Idaho Downwinders Diagnosed With Cancer Now Eligible for Federal Compensation Under Expanded Program
Idaho Residents Exposed to Nuclear Fallout Can Apply for $100,000 in Compensation Through December 2027
BOISE, Idaho — For decades, Idahoans who developed cancer following atmospheric nuclear weapons testing in the 1950s and early 1960s were left out of a federal compensation program that covered residents of other nearby states. That changed recently, and advocates across the state are working to make sure eligible residents and their families know they may qualify for $100,000 in federal compensation before the application window closes.
Mary Alice Glen, of Boise, was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996. Her mother died from ovarian cancer. One sister had breast cancer. A brother had colorectal cancer. For years, Glen could not explain why illness seemed to follow her family so closely. It was not until last fall that the picture came into focus: she and her family are Downwinders — people exposed to radioactive fallout from nuclear tests the federal government conducted in Nevada between 1951 and 1962.
“I mean, very, very angry,” Glen said of her reaction upon learning the cause. “That this happened to the citizens of the United States.”
Between 1951 and 1962, the federal government conducted nuclear tests at a Nevada test site. While most tests were underground, approximately 100 were atmospheric — meaning atomic weapons were detonated at or above ground level, releasing radioactive material into the atmosphere, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service. Researchers found that some of the resulting fallout affected food and milk supplies, with radiation drifting hundreds of miles into surrounding states, including Idaho.
Federal Compensation Now Includes Idaho After Decades-Long Fight
The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, a federal law administered through the U.S. Department of Justice, provides partial restitution to individuals who developed certain cancers or other illnesses after exposure to radiation from the U.S. nuclear weapons program. For years, the program covered residents of some surrounding states but excluded Idaho. That exclusion is now corrected.
Through December 2027, Idaho residents — or survivors of deceased family members — can apply for $100,000 in compensation if they or their loved one had one of the eligible cancers and lived in Idaho between January 1951 and November 1962. The expansion was included as a provision in President Donald Trump’s legislation signed into law last summer. The program was designed as a non-adversarial alternative to litigation and does not require applicants to prove direct causation between their illness and the nuclear testing.
Getting Idaho included in the compensation program was not quick or easy. Tona Henderson, whose family has lived in Emmett since the late 19th century, has spent more than two decades fighting for that recognition. Growing up in Gem County, Henderson said cancer was simply a fact of life in her community.
“When I was younger, it was kind of a given thing that if you didn’t die of old age, you died of a car wreck or you died of cancer,” Henderson said. “There really wasn’t anything else.”
Henderson’s father’s thyroid dissolved. Her mother had breast cancer. Her oldest brother experienced three separate bouts of cancer within eight months. Another brother had prostate cancer. Dozens of relatives who lived in Gem County during the testing period also developed cancer, she said.
Her advocacy intensified in 2004 after reading a newspaper series about Sheri Garmon, a local woman who suffered from five different types of cancer. Henderson helped organize a community event where residents were asked whether they knew someone with cancer. Nearly everyone in the room stood, many with both hands raised. Garmon spoke at the rally that year. She died in 2005, and Henderson made a promise to keep fighting — a promise she says she has kept.
Henderson worked alongside advocates in Utah, New Mexico, Guam, and other affected areas, and found a key ally in U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, in the effort to expand RECA’s coverage to Idaho residents.
Glen is now focused on spreading the word to other Idahoans who may qualify. With the application window open only through December 2027, time is limited for residents and survivors to file claims. East Idaho residents seeking more information on public safety and health developments in the region can find additional statewide coverage at Idaho News and broader regional context through the Idaho News Network.
What Comes Next
Eligible Idaho residents and survivors of deceased family members have until December 2027 to submit claims through the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act program. Applicants must demonstrate that they or their family member lived in Idaho between January 1951 and November 1962 and were diagnosed with one of the program’s qualifying illnesses. The U.S. Department of Justice administers the program. Advocates including Glen and Henderson are continuing outreach efforts to ensure that Idahoans who qualify are aware of the compensation available to them before the deadline passes. Residents with questions are encouraged to contact the Department of Justice or consult with a legal professional familiar with federal compensation programs.