Tennessee's sick nuclear workers get $1 billion

Comment: Well uranium mining & milling will bring money down the way with federal compensation program for sick uranium miners, if you live long enough to see it!!

By Frank Munger (Contact)Wednesday, May 27, 2009

OAK RIDGE — Tennessee residents have collected more than $1 billion from the federal compensation program for sick nuclear workers — far more than any other state.

The Department of Labor announced the milestone Tuesday, saying it had paid more than $1 billion in compensation and medical benefits to 9,134 Tennessee residents under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act.

Congress passed the act to compensate workers who were exposed to radioactive materials and other toxic hazards in the workplace while producing nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

Matt Murray, associate director of the University of Tennessee’s Center for Business and Economic Research, said the compensation to sick workers and their families has a significant impact on the East Tennessee economy.

“In some ways, it’s like having another large employer in our region,” Murray said. “That’s a huge amount of money that is intended to make up, in part, for the income they can no longer receive.”

Nationwide, since the act was implemented in 2001, the Department of Labor has paid 51,331 claimants more than $4.8 billion in compensation and medical benefits.

In a statement released Tuesday, Rachel Leiton, director of the Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation, noted several of the facilities covered by the compensation program were in Oak Ridge — including Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, and the former K-25 uranium-enrichment plant.

“Individuals who worked at these and other covered facilities … sacrificed their health to build this nation’s nuclear defense programs,” Leiton said.

While saying she was proud to announce the benefits paid, Leiton said the Labor Department believes there may be others eligible in Tennessee who have not yet filed claims for compensation.

She encouraged potential claimants to call this toll-free number: 1-866-481-0411.

Glenn Bell, a former Y-12 machinist who developed chronic beryllium disease from his workplace exposures, said he viewed the $1 billion milestone as both a negative and a positive.

“First of all, the negative part is that there was a need for it to begin with,” Bell said. “The positive part is that a lot of people have gotten compensation.”

Bell said much more money has been spent on compensation than on medical benefits. That probably means the program came too late to help many sick workers when they really needed it and it went to their survivors instead, he said.

Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329.