Contact RECA lawyer Hugh Stephens on his cell phone at (716) 208-3525 for help filing a RECA claim if you suffered from a uranium mining related illness after working as a uranium miner, miller, ore transporter, core driller or remediation worker for at least one year between January 1, 1942, and December 31, 1990. Illnesses considered for compensation include lung cancer, nonmalignant respiratory disease, renal cancer, or any other chronic renal disease, including nephritis and kidney tubular tissue injury. We represent affected miners from Colorado and nationwide. Affected uranium miners receive a lump sum payment of $150,000 and medical as well as impairment benefits under the RECA and EEOICPA. Survivors of deceased miners who died from a mining-related illness are also eligible for compensation.

RECA Claim Eligibility Requirements

For one to be considered for RECA uranium worker compensation:

1. They must file a claim for compensation with the Department of Justice.
2. A claimant must also have worked as a uranium miner, miller, ore transporter, ore driller, or been involved in a mine or mill remediation work for at least one year between January 1, 1942, and December 31, 1990.
3. The claimant must also have written medical documentation evidence of a diagnosis of a covered illness.

An experienced RECA lawyer can help you gather the required medical and employment evidence to file a successful claim or appeal a wrongfully denied claim.

History of uranium mining in Colorado

Uranium mining in Colorado began in 1872 and peaked during the Second World War and the Cold War era. Hundreds of thousands of miners have been involved in Colorado uranium mining activities. There are currently no active uranium mines or mills in the State, with the last uranium production taking place in Montrose County in 2005. However, Colorado has significant uranium reserves, and many companies maintain uranium mining permits.

Congress passed the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) in 1978 to regulate uranium exposure from uranium mining activities, through the cleanup of older sites and licensing of new ones. RECA was enacted in 1990 to provide compensation to people who fell ill from exposure to radiation related to uranium mining, processing, and disposal, as well as atomic weapon testing. Survivors of affected individuals are also compensated.

Prevalence of uranium-related illnesses in Colorado

Many studies link uranium miners with increased risk of cancers of the larynx, brain, kidney, stomach, and leukemia, as well as non-cancer illnesses such as circulatory system diseases. In a study conducted on Colorado plateau uranium miners hired between 1942 and 1996, followed up between 1946 and 2013, out of the 2,964 deaths, 961 were generally cancer-related, 612 were related to lung cancer, 797 were from circulatory disease, and 448 were respiratory-related illnesses. The Colorado Plateau cohort investigating the “Radon exposure and mortality among 4,137 white and American Indian uranium miners” revealed significantly high mortality rates from silicosis. Elevated mortality rates were observed from interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, multiple myeloma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Significant trends were observed with increased radon exposure in silicosis and pulmonary fibrosis mortality, and in the incidence of diabetes-related end-stage renal disease among white miners. The Colorado Plateau cohort involved 4137 underground uranium miners employed for at least 1 month, who had at least one medical screening between 1950 and 1960.

Exposures related to uranium mining and processing

Uranium workers are exposed to harmful toxins, including radiation, silica dust, and diesel exhaust, which increase their risk of developing lung cancer, kidney damage, and respiratory issues. Lung cancer among miners is strongly linked to high levels of exposure to radon decay products (a radioactive byproduct of uranium) in underground mines. Uranium millers are exposed to other toxins used in uranium preparation, including Vanadium, Acrylamide and Related Polymeric Flocculants, Tertiary amines, Decanol, Kerosene, Sulfuric Acid, Sulfur Dioxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrogen Peroxide, and Ammonia. Uranium mines, ore, and tailings are also associated with the release of a colorless, odorless radon gas. This radioactive gas is heavier than air, so it settles and accumulates in low areas, such as basements, increasing the rate of exposure for those living around the mine.

Uranium milling for atomic weapon creation involved chemical processes, whereby vanadium and then uranium are precipitated from solution at the mill. The end product is a yellowcake of uranium oxide (Ammonium diuranate or sodium diuranate), which was sent to Hanford, Washington, for further processing into plutonium, or to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to produce uranium metal. Currently, the main use of uranium in the civilian sector is to fuel nuclear power plants. Over 90% of the uranium used in the US nuclear reactors is imported.

