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The Radiation Exposure Screening & Education
Program (RESEP) helps individuals who live
(or lived) in areas where U.S. nuclear weapons testing
occurred.
RESEP was created by the Radiation Exposure Compensation
Act (RECA) Amendments of 2000 to help thousands of individuals
diagnosed with cancer and other diseases caused by exposure
to nuclear fallout or nuclear materials such as uranium.
The program awards grants to health care providers
in the 12 states most affected by the Cold War's nuclear
weapons industry. The grantees serve radiation-exposed
individuals and help them establish eligibility for
the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program.
About Radiation Exposure
The United States conducted 227 above-ground and 828
below-ground nuclear weapons tests between July 1945
and November 1962. Many of the above-ground tests released
radioactive material into the atmosphere that reached
the ground as nuclear fallout.
Because the dangers of radiation exposure were unknown
at the time, workers were not protected and people who
lived near the test sites were not warned or evacuated.
Workers and residents may have been exposed to radiation
externally -- touching fallout on the ground -- or internally
-- breathing contaminated air, eating contaminated foods
and drinking contaminated water.
People exposed to radiation, particularly the significant
amounts of radiation generated by the nuclear weapons
tests, are at risk for certain cancers and other serious
health problems.
High-Impact States: Arizona, Colorado,
Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South
Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Clinics in: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada,
New Mexico and Utah
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What If I Was Exposed to Radiation?
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If you worked in the nuclear industry or lived near nuclear testing grounds between 1942 and 1971, you should be screened for radiation exposure.
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