Sandy residents who lived anywhere in Utah for at least 12 months between 1951 and 1962 and later developed certain cancers may be eligible for a $100,000 federal payment, and free help applying is coming to the Salt Lake Valley next week.

Intermountain Health's Downwinders Clinic is hosting a series of public meetings across Utah to walk residents through the expanded Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, or RECA. The closest session to Sandy is Tuesday, August 4, at Intermountain Medical Center's Doty Family Education Center, Building 6, West Auditorium, 5121 S. Cottonwood St. in Murray, from 6 to 7 p.m.

The program compensates "downwinders," people who developed serious illnesses from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing at the Nevada Test Site during the 1950s and early 1960s. Congress expanded RECA's scope after the program lapsed in 2024: all of Utah is now considered an affected area. Previously, only residents of 10 Utah counties qualified, despite evidence that radioactive fallout reached the entire state, according to Utah News Dispatch.

The payment doubled to $100,000. Under the old program, eligible claimants received $50,000.

Families may apply on behalf of an eligible person who has died. Those who already received a RECA payment under the old program do not qualify for additional money.

What happens at the meetings

Attendees can pick up applications, learn about the online portal, ask questions about eligibility, and hear how the claims process works. The meetings are free and open to the public, according to an Intermountain Health news release.

Intermountain Health also offers one-on-one application review appointments for people who have already filled out paperwork. The Salt Lake-area review session is Thursday, August 6, at Intermountain Medical Center's Transformation Center, Room 103, 5026 S. State St., from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Appointments are required and can be scheduled by calling the Downwinders Clinic at 435-251-4760.

Full meeting schedule

  • Thursday, July 30 — St. George, Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital Cancer Center, 600 S. Medical Center Drive, 4–5 p.m.
  • Tuesday, August 4 — Provo/Orem, Utah Valley Hospital, Sorenson Tower, 395 Cougar Blvd., 2–3 p.m.
  • Tuesday, August 4 — Murray, Intermountain Medical Center, Doty Family Education Center, Building 6, West Auditorium, 5121 S. Cottonwood St., 6–7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, August 5 — Logan, Logan Public Library, 285 N. Main St., 1–2 p.m.
  • Friday, August 7 — Ogden, McKay-Dee Hospital, Thomas Dee Auditorium, 4401 Harrison Blvd., noon–1 p.m.

What's next

The RECA application deadline is Friday, December 31, 2027. A bipartisan group of federal lawmakers is working to further expand the program to cover residents of Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Guam and Nevada, and to extend that deadline.

For questions or to schedule an application review, call the Downwinders Clinic at 435-251-4760.