ST. LOUIS— Missouri Governor Mike Parson has responded to State Rep. Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, the House Minority Leader, after she announced Tuesday that she’s asked him to call a special legislative session to address funding for a state program that would investigate radioactive waste concerns.

"There are no plans for a special session at this time," said Johnathan Shiflett, Deputy Communications Director/Press Secretary, in an email to Spectrum News. "Governor Parson is concerned for the impacted communities, but this issue was caused by the federal government and should be fixed by the federal government. Governor Parson supports recent efforts by Senator Hawley to do just that and hold the federal government accountable."

A law passed in 2018 authorized the investigations, but the Department of Natural Resources has confirmed that the Radioactive Waste Investigative Fund has never received funding.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch was first to report the lack of funding. 

“Recent news reports have detailed the unacceptable mismanagement of World War II and Cold War-era nuclear sites across greater St. Louis and in St. Charles County and the resulting radioactive and chemical contamination in those areas. I applaud the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for its efforts to advocate with the federal government for more extensive decontamination efforts for these communities. However, there is more that can and must be done by the state to protect the health and safety of our citizens,” Quade said in a Monday letter to Gov. Parson, asking for a special session that could coincide with the annual veto session in Jefferson City starting Sept. 13.

The letter doesn’t identify a specific dollar amount–the 2018 law said a maximum of $150,000 should go to the fund. A spokesperson for House Democrats didn’t rule out the possibility for the General Assembly to do more.

“Given the unprecedented budget surplus the state continues to enjoy, the relatively modest amount of money needed for the program is available,” Quade, a 2024 candidate for Governor said in the letter. Two potential opponents in a general election campaign for Governor, State Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring and Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, are slated to appear Wednesday at a community meeting in New Melle that among other topics, will address recent concerns about ground contamination in Weldon Spring.

There was no immediate reaction from the Governor’s office to the special session call. Messages seeking comment from House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres and Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia have not been returned.