Shondiin Silversmith
AZ Mirror
People who got sick from exposure to radiation during the United States’ development and testing of nuclear weapons can now start applying for compensation again.
The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act program, known as RECA, has been revived after provisions to reauthorize claim filings under the program were included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that became law last month.
RECA compensates individuals who developed certain illnesses from exposure to radiation during the United States’ development and testing of nuclear weapons. The program initially expired in 2024 due to congressional inaction, and no claims were accepted after June 10, 2024.
“RECA does not require claimants to prove causation,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice. “Rather, claimants qualify for compensation by establishing a diagnosis of a compensable disease after working or residing in a designated location for a specific period.”
The covered illnesses under RECA include leukemia, multiple myeloma, lymphomas, and primary cancers of the thyroid, male or female breast, esophagus, stomach, pharynx, small intestine, pancreas, bile ducts, gall bladder, salivary gland, urinary bladder, brain, colon, ovary, liver or lung.
With the program’s revival, the DOJ has issued the guidelines for claimants seeking compensation. New claims can be filed with the program until Dec. 31, 2027.
Affected individuals can file claims in four categories: downwinders, onsite participants, uranium workers and Manhattan Project waste. This is the first time claims are being accepted for individuals affected by the Manhattan Project, a top-secret, U.S.-led effort during World War II to develop the first atomic bombs.
The compensation amount for downwinders, onsite participants and uranium workers is a one-time, lump sum payment of $100,000, an increase from $50,000.
For claims under the Manhattan Project Waste category, compensation varies depending on whether claimants who are alive at the time of filing qualify for $50,000. In contrast, those filing on behalf of a deceased individual at the time of filing are eligible for $25,000.
Claimants filing under the Manhattan Project Waste category must have developed a covered illness after living, working or attending school in the areas affected by Manhattan Project waste contamination. This includes the states of Missouri, Tennessee, Alaska, and Kentucky.
For claims under Onsite Participant, claimants must meet two key requirements: the participant must have been on-site during a test involving an atmospheric nuclear detonation before 1963 and they must have been diagnosed with a compensable disease.
Between 1945 and 1992, the U.S. conducted a total of 1,030 nuclear tests, according to the Arms Control Association. Nearly all of them — 928 in total — were conducted at the Nevada Test Site between 1951 and 1992, according to the Nevada National Security Site. About 100 were atmospheric tests, and the rest were underground detonations.
According to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, atmospheric tests involved unrestrained releases of radioactive materials directly into the environment, causing the largest collective dose of radiation from human-made sources thus far.
Under the reauthorization of RECA, uranium workers now have broader coverage, including compensation for those who worked as miners, millers, core drillers, transporters and remediation workers from 1942 through 1990. (Previously, the program ended for workers employed in 1971._ This is the first time core drillers and remediation workers are covered.
Uranium workers who worked at uranium mines or mills within Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, Washington, Utah, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon and Texas are eligible to apply.
Between the 1940s and 1990s, thousands of uranium mines operated in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Most operated in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona, typically on federal and tribal lands.
The number of mining locations associated with uranium is around 15,000, according to the EPA, and of those, more than 4,000 have documented uranium production.
Downwinders are individuals who developed certain cancers after presumed exposure to radiation released during the atmospheric nuclear tests conducted within the United States.
To qualify for compensation as a downwinder, individuals must have been physically present in an affected area for at least one year. The areas include the states of Idaho, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Utah.
In Arizona, individuals must reside in Coconino, Yavapai, Navajo, Apache, Gila, or Mohave counties.
For Nevada, individuals must live in the counties of White Pine, Nye, Lander, Lincoln, Eureka, and Clark County.
The legacy of uranium mining has impacted the Navajo Nation for decades, from abandoned mines to contaminated waste disposal.
From 1944 to 1986, nearly 30 million tons of uranium ore were extracted from Navajo lands, and hundreds of Navajo people worked in the mines, often living and raising families near the mines and mills.
Although the mines are no longer active across the Navajo Nation, contamination persists, including 523 abandoned uranium mines, as well as homes and water sources with elevated radiation levels.
The health risks linked to this contamination include the potential for lung cancer from inhaling radioactive particles, as well as bone cancer and impaired kidney function caused by exposure to radionuclides in drinking water.
With the reauthorization of RECA, Navajo tribal leaders are encouraging people on the Navajo Nation to apply for the program to help them with compensation for the lingering effects of uranium exposure and mining.
“The passage of RECA was a meaningful step forward, but we still need a long-term extension that reflects the lived experiences of Navajo families impacted by decades of uranium mining,” Navajo Nation Council Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty said in a press release.
“We encourage impacted individuals to submit claims before the deadline,” she added.
Tribal leaders are urging claimants to use the Navajo Uranium Workers’ Program, managed by the Navajo Department of Health, which provides technical support and allows them to submit claims at no cost.