Nearby History: Documenting Downwinder Residents
Idaho Downwinders are using old phone books and directories at the University of Idaho Library to prove residence and claim compensation.
Recently, the University of Idaho Library's Special Collections and Archives has seen an increase in patrons seeking information from the Idaho Telephone and Business Directories collection. These patrons, known as "Downwinders," are individuals who lived near nuclear test sites in the mid-20th century and developed cancer.
Their inquiries are related to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), enacted by Congress in 1990 to provide financial compensation to individuals who developed specific cancers and illnesses after radiation exposure during Cold War-era nuclear testing. RECA was reauthorized and expanded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025.
The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) provides financial compensation to individuals who developed specific cancers and other serious illnesses following exposure to radiation during Cold War-era nuclear testing.
Author's summary: Downwinders use archives to claim compensation.
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