FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (January 23, 2025 – Hagåtña, Guam) – “On behalf of the Guam Legislature, we stand in solemn remembrance of those who endured the devastating effects of radiation exposure, and we renew our commitment to advocating for justice and recognition for all affected, including the people of Guam,” Senator Therese M. Terlaje.

Senator Terlaje invites the community to join her and her colleagues on Monday, January 27, 2025, at 12PM at the Guam Congress Building, Public Hearing Room, for a special presentation in recognition of the National Day of Remembrance for Downwinders. This event honors the individuals who were impacted by U.S. nuclear testing and endured the effects of radiation exposure, including leukemia, multiple myeloma, lymphoma (other than Hodgkin’s disease), and primary cancers of the: thyroid, male or female breast, esophagus, stomach, pharynx, small intestine, pancreas, bile ducts, gallbladder, salivary gland, urinary bladder, brain, colon, ovary, liver (except if cirrhosis or hepatitis B is indicated), and lung.

Guam residents were exposed as Downwinders from nuclear testing in the Pacific from 1946 to 1962, and seven (7) of the top ten (10) adult cancers in Guam are those compensable for some jurisdictions under the U.S. Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). The Pacific Association of Radiation Survivors (PARS) and the Guam Legislature continue to advocate for the inclusion of Guam in the RECA.

Let us remember those we’ve lost, support the survivors, and continue to push for justice and recognition for all impacted.

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For more information, please contact Senator Therese M. Terlaje’s office at (671) 472-3586 or via e-mail at senatorterlajeguam@gmail.com