Uranium workers employed in South Dakota mines and mills affected by certain illnesses can claim RECA compensation if they meet some specified criteria. To be considered for compensation, you must submit a claim with the Department of Justice, along with proof of specified illness and employment history. Eligible uranium workers are those who were employed for at least one year as uranium miners, millers, ore transporters, core drillers, or as remediation workers of a mill or mine, between January 1, 1942, and December 31, 1990.

Do you need a lawyer to file a RECA claim?

Contact our RECA lawyer, Hugh Stephens, on his cell phone at (716) 208-3525 if you or a loved one suffers from a uranium exposure-related illness, following uranium employment. While you can file a RECA claim on your own, the process might be complex for persons with limited experience. Hiring an experienced RECA attorney increases the chances of your claim being accepted, especially if your claim was wrongfully denied. A RECA lawyer can offer you free, invaluable advice in relation to your claim and act on your behalf throughout the entire process. An experienced RECA attorney can help you obtain medical and employment evidence, which is critical in processing claims. Eligible workers receive a lump sum payment of $150,000 under the RECA and EEOICPA, as well as medical and impairment benefits. Survivors are awarded a one-off compensation of $150,000.

Accepted illnesses for uranium workers under the RECA

Uranium workers were exposed to work-related toxins, which increased their risk of developing certain illnesses. RECA recognizes some of these conditions and provides compensation to eligible claimants. They include: lung cancer or a nonmalignant respiratory disease (such as lung and pulmonary fibrosis, corpulmonale related to lung fibrosis, silicosis, and pneumoconiosis), renal cancer or any other chronic renal disease, including nephritis and kidney tubular tissue injury.

Health risks related to uranium mining and processing

Early uranium workers were significantly exposed to high levels of radiation from radon, uranium, thorium, and radium, as well as their decay products, without the required protection and ventilation. Apart from radiation, these workers were also exposed to heavy metals (lead, vanadium, and arsenic), which are associated with kidney and bone damage. Other exposures are linked to respiratory illnesses and cancer, such as diesel, blasting residue, and chemicals used to process uranium in mills.

Uranium workers were exposed to radiation internally and externally, as well as chemicals released and used during mining and processing. Internal exposure can occur through inhalation, ingestion, or through a cut in the skin. Radiation from radon decay products presented the greatest health threat in the early uranium mining and processing activities. Radon’s alpha-emitting radioactive decay products are strongly linked to lung cancer in humans- this has been clearly established among uranium miners who were occupationally exposed to radon.

According to NIOSH, the current occupational standards for radon exposure in the United States do not provide adequate protection for workers at risk of lung cancer from radon decay exposure. Apart from Radon and its alpha-emitting radioactive decay products, Workers are also exposed to other radionuclides, including uranium, which undergo radioactive decay by alpha, beta, or gamma emission. Radium-226 and its decay products (bismuth-214 and lead-214) release alpha and gamma radiation during uranium mining and processing.

Uranium workers are significantly exposed to silica dust and diesel exhaust. Occupational studies show 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.

Many researchers have expressed concerns about off-site radiation exposure to the general population related to airborne radon decay products and radionuclides in water supplies. Decay products of uranium (e.g., 230Th, 226Ra) provide a constant source of radiation in uranium tailings for thousands of years, substantially outlasting the current governmental regulations for oversight of processing facility tailings. Radionuclides such as Thorium-230 (²³⁰Th) and 226 radium (226Ra) present in mine tailings, and their decay products can seep into water sources and thereby increase radionuclide concentrations. Drinking water from these sources can increase the risk of cancer, especially bone cancer.

Uranium mining in South Dakota

Uranium deposits in South Dakota were first reported in 1929. Commercial-grade uraniferous lignite was first discovered in the Williston Basin in 1948. Despite these discoveries, the first production in the state was from a Cretaceous-age sandstone host discovered in 1951 in the Edgemont District. In 1954, a uraniferous lignite was located in the North Cave Hills, a government Forest Service land in Harding County. Production also occurred in other parts of Harding County, including the South Cave Hills and Slim Buttes. Extraction ended in 1973, when the only mill in the state was closed. During this period, the state produced approximately 3.2 million pounds of uranium oxide. About 15% of the uranium produced in South Dakota was from lignite ash (Harding Co.) and the remainder from sandstones in the Edgemont District (southern Black Hills). Uranium mining activities occurred under the General Mining Laws and Public Law 357, which did not require any restoration. The abandoned Harding County mines are being assessed for off-site environmental contamination.

Edgemont District

Edgemont District was a major producer of uranium in the 1950s. Production declined about four decades ago after the first uranium mining boom. Uranium was processed in the Edgemont mill, which was owned and operated by Susquehanna Corp.’s subsidiary Mines Development. Another Susquehanna subsidiary, Susquehanna-Western, also operated uranium mines in the area. In 1961, Susquehanna, which controlled uranium mining in the district, reported $26.1 million in revenues. The company sold its interests in the 1970s, following a decline in demand, leaving behind abandoned mines and radioactive mill tailings. Currently, the Edgemont area has many unreclaimed mines and buried radioactive waste.

There are active mining projects in the district, such as EnCore Energy’s Dewey-Burdock project, which covers approximately 12,613 surface acres and 16,962 net mineral acres. The project is estimated to have 14.2 million pounds of uranium oxide reserves, and extraction applies the in-situ recovery method.

Cave Hills

Uranium mining in the North Cave Hills and South Cave Hills of South Dakota occurred from 1954 to 1964. Uranium deposits are in the form of uraniferous lignite beds. Part of the production area lies in the Custer National Forest, a United States Forest Service (USFS) land, and extends to private land. The North Cave Hills and South Cave Hills are part of the Custer National Forest owned by the United States Forest Service (USFS). Riley Pass Uranium Mine Project, which operated within the North Cave Hills, is currently undergoing reclamation. Extraction was through strip mining, which halted due to contamination concerns. During mining, the overburden was pushed off to uncover the uranium-bearing lignite coal beds. The coal beds were removed for off-site uranium processing. Early uranium mining in the Cave Hills left piles of mine spoils with heavy metal and radioactive contamination.

Slim Buttes

The Slim Buttes region shares the same geological characteristics as the Cave Hills. The region makes up the Sioux Ranger District of the Custer National Forest. Uranium extraction in the area began in 1954. Production occurred from the uranium-bearing lignite and carnotite-bearing sandstone. Mining ceased in the 1960s.

Flint Buttes

Uranium mining occurred in Flint Buttes, Harding County, near the town of Ludlow, between the late 1950s and 1964. The Flat Top Mine Site is one of the reclaimed former mines in the region, currently on private ranch land.

How do you file a RECA Uranium Worker Claim?

For you to receive your RECA compensation, you must file a claim with the Department of Justice. You must also submit medical evidence and your employment history. Acceptable medical evidence depends on the type of illness. If you are claiming kidney disease, you can provide a kidney function test (which includes blood and urine tests) or a biopsy accompanied by a pathology report. You can prove a respiratory illness through an arterial blood gas study; a written diagnosis by a qualified physician accompanied by interpretive reports of chest x-ray, HRCT scans, CAT scans, MRI scans, and PET scans; pathology reports of tissue biopsies; and Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) indicating restrictive lung function. With the required evidence, you can have your claim compensated within six months. The deadline for filing a RECA claim is December 31, 2028.