The U.S. Senate has approved a two-year extension of a federal law that compensates residents in the West who were exposed to radiation during the Cold War.
It’s designed to give lawmakers more time to craft a larger expansion of the program.
The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, also known as RECA, was implemented in 1990 and is set to expire in July.
It provides one-time payouts for people known as downwinders who were exposed to radiation from nuclear detonations along with workers in uranium mines, mills and transport, many of whom are tribal members.
If the two-year extension is passed by the U.S. House, a larger expansion of RECA could last until 2040.
Congress is considering a bill that would also broaden the geographic area for coverage and include uranium workers exposed after 1971.
Many downwinders suffer from cancers and other long-term health problems.
Navajo Nation leaders are urging members of Congress to expand RECA even further to more residents and uranium workers and raise the compensation cap to at least $200,000.
