Stephens and Stephens RECA lawyers assist eligible RECA claimants in seeking compensation for specific illnesses associated with uranium mining. The RECA provides benefits to uranium workers affected by uranium-related illnesses in Wyoming and the other eleven uranium mining states in the country. For you to qualify for RECA uranium worker compensation, you must have worked in covered uranium employment for at least one year between January 1, 1942, and December 31, 1990. You must also submit written medical documentation showing that after that exposure, you developed lung cancer or a nonmalignant respiratory disease, renal cancer or any other chronic renal disease, including nephritis and kidney tubular tissue injury. Nonmalignant respiratory diseases include fibrosis of the lung, pulmonary fibrosis, corpulmonale related to lung fibrosis, silicosis, and pneumoconiosis.
Covered uranium workers include uranium millers, miners, core drillers, ore transporters, and remediation workers at uranium mines or mills. Eligible claimants receive a payment of $150,000 from RECA and EEOICPA, as well as medical and impairment benefits. Eligible survivors receive a one-off lump sum of $150,000.
How to File a RECA Uranium Workers Claim
To be considered for RECA compensation, you must file a claim with the Department of Justice and provide medical evidence and employment information. Survivors must provide proof of survivorship and employment, as well as evidence that the death of the miner occurred from or was contributed to by a covered illness. Acceptable medical evidence depends on the illness. For respiratory diseases, you can submit an arterial blood gas study, a written diagnosis by your physician, chest x-rays, HRCT scans, CAT scans, MRI scans, PET scans, and interpretive reports of such scans, pathology reports of tissue biopsies, and pulmonary function tests indicating restrictive lung function. If you are claiming kidney-related illnesses, you can submit a diagnosis in the form of kidney function tests, blood tests, urine tests, ultrasound scans, CT scans, MRI scans, and biopsy with a pathology report.
Our RECA attorney can assist you in obtaining the required evidence to have your claim accepted. We can also help you with an appeal if your claim was wrongfully denied.
Uranium Mining in Wyoming
Wyoming is the largest uranium miner in the United States with reserves across all counties. Uranium was first discovered in Wyoming in 1918. However, commercial mining peaked in the 1950s, due to government incentives and guaranteed prices. Wyoming uranium production dropped in the 1980s due to a decline in uranium prices. Over the years, the state has produced hundreds of millions of pounds of uranium oxide.
There are only a few active mining operations in Wyoming, operating in the Powder River Basin and the Great Divide Basin. They include the Smith Ranch-Highland operation by Cameco in Converse County, Nichols Ranch by Energy Fuels in Johnson County, and the Lance Project by Strata Energy in Crook County. The operational mines produce about 81% of the country’s uranium. In the past, uranium was used in pigments and glazes. The Wyoming uranium is mainly used for nuclear power generation. Other uses include the creation of military equipment and scientific research. Unlike in the past when mining was done through conventional means, mining companies currently apply in-situ mining technology, which is believed to be the safest for miners and the environment. After locating the uranium, miners drill a hole into the mineral. A leaching solution is then delivered to the uranium-bearing strata. The uranium dissolves as soon as it comes into contact with the solution. The solution is pumped out and separated.
Uranium deposits in Wyoming
Powder River Basin-The Powder River Basin is located in northeast Wyoming. It is the most significant area for uranium production in the country. Uranium in the Powder Basin was discovered in 1951, and production began in 1953. The uranium deposits occur in roll fronts in fluvial sandstones. Uranium mining projects in the basin include the Pine Ridge project, the Kaycee project, and the Smith Ranch-Highland operation.
Great Divide Basin– The Great Divide Basin in Wyoming has the second-largest uranium deposits in the country. It is located in the Red Desert, South-central Wyoming. Uranium in the basin was discovered in 1935, and production is ongoing. Mining companies actively exploring and developing projects in the area include Ur-Energy, Uranium Energy Corp, Premier American Uranium Inc., Standard Uranium, Aventus Energy, GTi Energy, StrathmorePlus, and Basin Uranium Corp. The basin holds at least 270 million pounds of uranium reserve and is the least exploited of Wyoming’s uranium-bearing basins.
Northern Black Hills– Uranium was discovered in 1952 in Crook County, Wyoming, near the Black Hills. Production began in 1953. The deposits are mainly found in sandstones and conglomerates. Hauber Mine accounted for a significant portion of the Northern Black Hills uranium production. However, no mining has taken place in the Northern Black Hills district in recent years.
