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United States Radiation Exposure Compensation Act provides compensation for those afflicted by radiation

Compensation may be available for those exposed to radiation, Journal Times,  Racine County Veterans Service Office  29 Jan 14 Over the past two years the United States Department of Justice has processed has processed thousands of Radiation Exposure Compensation Act claims from individuals filing under the Onsite Participant provisions of RECA. Many of those claims were filed by individuals serving in Japan after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The United States Radiation Exposure Compensation Act is a federal statute providing for the monetary compensation of people, including atomic veterans, who contracted cancer and a number of other specified diseases as a direct result of their exposure to atmospheric nuclear testing undertaken by the United States during the Cold War, or their exposure to high levels of radon while doing uranium. The 1990 act provided the following remunerations:

• $50,000 to individuals residing or working “downwind” of the Nevada Test Site.

• $75,000 for workers participating in atmospheric nuclear weapons tests.

• $100,000 for uranium miners, millers, and ore transporters.

In all cases there are additional requirements which must be satisfied (proof of exposure, establishment of duration of employment, establishment of certain medical conditions, etc.).

In some cases, however, it was extremely difficult for people to receive their compensation, especially in the case of the widows of uranium miners. Because many uranium miners were Native Americans, they did not have standard marriage licenses required to establish a legal connection to the deceased. In 1999, revisions were published in the Federal Register to assist in making award claims.

It was passed by Congress on Oct. 5, 1990, and signed into law by President George H. W. Bush on Oct. 15. 1990.

In 2000, additional amendments were passed which added two new claimant categories (uranium mill and ore workers, both eligible to receive as much money as uranium miners), added additional geographic regions to the “down winder” provisions, changed some of the recognized illnesses, and lowered the threshold radiation exposure for uranium miners.

In 2002, additional amendments were passed as part of another bill, primarily fixing a number of draftsmanship errors in the previous amendments (which had accidentally removed certain geographic areas from the original act) and clarified a number of points.

As of July 15, 2012, 25,804 claims under the act were approved (with 9,869 denied), expending a total of $1,707,998,044.

For more information about United States Radiation Exposure Compensation Act go to www.justice.gov/civil/common/reca.html or call the toll-free number (800) 729-7327 or email a message to:civil.reca@usdoj.gov. If a RECA staff member is not available to talk, please leave voice message or send a email.

January 30, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized