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Alaska: The Amchitka Island Tests

Specialized RECA guidance for contractors, military personnel, and indigenous populations affected by underground testing in the Aleutians.

1. The History: Testing in the Aleutians

Unlike the uranium processing facilities in Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky, Amchitka Island was not a manufacturing site. Located near the far western end of the Aleutian Island chain, it served as a remote testing ground for the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).

Between 1965 and 1971, the U.S. government detonated three massive underground nuclear weapons deep beneath the island: Long Shot, Milrow, and Cannikin. The Cannikin test remains the largest underground nuclear detonation in United States history. While the tests were underground, the drilling, venting, and subsequent decades of environmental remediation exposed thousands of workers and local populations to radioactive materials.

The Timeline Exception: Because the Amchitka tests happened between 1965 and 1971, many assume they missed the old 1962 RECA cutoff for nuclear testing. Do not self-reject. The 2025 RECA expansion legally classified Amchitka under the "Manhattan Project Waste" category. This means eligibility is open-ended: if you were there for at least 24 months anytime after January 1, 1949, you meet the timeline requirement.

2. Eligible ZIP Codes and Populations

Because Amchitka itself had no permanent civilian town during the testing era, the geographic boundaries and affected populations look very different from mainland claims.

To qualify, you must prove 24 months of physical presence (cumulatively or consecutively) in one of the following ZIP codes:

The claimant pool for Alaska primarily consists of three distinct groups:

  1. Civilian Contractors: Drillers, miners, engineers, and cleanup crews hired by the AEC or private firms (such as Holmes & Narver).
  2. Military Personnel: Servicemembers stationed at the nearby Adak Naval Operating Base, Coast Guard detachments, and military logistical support crews.
  3. Indigenous Populations: Aleut/Unangax̂ communities living in the surrounding islands and relying on local marine environments for subsistence.

3. Proving Your Physical Presence

Proving 24 months of presence in the Aleutians is uniquely challenging. Traditional records like local property taxes or utility bills rarely exist for military bases or remote contractor camps. However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) accepts specific alternative documentation.

Claimant Group Best Forms of Proof for DOJ Claims
Military Personnel
  • DD Form 214: The standard discharge document, which should list duty stations.
  • PCS Orders: Permanent Change of Station orders directing transfer to Adak (Naval Station or Coast Guard).
  • Ship Logs / Muster Rolls: For Navy/Coast Guard personnel anchored or operating in the eligible ZIP codes.
  • VA Medical Records: Routine physicals conducted at the Adak base clinic.
Civilian Contractors
  • AEC / DOE Records: Security badge records, dosimetry reports, or occupational hazard logs from the Department of Energy.
  • Union Dispatch Records: Logbooks from trade unions (like operating engineers or drillers) proving deployment to Amchitka.
  • W-2s or Pay Stubs: Showing employer addresses or hazard pay designations for the Aleutian site.
  • Employer Letters: Sworn letters from contracting companies confirming dates of deployment.
Indigenous Communities
  • BIA Records: Bureau of Indian Affairs census or registry records mapping residency.
  • Tribal Enrollment Records: Official documents from the Aleut Corporation or local tribal councils establishing permanent residency in Atka or Adak.
  • School Transcripts: Attendance records for local island schools.
  • Baptismal / Church Records: Contemporaneous records from local parishes.

Note: If you are a surviving family member filing on behalf of a deceased servicemember or contractor, you can request military service records directly from the National Archives (NARA) or contractor dosimetry records from the Department of Energy to build your claim.