Superior to consider resolution supporting radiation compensation expansion
The Town Council is scheduled to consider urging Congress to pass a bill that could make some Colorado residents eligible for federal radiation compensation.
The Superior Town Council is scheduled to consider a resolution urging Congress to pass a bill that could expand federal radiation compensation to some Colorado residents.
The council’s Sept. 14 agenda places proposed Resolution R-75 on the consent agenda. The agenda says the resolution would support H.R. 10115, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act of 2026. The council had not yet acted as of Sept. 10.
If enacted, H.R. 10115 would add Colorado to proposed downwinder provisions and create a Colorado geographic category for claims related to Manhattan Project waste. Its introduced text lists ZIP codes including 80025, 80026 and 80027. The bill does not name Boulder County, Rocky Flats or the Cotter Uranium Mill, and living in a listed ZIP code alone would not establish eligibility.
The proposed waste-site provisions would generally require claimants to show qualifying residence, work or school attendance in an affected area for a specified period and later develop a covered disease. The bill would reduce some physical-presence requirements from two years to one, add diseases including renal and thyroid disease and several additional cancers, raise certain compensation amounts to $150,000, reimburse documented out-of-pocket medical expenses and extend the proposed claims deadline to 2042.
The bill has not taken effect. Congress.gov lists it as introduced Aug. 17, 2026, with referrals to the House Judiciary Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee as its latest actions. No committee approval, passage by either chamber or enactment is recorded.
The current federal program does not include Colorado in its downwinder coverage. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Radiation Exposure Compensation Program says current claims generally require proof of qualifying residence, work or participation and a compensable disease; its filing deadline is Dec. 31, 2027. People considering a claim may need records documenting their presence or employment and a covered illness, such as school, employment, tax or medical records.