Downwinders Public Meetings on Hold; Affected Individuals Are Encouraged to Apply for Compensation from the Federal Government

The term Downwinder is used to describe the more than 60,000 people who were exposed to radioactive fallout in southern Utah during the nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site.

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), which is due to expire in July 2022, is a federal statute providing for the monetary compensation of people who contracted certain cancers and/or other specified diseases as a direct result of their exposure to atmospheric nuclear testing. 

The Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Clinic from Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital has not been able to hold public meetings due to the COVID pandemic.   However, individuals seeking aid or information are still encouraged to call 435-251-4760 for more information about the program, requirements for compensation, and deadlines for application before the law expires next year.

Qualifying downwinders – or spouses and/or children of deceased loved ones – may apply for up to $50,000 in compensation. Applications and information are available by calling 435-251-4760 to help anyone who may qualify get started on the compensation process. 

Qualifying cancers include:

• Leukemia
• Multiple Myeloma
• Lymphomas, other than Hodgkin’s 
• Primary cancers of the:  Pharynx, small intestine, salivary gland, brain, stomach, urinary bladder, colon, thyroid, pancreas, female or male breast, esophagus, bile ducts, liver, gall bladder, lung and ovary.

The Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Clinic was established at St. George Regional Medical Center in 2004 to aid thousands of individuals exposed to the nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site.