YAVAPAI COUNTY, AZ (AZFamily) — Arizonans and others affected by Cold War nuclear testing in Nevada urge Congress to reauthorize benefits before the lame duck session ends in Congress.

They are called “downwinders” because radiation from the tests spread downwind to nearby communities, causing serious negative health effects. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) compensated people diagnosed with certain types of cancer in certain counties where that radiation was being pushed downwind.

RECA provides a one-time payment of $50,000 to victims or families of victims affected by cancer. Congress did not renew the program last session.

The Senate passed a bill to expand coverage to other counties. The House now has only a few weeks to achieve this. Downwinders like Becky Ruffner hope to achieve this.

Ruffner grew up in Yavapai County and received RECA payments after the deaths of his mother and grandfather. She fears that her family will not receive any benefits if they suffer the same fate.

“I was 11, 12, 13, 14 years old when these nuclear tests took place, and I know that I was exposed to these same radiations, and if I died of one of these cancers, I would want my children receive the benefits,” Ruffner said.

READ MORE: Mohave County’s ‘Forgotten Downwinders’ Regained Hope After ‘Oppenheimer’

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