Western governors say atmospheric nuclear weapons testing exposed more states and more people to radiation fallout, resulting cancers and other diseases than the federal government recognizes.
Between 1945 and 1992, the U.S. conducted more than 1,000 nuclear weapons tests, nearly 200 in the atmosphere.
The Western Governors' Association has sent letters to Congress urging passage of proposed changes to the 1990 Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to involve "downwinder states” -- which includes Colorado.
The changes to the law would also include raising the maximum payment for someone who was affected by a nuclear weapons test to $150,000 dollars.
