EMMETT, Idaho — The fight may be close to over for compensation for Idaho Downwinders after decades of suffering the effects of nuclear fallout. But that fight may not be over for everyone. I spoke with a leader of the movement to see what's next.
See what area is still out of the deal for compensation:
"I'm ecstatic we are this close. This is the closest we have ever been," nodded Idaho Downwinders President Tona Henderson.
Things are starting to look up for Idaho Downwinders after news broke earlier this week that Senator Mike Crapo was able to get Idaho back on the list for a bill that would give compensation for those affected by nuclear fallout over half a century ago.
Henderson explained, "It will be $100,000 for 19 different types of cancer. You can only file once, so if you have five types of cancer, you don't get it five times."
After my last report on Idaho being stripped of compensation, we were reached out to by Eagle local Kaaren Brodesser, who is originally from Hermiston, Oregon, a community that was heavily impacted by radioactive material from the Hanford Nuclear Site 75 miles north in the bordering state of Washington.
"I graduated with a class of 150 students in 1960. Five years after we graduated, classmates started to die, and we lost one-third of our classmates," said Brodesser.
Brodesser explained that seeing the impact one nuclear plant had on her community, she is glad the government is finally working to help the multiple areas impacted by their testing years ago.
Brodesser finished by saying, "People are gone, and it is sad. It's time that it happens for those that are left."
I met back up with Henderson. This time to talk about the exciting news that she and so many have been fighting for. However, Henderson explained that as relieving as it is, it's hard to ignore that there are still people suffering from the impacts of nuclear testing who didn't get put back on the bill.
"How can I be happy if these other people were not included?" cried Henderson.
One area in particular was even mentioned in a study of the fallout orchestrated by the National Academy of Science.
Henderson, sliding the research across the table, said, "They even say that Guam should be considered downwinders."
The US island territory of Guam saw impacts from nuclear fallout after U.S. bomb testing in the Marshall Islands during the late 40s and early 50s. Henderson has worked alongside leaders in Guam to get compensation, but have once again been excluded. I reached out to these leaders, but due to scheduling conflicts, they were unable to make a comment. We plan to follow up in a future report.
Unless the bill is once again amended, it is set to be signed by President Donald Trump on Friday.
