence, you will need to gather contemporaneous records. Local Missouri governments and organizations have mobilized to help residents track down this historical proof:

Type of Record Where to Find It in Missouri
School Transcripts Official transcripts from districts like Francis Howell, Fort Zumwalt, and local St. Louis County school districts. Many local high schools (e.g., Francis Howell Central, Liberty High) and elementary/middle schools fall directly in the eligible ZIP codes.
Voter & Tax Records County election authorities, such as the St. Charles County Election Authority, can provide historical voter registration records. County assessors hold historical property tax receipts.
Employment & Medical W-2s, pay stubs, state unemployment records, or contemporaneous medical and utility bills sent to a residential address within the 21 ZIP codes during the qualifying time period.

Local Support: The St. Charles City-County Library has built a dedicated RECA resource page and hosts informational livestreams to help residents identify how to obtain documents from government agencies. Advocacy groups like Just Moms STL also offer local guidance.

4. Compensation & Next Steps

In addition to proving your geographic presence, you must have a certified medical diagnosis of a qualifying radiation-linked illness (such as specific primary cancers, leukemia, or multiple myeloma) that occurred after your period of exposure. If you meet both the geographic and medical requirements, you can file a "Manhattan Project Waste" claim through the DOJ's portal for a $50,000 lump sum (or medical expense reimbursement if living, or a $25,000 survivor benefit if deceased).