Uranium mines in Colorado

Colorado has many uranium resources, including:

1. The Graysill vanadium and uranium mines in San Juan County
2. The Tallahassee Creek deposits in Park and Fremont counties
3. The Maybell deposits in Moffat County
4. The Uravan mineral belt in Mesa, Montrose, and San Miguel Counties
5. Front Range in Larimer, Boulder, Gilpin, Clear Creek, and Jefferson counties

Uravan mineral belt

In Colorado, uranium was historically mined from the Uravan mineral belt. Uravan runs through Montrose, San Miguel, and Mesa counties in Colorado, as well as other counties in Utah. The 70-mile (110km) Uravan uranium-vanadium mineral deposits produced 80 million pounds of uranium oxide (U3O8) and over 400 million pounds of vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) since 1945. The Uravan mineral belt contains the Colorado Plateau uranium, which occurs in irregular deposits commonly referred to as roll-front uranium deposits. These deposits are formed in sandstones of the Jurassic Morrison Formation. Roll-front uranium deposits also occur in the Fox Hills Sandstone in Weld County.

Uranium mining has had a significant economic and health impact on the people who lived in Uravan, Naturita, and Bedrock in the Uravan mineral belt. The town of Uravan was evacuated and demolished for cleanup as part of the Superfund cleanup project. The municipality was established in 1935 to support uranium and vanadium mining operations and had grown to a population of 1,500.

Tallahassee Creek uranium deposits

Mining in Tallahassee Creek began in the 1950s. The uranium deposits occur in Park and Fremont Counties, 140km southwest of Denver and 30km northwest of Canon City. The deposits are located within the Eocene Echo Park Alluvium and Oligocene rocks interbedded with the Wall Mountain Tuff. The creek contains several deposits, including High Park, Hansen, Picnic Tree, and Taylor (James-Taylor lease).

Graysill mining district

Vanadium and uranium at the Graysill mining district in Dolores County occur in sandstones of the upper part of the Jurassic Entrada Sandstone just below its contact with the overlying Wanakah Formation. The Graysill No. 1 Mine and Graysill No. 2 have produced thousands of tons of uranium. The Entrada Sandstone has also provided uranium for other mines in the region.

The Maybell uranium and vanadium deposits

The Maybell uranium and vanadium deposits contain tabular sandstone uranium deposits formed in locally tuffaceous, fluvial, arkosic sandstone in the Miocene Browns Park Formation. Uranium enrichment occurs mainly in the lower 150 feet of the Browns Park Formation in fine- to medium-grained sandstone that contains abundant clay in its matrix.

There have been several mines in the Maybell district, including the Rob Rollo Mine, the Marge Mine, the Gertrude Mine, the Sage-Buella Mine, the Johnson Lease, and Sugar Loaf Mine. Nearly 5 million pounds of U3O8 have been produced from the Maybell mines, and the area is believed to contain at least 200 million pounds of uranium oxide.

Front Range

Uranium deposits in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains extend to Larimer, Boulder, Gilpin, Clear Creek, and Jefferson counties. The historic Schwartzwalder Mine in the Front Range vein in Jefferson County is one of the oldest and largest Uranium mines in Colorado. The mine operated from 1953 to 1995. It is currently a Superfund site undergoing decontamination due to nearby water sources. The mineral is deposited in the Precambrian gneiss and schist. The mine produces about 98% of all the uranium produced in the 13 uranium mines in the county. Most uranium mines in Jefferson County are located where a fault or breccia zone transects the Precambrian Idaho Springs Formation. Other uranium mines in the Front Range were the Copper King mine, in Larimer County, the Fairday A. M. mine near Jamestown in Boulder County, and the Wright Lease mine in Jefferson County.

Let us help you file a uranium worker RECA claim

If you were a uranium worker and suffered from lung cancer, a nonmalignant respiratory disease, renal cancer, or any other chronic renal disease, including nephritis and kidney tubal tissue injury, your illness is likely employment-related, and you might be eligible for compensation. Also, you may qualify for RECA survivor compensation if your loved one was a uranium worker and died of a mining-related illness. Contact our RECA Lawyer, Hugh Stephens, at (716) 208-3525 for a free case evaluation.