Gas Hills- Uranium in the Gas Hills district was discovered in 1953, in Natrona and Fremont counties in central Wyoming. Production began in 1955 with the Luck Mc Mine being one of the earliest operations in the region. The Gas Hills Uranium District was a significant uranium mining area, producing around 100 million pounds of uranium oxide between 1953 and 1988. Most of the mining was done through the traditional open-pit method. Uranium was processed in three uranium mills within the district. Mining operations currently include EnCore Energy and Strathmore Minerals Corp.
Little Mountain District- the Little Mountain mining district is located in Big Horn County, Wyoming. Uranium production here only occurred from 1955 to 1970. Some of the operations in the area included Lisbon Mine, Titan Mine, and two Horseshoe Mine sites.
Shirley Basin– Uranium in Shirley Basin, Carbon County, was discovered in 1955. Production began in 1960 from underground and open-pit mines, and in-situ leach mining in 1961. Ur-Energy and Noble Plains Uranium are the primary mining companies in the Shirley basin.
Crooks Gap District– The Crooks Gap District is located in Fremont County. Uranium was discovered in Crooks Gap by Bob Anderson in December 1953, and he was awarded an Atomic Energy Commission uranium purchase contract in 1957. Anderson also built the first mill in the state at Split Rock. He produced uranium from 1956 to 1982 under Western Nuclear Company. Pathfinder Incorporated operated the Big Eagle open-pit mine in Crooks Gap from 1977 to 1989. The Crooks Gap District produced about 4.8 million short tons of ore from conventional mining of seven mines
Health effects of Uranium mining in Wyoming
Uranium exposure is linked to respiratory illnesses, lung cancer, kidney damage/cancer, cardiovascular and neurological disorders, immunosuppression and autoimmunity, among others. The risk of developing a radiation-related disease depends on the period of exposure.
Most of the early Wyoming uranium miners died young from lung cancer, which was initially attributed to smoking. In a study involving Wyoming uranium miners enrolled in a state-funded insurance program, hospital insurance claims analyzed between 2014 and 2023, indicated musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and diseases of the endocrine and cardiovascular systems as the most prevalent conditions, affecting 72.7%, 34.2%, and 31.1% of enrolled miners, respectively.
For many years, the health effects of uranium exposure remained unknown. Those involved in uranium mining, processing, and transportation were exposed to high levels of radiation. Exposure occurred internally through inhalation, ingestion, and wound infection. Uranium workers can also be exposed to radiation externally during uranium mining and processing, as alpha, beta, and gamma rays are emitted from the ores, process materials, products, and tailings. Alpha, beta, or gamma radiation energy can damage or kill cells. The effects of radiation on a cell depend on the duration of radiation exposure, the dose rate of the exposure, the amount of energy absorbed, and the tissue or organ exposed.
Alpha particles travel only a few centimeters in air, but can cause a high density of ionizations. Alpha particles are notable among environmental carcinogens because of their potent ability to produce a high proportion of double-strand DNA breaks per particle. The double-strand DNA damage is more difficult for the body to repair.
When a miner inhales smaller uranium particles (<4 μm) into the lungs, they remain there, affecting the lung tissue. Larger-sized inhaled particles of (10–20 μm) can be cleared to the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT), thereby interacting with stomach and intestinal fluids.
Uranium eventually decays to radium. Radium decays to release a radioactive gas called radon. Uranium undergoes radioactive decay by alpha, beta, or gamma emission. Radium-226 and its decay products (bismuth-214 and lead-214) present alpha and gamma radiation hazards to uranium miners and processors. Radon’s alpha-emitting radioactive decay products are strongly and causally linked to lung cancer in humans. Indeed, this has been most clearly established among uranium miners who were occupationally exposed to radon.
In 1987, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommended a substantial reduction of occupational standards for radon exposure in the country, because they do not provide adequate protection for workers at risk of lung cancer from radon decay exposure. However, this recommendation has not been incorporated into enforceable standards.
In addition to radionuclides, miners also inhale silica dust and diesel exhaust. Evidence from occupational studies has established that both silica and diesel exhaust exposure increase the risk of lung cancer, which is also the main risk associated with radon decay product exposure.
Let us help you file a RECA Claim
Contact our RECA attorney, Hugh Stephens, on his cell phone at (716) 208-3525 if you need help filing or appealing a RECA uranium worker claim. We have been assisting RECA claimants in successfully claiming RECA compensation. We provide free case evaluation, and only charge our claimants after their payment is awarded. Our fee rates are defined by the RECA: 2% if your claim is accepted on the initial filing, and 10% for claims approved after a denial. We don’t charge consultation services for RECA claimants.