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Efficacy of compensation program for nuclear workers under scrutiny
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/efficacy-of-compensation-program-for-nuclear-workers-under-scrutiny/article_7a531d32-b383-54fd-a82e-2d56345d6b42.html
Efficacy of compensation program for nuclear workers under scrutiny
Posted: Saturday, February 20, 2016 10:45 pm | Updated: 10:56 pm, Sat Feb 20, 2016.
By Rebecca Moss
The New Mexican
<snip>
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.
<snip>
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.
<snip>
Efficacy of compensation program for nuclear workers under scrutiny
Posted: Saturday, February 20, 2016 10:45 pm | Updated: 10:56 pm, Sat Feb 20, 2016.
By Rebecca Moss
The New Mexican
<snip>
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.
<snip>
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.
<snip>
