User:HIST121-Augie-student/Downwinders

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NEVADA (third paragraph, last sentence) = Change "A 2010 report evaluating data on thyroid cancer incidence from 1973 to 2004 also supports a relationship between exposure from fallout and increased thyroid cancer incidence" to "A 2010 report evaluating data on thyroid cancer incidence from 1973 to 2004 also supported a relationship between exposure from fallout and increased thyroid cancer incidence" for tense consistency.

NUCLEAR TESTING (very last sentence) = replaced with "These nuclear tests infused vast quantities of radioactive material into the world's atmosphere, resulting in widely dispersed radiation and its subsequent deposition as global fallout."

NEVADA (third paragraph) = "...which were later collected by the Atomic Energy Commission to gather data about radiation levels." - rephrase to "...which the Atomic Energy Commission later collected to gather data about radiation levels."

NEVADA (first paragraph, last sentence)"...which with the exception of a few test failures, did not release fallout." add commas "...which, with the exception of a few test failures, did not release fallout."

HANFORD (Last paragraph) = one minor edit could be to replace "went to trial" with "were brought to trial"

COMPENSATION= Citation added "Since its establishment in 1990, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act provided benefits exceeding $2.5 billion to over 39,000 claimants"

(the second paragraph) “…More generally, the term can also include those communities and individuals who are exposed to ionizing radiation and other emissions due to the regular production and maintenance of coal ash, nuclear weapons, nuclear power, nuclear waste, and geothermal energy. …” instead of “…More generally, the term can also include those communities and individuals who are exposed to ionizing radiation and other emissions due to the regular production and maintenance of coal ash, nuclear weapons, nuclear power, nuclear waste and geothermal energy….”

The first paragraph (added missing comma) = …ranges primarily in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah but also… instead of …ranges primarily in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah but also…

The last paragraph (changed as to when) "In fact, the health effects of radon were first widely acknowledged when Mormon and Native American miners who hardly smoke (the main reason for lung cancer) had high incidences of lung cancer."

Article body
In 1990, the U.S. Congress passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), providing financial assistance to individuals who suffered from radiation exposure-related diseases, including lung cancer, leukemia, multiple myeloma, lymphomas, thyroid cancer, breast cancer, as well as nonmalignant respiratory conditions such as lung fibrosis and pulmonary fibrosis. This law specifically aimed to compensate former uranium miners who fell ill during the time when the U.S. Government was the sole purchaser of uranium. Since its establishment in 1990, RECA has provided benefits exceeding $2.5 billion to over 39,000 claimants.

Initially, RECA had narrow definitions regarding eligible people and covered diseases, but complaints arose regarding these limitations, leading to efforts to amend the act. In 1999, recognizing the need for change in the compensation process under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), four bills were submitted in the U.S. Congress aimed at amending the act. Advocacy initiatives were directed towards extending coverage to include additional occupations, lower the standard of proof for uranium miners, eliminate distinctions between smokers and nonsmokers, and increase compensation for eligible individuals, which led to approved amendments to RECA in 2000, expanding coverage and modifying eligibility criteria to assist affected groups.

Downwinders eligible for compensation include those living in specified counties of Nevada, Utah, and Arizona for at least two years between January 1951 and October 1958, or during July 1962-periods when the United States conducted above ground nuclear tests without warning, and who are able to show correlations between certain diseases and their personal exposure to nuclear radiation. Miners' compensation covers workers employed in uranium mines in five states-Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, and Utah-between January 1947 and December 1971. Uranium miners are eligible for $100,000, and onsite participants are eligible for $75,000.