ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The president of the Navajo Nation and New Mexico residents who live downwind from the site of the world's first atomic blast are among those seeking compensation from the U.S. government following uranium mining and nuclear testing carried out during the Cold War.
A congressional subcommittee took testimony Wednesday about who should be eligible for payouts.
Some lawmakers and residents from western states have been urging Congress to expand a compensation program for years, and advocates say the latest push takes on added weight because it's set to expire next year.
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Some say their communities have been plagued by cancer, birth defects and stillbirths.