PIKE COUNTY, Ohio — Local residents in Pike County are hopeful for justice and compensation as efforts to include the county in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) continue to progress.
The former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon has left many residents suffering from documented health effects due to exposure to dangerous radioactive contaminants.
Activists from PRESS (Piketon Residents for Environmental Safety and Security, Don’t Dump On Us, The Ohio Nuclear Free Network, and others came together over the weekend to present new evidence of radioactive contaminants in Pike, Scioto, and Highland counties.
Human Rights Consultant and PRESS Media Relations spokesperson Jason Salley addressed those in attendance, emphasizing that justice is long overdue. Salley went on to ask the community to sign a petition, demanding Pike and surrounding communities be added to the bill. A link to the online petition can be found here.
Dr. Michael Ketterer, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Northern Arizona University, who uncovered contamination at Zahns Corner Middle School shared recent results of samples taken throughout the region.
The United States Senate recently passed RECA, with Pike and Scioto Counties specifically mentioned by Senator Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico. The bill will now move on to the House of Representatives for debate.
If Pike County is added to RECA, qualifying residents could receive compensation of up to $50,000.
President Joe Biden has expressed his support for the bill and has promised to sign it once it reaches his desk. This news brings hope to residents of Pike County who have long awaited justice and compensation for their exposure to dangerous radiation.