[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 54 (Thursday, April 28, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S4540]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               AMEND RECA

  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, this day is an important occasion for folks 
in my State of Montana. This afternoon, at 4 o'clock, the National 
Academy of Sciences will release an extensive report on health effects 
resulting from nuclear bomb tests that were carried out at the Nevada 
test site in the 1950s and 1960s.
  For years now, Montanans and their loved ones have experienced the 
pain of developing various forms of cancer, most commonly, cancer of 
the thyroid, caused by exposure to this dangerous radiation. These 
cancers seemed to be a little too common among people living in certain 
areas of our State. According to the National Academy of Sciences, 
these innocent victims--mostly children and babies--who were living in 
Montana, were exposed to the highest dosages of radiation of any State 
in the Nation as a result ofthis nuclear testing; even more than 
Nevada, where the tests were actually conducted. You see, the 
radioactive iodine is the part that is dangerous. It was blasted high 
up into the atmosphere and the wind carried it north to Montana where 
it finally settled on the ground, then into the water and food supply.
  Thyroid cancer takes around 10 to 40 years to develop. Radiation 
exposure in the late 1950s might not manifest in cancer until the late 
1990s. While the national average for thyroid cancer has remained 
steady over the past 30 years, the rate of reported thyroid cancer in 
Montana has increased steadily. In 1980, Montana State had a rate of 
thyroid cancer 6.2 times the national average. In 1990, that rate had 
increased to 10.8 times the national average, and in 2000 the rate of 
reported thyroid cancer in Montana was almost 18 times the national 
average.
  The 1990 Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, RECA, PL 101-426, 
established the Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust Fund for claims 
for injuries and death due to exposure from the Nevada testing. Under 
RECA, folks who were residing in parts of the States of Utah, Nevada, 
Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico during certain times in the 1950s 
received a substantial amount of compensation from the U.S. Government 
along with an apology. Research now proves the State of Montana was hit 
the hardest by this radiation; yet its victims are not eligible for 
compensation under RECA.
  Not only do these folks deserve an apology from the U.S. Government, 
but they deserve this compensation. As a cancer survivor, I cannot 
begin to tell you the mental, emotional, physical and financial 
hardship these cancer victims have endured--in order to serve the 
national security interests of the United States.
  I strongly recommend that we, as a Congress, apologize to these 
individuals and amend RECA to compensate folks from my State of Montana 
as well as other States who have been affected by this tragedy.

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