Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez is hosting a workshop in Santa Fe on Tuesday at 5:30 pm about eligibility for the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.
People who lived in New Mexico between September 1944 and November 1962 or for all of June 30 to July 31, 1962 and have an eligible radiation exposure disease can apply to receive a $100,000 payment. You can also apply as a survivor if your eligible spouse, parents or grandparents died. The workshop will feature experts who can walk applicants through what documentation is required, how to apply and how to avoid scams.
Leger Fernandez spoke to KSFR about the workshop and her work on the legislation that made the compensation possible.
"Anybody who had a long list of cancers or diseases are eligible. Think about somebody you know— either somebody you loved, or a friend or a neighbor who had cancer. We know that many of the people who had these cancers may have died, so if your parents or grandparents had these cancers, lived in New Mexico and died, you are eligible to apply as a survivor with your siblings."
"This is, in many ways, an apology. The United States exploded a nuclear weapon in New Mexico and did not protect the citizens and residents of New Mexico. This is a way of the United States saying, 'We are sorry.' $100,000 not going to compensate you for for all the loss and the pain and the medical bills, but it is the least we can do."
"I met with the downwinders within a few weeks of taking office, and I immediately introduced the Radiation Exposure Compensation Expansion Act. I have carried this bill for three sessions. The first time I met with the downwinders, we went around the table and by the end of the introductions, I was crying.
What struck me was the number of people in the families that were diagnosed and had fallen ill and had died. The other thing that was very powerful was the survivors, the people who were struggling with the illnesses. They would go to Washington, DC with their oxygen tanks and were in a lot of pain. And they would get on a bus and drive all the way to Washington, DC to try to get action on this bill."
Click HERE to get more information on qualifications and to register for the Santa Fe workshop.
