From uranium miners, truck drivers and government workers to those living in communities near test sites, thousands were exposed over the years to radiation that resulted in cancer, birth defects and other illnesses. Members of New Mexico's congressional delegation say radiation exposure has disproportionately affected minority communities, including those in the shadow of that first test. The program currently covers workers who became sick as a result of the radiation hazards of their jobs and those who lived downwind of the Nevada Test Site. She said the sacrifices of those who lived near the Trinity Site go beyond health implications from the fallout. Los Alamos is preparing to resume production of the plutonium cores that serve as triggers for the nation's nuclear arsenal.

Source: International New York Times July 16, 2020 21:45 UTC