Opinion | 80 years later, we’re still fighting for justice

By Ben Ray Luján and Tina Cordova

On July 16, 1945, 80 years ago, the federal government detonated the first atomic bomb in the Tularosa Basin of New Mexico. That test, known as the Trinity Test, changed the world – and it changed our home forever.
We write this together, as two New Mexicans who have fought side-by-side for justice over a decade, because the 80th anniversary of the Trinity Test calls for both recognition and reckoning.

We both know families who lived near the Trinity site. Families who were never warned, never evacuated and never told what happened. They kept drinking the water, eating the produce and breathing the air, not knowing it had been poisoned, until it was too late.

They raised children and grandchildren in these communities. And in the years that followed, they watched loved ones suffer and die of rare and aggressive cancers. They buried neighbors and loved ones. They kept asking questions. And for decades, they were denied answers. They were ignored by the government that created this crisis.

We’ve spent years listening to these stories around kitchen tables, at church, in congressional offices and in communities all across New Mexico. For far too long, Washington turned a blind eye to them, and it’s why we’ve worked together to deliver justice to the people of New Mexico.

Together with other advocates, survivors and bipartisan allies in Congress, we finally succeeded. Earlier this month, legislation to extend and expand Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was signed into law. For the first time, New Mexico’s Downwinders and the post 1971 uranium workers are eligible for federal compensation and support.

This was a historic first step, following years of advocacy and bipartisan momentum that we started in the U.S. Senate, but it is only the beginning.

Now our attention is focused on ensuring RECA is implemented urgently. Impacted families must be given clear, accurate guidance on how to apply for compensation. The federal government must move quickly to implement a program that meets the needs of the people it was designed to serve.

For those who have been waiting, some for a lifetime, time is of the essence. We cannot let delays, lack of outreach, or misinformation deny families the compensation they deserve.

RECA isn’t just about financial compensation. No dollar amount can ever repay the sacrifice. It’s about acknowledging that what happened to New Mexicans after the Trinity Test was wrong, and that the federal government has a responsibility to make it right.

We know this work is not easy. But we also know what’s possible when New Mexicans organize and speak with one loud voice. The passage of RECA was made possible because survivors told their stories, and because lawmakers on both sides of the aisle finally listened and acted. We’re grateful to every person who made their voice heard.

On this solemn anniversary, we recommit ourselves to the work ahead. To honor the lives lost. To amplify the stories of those still living. And to ensure this country never forgets the cost to the people of New Mexico.
The road to justice has been 80 years too long. But we are finally moving forward together.

 

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