The United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) is a federal statute providing for the monetary compensation of people, including atomic veteran

Atomic veteran

An atomic veteran is a veteran of the armed services who has been exposed to dangerous levels of nuclear radiation resulting from atomic weapons in the course of his or her duties.- External links :*...

s, who contracted cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

 and a number of other specified diseases as a direct result of their exposure to atmospheric nuclear testing

Nuclear testing

Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine the effectiveness, yield and explosive capability of nuclear weapons. Throughout the twentieth century, most nations that have developed nuclear weapons have tested them...

 undertaken by the United States during the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

, or their exposure to high levels of radon

Radon

Radon is a chemical element with symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally as the decay product of uranium or thorium. Its most stable isotope, 222Rn, has a half-life of 3.8 days...

 while doing uranium mining

Uranium mining

Uranium mining is the process of extraction of uranium ore from the ground. The worldwide production of uranium in 2009 amounted to 50,572 tonnes, of which 27% was mined in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia are the top three producers and together account for 63% of world uranium...

.
The 1990 act provided the following remunerations:

• $50,000 to individuals residing or working "downwind
  Downwinders
  Downwinders refers to individuals and communities who are exposed to radioactive contamination or nuclear fallout from atmospheric or underground nuclear weapons testing, and nuclear accidents...
  
  " of the Nevada Test Site
  Nevada Test Site
  The Nevada National Security Site , previously the Nevada Test Site , is a United States Department of Energy reservation located in southeastern Nye County, Nevada, about northwest of the city of Las Vegas...
  
  
• $75,000 for workers participating in atmospheric nuclear weapons tests
• $100,000 for uranium miners, millers, and ore transporters

In all cases there are additional requirements which must be satisfied (proof of exposure, establishment of duration

Time

Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....

 of employment, establishment of certain medical conditions, etc.).

In some cases, however, it was extremely difficult for people to receive their compensation, especially in the case of the widows of uranium miners.