Jul 16, 2026 - Politics

Ohio could join federal radiation compensation program

Sam Allard

A black and white photo of a wooden tower in the Nevada desert. — The Trinity test site tower in 1945. Photo: CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

Ohio could be included for the first time in legislation that provides federal compensation for Americans exposed to radiation from the nation's nuclear weapons program.

The big picture: The proposed expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) would add communities surrounding the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Pike County, which local officials say have been overlooked despite decades of nuclear operations.

Individuals in Arizona, Colorado, Guam, Montana and Nevada exposed to radiation fallout from nuclear tests — "Downwinders" — would also be included.

By the numbers: RECA provides those eligible with up to $100,000 in restitution for medical expenses.

Driving the news: Thursday is the 81st anniversary of the Trinity Test — the first atomic bomb explosion — and National Atomic Veterans Day.

Lawmakers said at a virtual press conference Tuesday that they planned to introduce the new bill this week to mark the occasion.

Flashback: Built in the 1950s, the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant operated for decades to supply highly enriched uranium for the country's nuclear weapons and energy programs.

What they're saying: "The people of Pike County answered our nation's call. Now we ask our nation to answer ours," Pike County Health Commissioner Matt Brewster said in a statement.

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Ohio could join federal radiation compensation program

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