Danielle Stephens remembers watching orange flashes from atomic bombs detonated less than 150 miles from her Arizona home at a government test site during the Cold War. Stephens, 81, counts dozens of relatives who have since been diagnosed with cancer. But despite a yearslong battle, their part of Arizona is still left out of a federal compensation program.

"I just think it's a travesty, and the government should not be allowed to get away with it," said Stephens, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in July.