The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which provides compensation for people harmed by exposure to nuclear testing and mining has been revived and expanded to cover additional states in the Mountain West region.
The federal program, known as RECA, expired in June of 2024. However, the program found a second life in President Trump’s big budget bill and has been reauthorized through the end of 2028.
RECA provides financial assistance to people who were exposed to radiation from nuclear testing conducted in Nevada, New Mexico. While testing was conducted in Guam, it is not included for coverage under the new program. It also offers assistance to people who lived downwind of testing sites, and uranium mine workers in several states.
Tona Henderson, President of the Idaho Downwinders Association was happy to see the program expanded to include her state, but said it still has flaws.
“They won’t pay for urinary cancer but they will for bladder cancer. Wouldn’t they be connected? And, prostate cancer is huge in all of these downwind communities and it’s not included,” said Henderson as she listed off what ailments were and were not included in the newly revived bill.
Henderson, who was instrumental in lobbying lawmakers to have Idaho included. While the financial compensation was increased, Henderson said it is woefully inadequate to provide sufficient assistance for medical treatment for people facing cancers linked to radiation exposure.
“Unfortunately most people will still die too soon,” she said. But, “It could be the difference of getting 3 months worth of treatment. What does that mean to somebody? It means that you’re able to tell your family goodbye. It means that you’re able to feed your family for 3 more months.”
The new bill expands the program to cover downwinders in all of New Mexico, Utah, Idaho and portions of Arizona. Coverage in Nevada remains the same: Six counties in southern Nevada and part of Clark County. There’s also expanded coverage for some uranium workers. The program may pay up to $100 thousand in compensation for people with qualifying cancers or other specified illness.
RECA benefits explained
The non-profit Union of Concerned Scientists released a statement from it’s president, Dr. Gretchen Goldman said while many still will not qualify, this expansion is “a win for thousands of people across the country.”
The following updates to RECA were outlined by the Union of Concerned Scientists:
For downwinders
- Standardizes the eligibility period for downwinders with qualifying diseases who lived in an affected area to at least a year and extends the eligibility period to January 21, 1951 to November 6, 1962 from the previous period of January 21, 1951 through October 31, 1958.
- Downwinders are still eligible if they were present in the affected area for the whole period of June 30, 1962 to July 31, 1962.
Downwind areas now cover:
- The whole states of Utah, Idaho and New Mexico;
- six counties in southern Nevada and part of Clark County (no change); and
- six counties in northern Arizona, including all of Mohave County.
Establishes specific eligibility period for downwinders with qualifying diseases in New Mexico:
- An individual must have lived in the state for one year between September 24, 1944 and November 6, 1962. This time period starts earlier than the rest of the downwind area (1944 vs 1951) because of earlier testing done in New Mexico.
- Raises the compensation amount for downwinders and onsite participants with qualifying diseases from $50,000 and $75,000 respectively to $100,000 for both groups.
- Prohibits people from applying for a new claim if they have already received compensation from RECA.
- Removes the age requirement for leukemia claims. Previously, RECA required that initial exposure occurred prior to age 21.
For uranium workers
- Adds core drillers, uranium mine and mill remediation workers as eligible workers.
- Extends eligibility period for uranium workers employed in seven states to January 1, 1942 through December 31, 1990, from the previous period of January 1, 1942 to December 31, 1971.
- Expands covered diseases for miners to include renal cancer or any other chronic renal disease, including nephritis and kidney tubal tissue injury. This means that the list of qualified illnesses for miners matches those for millers, ore transporters and core drillers.
- Creates new eligibility pathways for uranium workers with mixed or partial work histories, allowing workers with combined time of at least a year in eligible roles to be eligible for compensation. Miners can also qualify if their total radiation exposure—when combined with time in other roles—is equivalent to that of a one-year worker. This expands access for workers who had fragmented job histories but significant cumulative exposure.
For communities impacted by Manhattan Project waste
Individuals in the following communities in Alaska, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee, located in specific zip codes may be eligible to file a RECA claim:
- AK: 99546 and 99547;
- KY: 42001, 42003, and 42086;
- MO: 63031, 63033, 63034, 63042, 63045, 63074, 63114, 63135, 63138, 63044, 63121, 63140, 63145, 63147, 63102, 63304, 63134, 63043, 63341, 63368, and 63367; and
- TN: 37716, 37840, 37719, 37748, 37763, 37828, 37769, 37710, 37845, 37887, 37829, 37854, 37830, and 37831.
- Claimants must have established physical presence in the designated areas for two or more years after Jan 1, 1949. “Physical presence” in a covered area can include their primary residence, employment or attending school.
Claimants must have one of the following specified disease with an onset date within two years after the date of initial exposure:
- Multiple myeloma; lymphoma; cancer of the thyroid, breast, esophagus, stomach, pharynx, small intestine, pancreas, bile ducts, gall bladder, salivary gland, bladder, brain, colon, ovary, bone, renal, liver (except if cirrhosis or hepatitis B is indicated), lung, or leukemia.
- Individuals are only eligible for leukemia if their exposure occurred after the age of 20.
- Claimants will be able to receive either $50,000 or the total of all out-of-pocket medical expenses related to their qualifying illness, whichever is higher. Medical expenses must be submitted on or before Dec 31, 2028, the expiration of the program.
- Survivors of individuals exposed may receive $25,000 (total) if the individual has passed away.
The new law requires that claims be filed before the end of 2027.
For more information:
https://www.justice.gov/civil/common/reca
Contact the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program
Contact the RECA Program by telephone
Telephone: 1-800-729-RECP (1-800-729-7327)
Contact the RECA Program by U.S. Postal Service
U.S. Department of Justice Radiation Exposure Compensation Program
P.O. Box 146Ben Franklin Station
Washington, DC 20044-0146
Contact RECA by e-mail
Civil.RECA@usdoj.gov
