Senator says downwinders to receive an extension to apply for benefits

Public domain image from Operation Buster-Jangle - Dog test, Nevada, Nov. 1, 1951 | St. George News

ST. GEORGE — The ticking clock will tick a little longer for downwinders and others who seek federal compensation if they or a family member have had certain types of cancer.

File photo of the Operation Upshot-Knothole “Harry” nuclear weapon test, which produced 35% of all of the fallout radiation that fell on Southern Utah during the above-ground nuclear tests of the second half of the 20th century, Nevada Test Site,
May 19, 1953 | Photo courtesy of Los Alamos National Laboratory, St. George News

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said Thursday that the U.S. Senate has agreed to extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) for at least another two years. It was set to expire on July 10.

Lee said the extension was agreed to as part of negotiations of a more comprehensive Downwinders Act, S2825, sponsored by Lee, which was introduced last September and has remained in committee since then.

“Downwinders, uranium miners, uranium millers and ore transporters were harmed by the federal government and deserve compensation,” Lee said. “I am encouraged that my colleagues agreed with this important extension.

Sen. Mike Lee poses for a photo with a constituent at the 2022 Washington County Republican nominating convention, St. George, Utah, April 9, 2022 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Under RECA, individuals and families of those who have had radiogenic cancers and were exposed to radiation are eligible for up to $50,000. That includes exposure to radiation from such things as the fallout that drifted downward onto Southern Utah from above-ground nuclear tests in Nevada, as well as those who worked at the Nevada Test Site or in uranium mines.

This weekend, informational sessions are being held in rural areas of Southern Utah to help educate and help with the application process for those who think they might be eligible for compensation. Help is also available through the Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program (RESEP) at St. George Regional Hospital. Both are free to the public.

Lee’s bill, if passed, ultimately would extend the act another 10 years and also expand eligibility to more people — namely to additional counties in Nevada and New Mexico.  To pay for it, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration would be required to auction 100 megahertz of electromagnetic spectrum assigned or allocated to the federal government.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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