Congress bill could make Coloradans who fell ill near nuclear sites eligible for $150,000

Federal legislation under consideration would offer financial help to Coloradans who say old nuclear contamination caused lasting health impacts.

Under the proposal, an expansion of the 1990 Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, residents who developed certain illnesses after living near two former nuclear facilities could be eligible for compensation, including a $150,000 payment, according to The Denver Post.

Here's what to know

Under the proposed Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act of 2026, changes to the 1990 compensation program would extend aid to people tied to two Colorado locations, the Cotter mill outside Cañon City and the closed Rocky Flats weapons plant near Denver, per the Post.

Residents across 57 ZIP codes who developed qualifying illnesses such as cancer could seek the $150,000 as well as repayment for medical expenses.

The measure would also classify Colorado as a "downwinder" state because Nevada's nuclear weapons tests in the 1950s and 1960s created fallout from aboveground blasts that traveled hundreds of miles beyond the test sites, the newspaper said.

The act would also formally recognize that the government inflicted pain and suffering onto the residents near these facilities and blasts, the Post reported.

"It could finally mean recognition and compensation for the damage we have suffered down here," Jeri Fry, co-chair of Colorado Citizens against Toxic Waste, told the Post.

Stephanie Dalton, an advocate for the impacted residents, added, "Compensation can never undo the loss and pain we have endured, but recognition and support would bring a measure of long-overdue justice."

Where can I learn more?

Colorado's fight for compensation is part of a much broader debate over what communities near nuclear and other toxic energy sites are owed. Similar questions are playing out elsewhere.

• In Piketon, Ohio, families said exposure to a toxic facility made residents sick for years.

• Officials wanted a new law targeting defunct nuclear plants to raise community revenue.

• Pennsylvania lawmakers confronted dangerous chemicals lurking in foods as exposure concerns widened.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.