APOLLO — A senator wants an investigation of the cleanup at an old nuclear waste site about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said in a statement Wednesday that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Inspector General should investigate the cleanup of the former Nuclear Materials and Equipment, or NUMEC, site, which operated from 1957 until the 1980s.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in charge of the cleanup, but paused work last year when a contractor didn’t follow proper procedures.

Patty Ameno, who grew up in Apollo and has advocated on behalf of the workers and townspeople since 1988, said the call for an investigation is “significant.”

Area residents say the plant contributed to cancer in the area.