Resources for Covering Colorado RECA Expansion Efforts

On August [DATE], Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), Congressman James Moylan R-Guam), and others introduced H.R. ####, to expand and improve the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). The bill would extend RECA benefits to downwind and nuclear production Coloradan communities for the first time; uranium workers and “onsite participants” in the state are already eligible for RECA benefits.

How were Coloradans exposed to radiation?

The United States conducted hundreds of aboveground nuclear tests, including in New Mexico and Nevada. Radioactive fallout was carried up to thousands of miles downwind, exposing communities in Colorado and elsewhere. The process of producing nuclear weapons has also led to environmental contaminations that exposed the public – in Colorado these stemmed from the Cotter uranium mill in Cañon City and the Rocky Flats Plant. Colorado “downwinders” and communities near those facilities would be made eligible for RECA through H.R. ####.

Some Coloradans already qualify for RECA if exposed to radiation through their work. Miners, many of whom were Indigenous, received dangerous doses of radiation without their knowledge while working to acquire uranium for the weapons stockpile. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of U.S. service members were exposed to radiation through weapons testing and subsequent cleanup efforts. Approximately 2,800 Coloradans have already received RECA benefits.

What Would H.R. #### Do for Colorado?

This legislation would be life-changing for Coloradans who have developed cancer or another severe illness as a result of exposure to radiation, providing  $150,000. The bill includes provisions that:

  • Extend RECA compensation under the “Manhattan Project Waste” category to Rocky Flats Plant and Cotter Mill area communities

  • Classify the state of Colorado as a nuclear testing downwind area, making Colorado residents from certain years eligible for compensation under the “Downwind” category, if they have a qualifying illness

  • Extend eligibility for additional types of atomic veterans

  • Support Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program clinics

  • Allow the parents of radiation victims in the “Manhattan Project Waste” category to apply

  • Add new qualifying illnesses

  • Create a petition process whereby communities and potential classes of claimants can seek inclusion in RECA

Who to Contact for More Information

A coalition of organizations across Colorado are working together to support efforts to expand the RECA program and to provide education and support for potential claimants, including:

Additional Resources