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U.S.
Senator Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs
Committees |
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For Immediate
Release October 23, 2007 |
CONTACT:Stephanie Valencia – 202-228-3630 |
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WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a hearing regarding the Energy Employee Occupational Injury Compensation Program (EEOICP) and whether the “program is claimant friendly for our cold war heroes.” United States Ken Salazar knows that thousands of American workers, including thousands at Rocky Flats, put their own lives on the line to serve our Nation during the Cold War. He has long been an advocate for adequate compensation for our Cold War heroes and wants to ensure that the proper program reforms are enacted so that they are able to get their compensation in an expedient and timely manner. Senator Salazar submitted the following statement, reiterating his commitment to those that put their health and safety at risk for our Nation. “Thank you, Chairman Kennedy and Ranking Member Enzi, for holding this hearing today. The issue of whether the Energy Employee Occupational Injury Compensation Program (EEOICP) is claimant friendly is critically important and timely. Reports from the Office of the Ombudsman for the EEOICP Part E, and past Congressional hearings have revealed considerable claimant dissatisfaction with the Program and a concerted effort to deny compensation to many workers. I hope that the evidence collected through this hearing will inspire swift Congressional action to grant compensation to our Cold War heroes and enact necessary Program reforms. Although I am not a member of this Committee, I look forward to working with you to ensure that these goals are met. “The Energy Employee Occupational Injury Compensation Program Act (EEIOCPA) was enacted to compensate American workers (and certain survivors) who put their health and life on the line to serve our Nation during the Cold War. These brave men and women worked in laboratories and factories in the U.S. building nuclear weapons that led to the fall of the former Soviet Union. Sadly, many of these Cold War Veterans were exposed to toxic and carcinogenic properties that made them very sick. “But while thousands of workers are successfully applying and receiving benefits, too many face incredible obstacles as they try to demonstrate that they qualify for benefits. Some workers may not be able to prove that their cancers were caused by their work in nuclear weapons facilities, whether due to the lack of records or other problems that make it difficult or impossible to determine the dose of radiation they received. To protect these workers, Congress designated a Special Exposure Cohort (SEC), a provision in the EEOICPA to enable workers to receive benefits if they suffered from one of the specified cancers known to be linked to radiation exposure. “From 1951 to 1988, approximately 23,000 individuals worked at the Rocky Flats plant located 16 miles Northwest of Denver, Colorado. Throughout the years, many Rocky Flats workers processed plutonium, one of the most dangerous substances that exists, and crafted it into triggers for atomic weapons. Through five decades, Rocky Flats workers were exposed to toxic and carcinogenic properties, including beryllium, radiation and other hazards. “More than two years ago, Rocky Flats workers filed a SEC petition to receive compensation. After three years of patiently and diligently making their case to the federal government, the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health made its recommendation on June 12, 2007. The Board recommended SEC inclusion for only those plutonium workers employed at Rocky Flats from January 1, 1959 to December 31, 1966. In other words, the Board voted (6 to 4) to exclude from the SEC all pre-1966 workers other than plutonium workers and all post-1966 Rocky Flats workers. This should limit the number of Rocky Flats workers who receive benefits to approximately 2,000 to 3,000 workers. Secretary Leavitt recently approved the Board’s recommendation. “The men and women who worked at Rocky Flats served a critical role in a program deemed essential to our national security by a succession of Presidents and Congresses. Several of these workers have died without receiving the healthcare or compensation they deserve. In fact, a combination of missing records and bureaucratic red tape has prevented many Rocky Flats workers from accessing benefits. Our government failed these workers when they maintained shoddy, inaccurate, and incomplete records. “Furthermore, after years of research and review, many questions remain about the reliability of data and the ability of National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health to accurately measure develop worker history and exposure to toxic materials. On March 1, 2007, I introduced S. 729, The Rocky Flats Special Exposure Cohort Act. S. 729 would extend SEC status to workers employed by the Department of Energy or its contractors at Rocky Flats according to the stringent requirements of the Act. “With the SEC designation, a Rocky Flats worker suffering from one of the 22 listed cancers can receive benefits despite the inadequate records maintained by the Department of Energy and its contractors. I urge this Congress to act now to stop impeding Rocky Flats workers’ ability to receive the compensation they deserve. The Cold War Veterans of Rocky Flats have waited long enough. “In conclusion, I am eager to work with members of this Committee to develop and implement much needed reforms to the EEOICP. I also urge the Senate to swiftly take up and pass S. 729 to grant compensation to Rocky Flats who put their health and life on the line for the Nation.”
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