Even without a nuclear war, the development and testing of nuclear weapons — as well as uranium mining — have caused great harm to Americans. And now, a step toward justice is within reach for thousands of people who have been affected by radiation exposure and need help.
The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) provides partial compensation for people harmed by radiation exposure from uranium mining and US government nuclear weapons testing — including over 200 above-ground nuclear tests from 1945 to 1962. RECA is a valuable program but it does not go far enough to support those who were harmed, and many thousands of people in impacted communities have been left out altogether.
The U.S. Senate voted with a wide bipartisan margin in July 2023 and again in March 2024 to extend RECA and — importantly — include additional groups of people who were left out of the original RECA. The new legislation would expand downwinder eligibility to Idaho, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Guam, and new areas of Utah. It would also include certain communities in Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky exposed to nuclear waste and/or contaminants from production sites.
Time is running out for the House to vote since the original RECA legislation sunsets on June 7. Earlier this month, frontline community members traveled from New Mexico, the Navajo Nation, the Laguna Pueblo, Utah, Missouri, and Guam to urge Congress to keep this program alive and expand the communities who have access to lifesaving health screenings and compensation.
Take action now to support RECA: https://secure.ucsusa.org/a/2024-reca-house-vote-call-today
For more information: https://www.savereca.org/
The American Public Health Association, Western Governors Association, and U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have all endorsed expanding and extending RECA.
“Nuclear testing did not prevent nuclear war. It was a nuclear war.” — Downwinder Mary Dickson
