Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items

Inadequate compensation for 1000s of nuclear workers made sick by radiation

Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., is among a group of federal lawmakers who have called for an investigation into the program following McClatchy’s probe, which revealed 7,762 workers died after being denied compensation by the government.

The McClatchy DC investigation found that nuclear worker safety remains an issue: Since 2001, more than 186,000 workers have been exposed to radiation.

Flag-USAEfficacy of compensation program for nuclear workers under scrutiny By Rebecca Moss
The New Mexican, 20 Feb 16, “………Due to the commingling of his exposure during the war and his work on various sites at Sandia, Thompson is one of at least 10,273 New Mexicans who have applied for a federal program that compensates individuals with a $150,000 lump sum payment for serious illness or death that can be attributed to work at the state’s nuclear defense facilities since 1943.

Since Congress passed the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act in 2000, the government has spent $12 billion in financial restitution for more than 100,000 workers whose onset of cancer, beryllium disease, neurological disorders and other ailments is a result of careers in the more than 300 nuclear facilities across the country.

As of March 2015, New Mexico had received the second-highest compensation of any state under the fund, with $1.64 billion paid out to workers for compensation and medical bills.

But the program has come under scrutiny lately. An investigation by the McClatchy DC news service found that fewer than half of the people who have applied for benefits have received them, and workers’ complaints are often suspended in the complex process of paperwork or court hearings, with some claims languishing in the system for up to 10 years. A new documentary coming out in March, titled Safe Side of the Fence, questions why side-by-side workers with similar ailments would receive different judgments from the Department of Labor on the validity of their claims.

At least 5,400 workers in New Mexico have been denied financial assistance, according to the Department of Labor, which issues the compensation.

The department recently added new language to the regulations, which is intended to clarify who is eligible for relief. A 60-day public comment period for the proposal ended Thursday. But critics say the new language could make it even more difficult for ailing workers to receive compensation. Continue reading →

February 22, 2016 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

    Next Entries »