About every month, my law firm receives a call from the spouse of a nuclear weapons or uranium worker who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. We help file a claim for the worker with the Department of Justice or the Department of Labor, both of which operate a compensation program.
Typically, these claims can be processed within a few weeks. Modest compensation awarded through these programs provides assistance with medical bills and certain other financial obligations.
Most people don’t realize that these programs exist, or even that our nuclear weapons system affects so many people across the country.
Originally known as the Manhattan Project, the US nuclear weapons program produced its first nuclear explosion, the Trinity Test, in 1945 at Alamogordo, New Mexico. But the impact of these tests has not been limited by time or geography. Every day, downwinders, onsite participants, uranium miners, millers and ore haulers are diagnosed with cancers, pulmonary fibrosis and other serious illnesses from exposures that occurred decades ago. decades.
Even today, nuclear weapons workers are falling ill at facilities across the country.
Those who become ill as a result of their work in the nuclear weapons manufacturing and testing industry are eligible for health care benefits and compensation from these two federal programs: the radiation exposure and the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program.
The programs, much like the veterans program that provides benefits to U.S. soldiers, provide vital benefits to workers who have borne the brunt of the physical and financial cost imposed by the nation’s nuclear weapons program.
Bills currently pending would extend the RECP and allow on-site participants and downwinders to receive medical care for their conditions accepted under the EEOICP.
This would make their claims more similar to those of other beneficiaries, including uranium miners, millers and ore transporters, thereby eliminating a loophole in the RECP that prevents on-site participants across the country and southerly winds. -west to receive the same medical benefits as uranium. miners, millers and ore transporters receive.
Without action from Congress and the President, RECA will expire in July of this year.
One way forward is a set of bipartisan bills introduced by Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (HR 5338) and Sen. Mike Crapo (S.2798).
These bills extend and make significant improvements to these compensation programs.
My experience working with nuclear weapons and uranium workers has shown me that these programs continue to provide essential benefits to workers and their survivors, whose lives have been disrupted by participation in the nuclear weapons program. . Both of these programs should be expanded and improved.
We owe it, at least, to those who sacrificed their health in service of the nation’s nuclear ambitions.
A. Hugh Stephens is the lead attorney at Stephens & Stephens, a firm based in Buffalo, NY.
