The government is paying Idahoans who got sick after nuclear bomb tests. Here’s how some get proof.
The expansion has driven more than 700 archival requests as Idahoans seek proof for claims and some private services charge up to $9,000.
- Idahoans are newly eligible for $100,000 in federal compensation for illnesses linked to Nevada nuclear tests after President Donald Trump signed The One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025, expanding the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.
- Nevada nuclear tests in the mid-20th century exposed residents in Gem, Custer, Blaine, and Lemhi counties to significant fallout, according to National Cancer Institute research identifying these areas as among the most affected in the U.S.
- To prove residency, applicants are flooding the Idaho State Historical Society in Boise and the University of Idaho, which has answered more than 700 requests since January; archivists like Owen Prout report struggling to locate records from 70 years ago.
- Advocate Tona Henderson, who pushed for inclusion, says many Idahoans lack awareness of the program, while U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, who crafted the legislation, praised Henderson's work and invited residents to contact his office for application assistance.
- Cheryl Poxleitner, a 71-year-old cancer survivor, describes how she and her sister were diagnosed with thyroid cancer within months of each other, while Henderson warns that private companies are charging up to $9,000 to submit applications.
10 Articles
10 Articles
Idaho Capital Sun
The government is paying Idahoans who got sick after nuclear bomb tests. Here’s how some get proof.
In her home, Tona Henderson has a wall dedicated to images and the names of people who were diagnosed with cancer and living in Idaho at the time of nuclear testing from 1951 to 1962. (Photo courtesy of Tona Henderson)Cheryl Poxleitner, 71, grew up on farms in North Central Idaho’s Lewis County. When she was 8, her family moved to Craigmont — a small town near Grangeville, where her dad raised dairy cows. “That’s probably where I was exposed to…
The government is paying Idahoans who got sick after nuclear bomb tests. Here’s how some get proof. - Hillsboro Sentry Enterprise
In her home, Tona Henderson has a wall dedicated to images and the names of people who were diagnosed with cancer and living in Idaho at the time of nuclear testing from 1951 to 1962. (Photo courtesy of Tona Henderson)Cheryl Poxleitner, 71, grew up on farms in North Central Idaho’s Lewis County. When she was 8, her family moved to Craigmont — a small town near Grangeville, where her dad raised dairy cows. “That’s probably where I was exposed to…
The government is paying Idahoans who got sick after nuclear bomb tests. Here’s how some get proof. - Seward Independent
In her home, Tona Henderson has a wall dedicated to images and the names of people who were diagnosed with cancer and living in Idaho at the time of nuclear testing from 1951 to 1962. (Photo courtesy of Tona Henderson)Cheryl Poxleitner, 71, grew up on farms in North Central Idaho’s Lewis County. When she was 8, her family moved to Craigmont — a small town near Grangeville, where her dad raised dairy cows. “That’s probably where I was exposed to…
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