FACT BRIEFDid nuclear weapons testing in Nevada spread radiation to most of the U.S.?
YES
Studies of nuclear fallout from bomb testing at the Nevada Test Site show that virtually the entire continental U.S. received radioactive iodine-131 fallout, with higher concentrations in locations as far away as Vermont.
From 1951 to 1992, the U.S. conducted more than 1,000 nuclear bomb tests in Nevada, 100 of them above ground. Weather patterns carried radioactive fallout throughout the continental U.S., mostly in low doses. Higher concentrations occurred in certain areas, such as the northern U.S., the Midwest and New England. The community of St. George, Utah, was particularly affected.
As of 2014, the federal government’s Radiation Exposure Compensation System paid nearly 30,000 claims to people whose health was affected by nuclear fallout from the bomb tests.
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Google Books Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
US Department of Justice Radiation Exposure Compensation System
The Nevada Independent is a proud participant in The Gigafact Project — an initiative to safeguard democracy and spread accurate information.
Have you seen a claim online that you want fact-checked? Send us a link here.