A bill recently introduced in the U.S. Senate aims to expand eligibility for federal compensation to those exposed to radiation in the Southwest during the Cold War.
The legislation updates the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to include residents, known as downwinders, in all of Mohave County.
For decades, people throughout the West were exposed to radiation though fallout from nuclear weapons testing and as employees in the uranium mining industry. Many developed serious illnesses.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is a cosponsor and says the bill would make between 1,500 and 2,000 people eligible to receive benefits.
Apache, Coconino, Gila, Navajo and Yavapai counties are currently covered under the program, but some areas of Mohave County were left out of the original bill.