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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 693-4650
President Clinton today issued an executive order
outlining the framework for compensating thousands of current and former
nuclear weapons plant workers, or their survivors, whose service to the country
has left them sick or dying.
"We've come a long way since I apologized on behalf of the
government last year. This is one of the most meaningful new federal programs
in decades, impacting the lives of thousands of Americans," said Secretary of
Energy Bill Richardson. "President Clinton's executive order ensures the
compensation program will remain on course for years to come and that all
weapons plant workers - past, present and future - can rely on their government
to do the right thing, even after the sites where they worked have closed."
The order begins implementing the Energy Employees
Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-398),
which was enacted in October with strong bipartisan support as part of the
National Defense Authorization Act. The Act compensates Energy Department
workers, or their survivors, who have occupational illnesses from exposure to
unique hazards associated with building the nation's nuclear defense. The order
assigns responsibilities for implementing the program among three federal
agencies - the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Energy.
The Department of Labor has primary responsibility for
administering the compensation and medical benefits program, including
determining eligibility requirements and adjudicating claims.
"We at the Department of Labor are proud to administer
this important new program," said Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman. "It
reflects the Administration's strong commitment to fair play for American
workers and their families. Workers in the nuclear industry have suffered grave
harm and compensation is long overdue. As soon as Congress provides funds, we
will establish an office within the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs,
headed by a qualified career professional, to discharge our new
responsibilities. OWCP, which already administers three workers' compensation
programs, will draw upon that experience and expert knowledge to deal with
workers' claims in a timely manner at every stage of the process."
Herman added, "This executive order reflects the dedicated
efforts of many within the Administration, the Congress and the labor
movement."
The Department of Health and Human Services will provide
the scientific analysis and information needed for the Department of Labor to
appropriately adjudicate claims. HHS will develop guidelines for determining
whether a cancer is likely to be related to a worker's occupational exposure to
radiation, establish methods to estimate worker exposure to radiation, and
develop estimates for those who have applied for compensation. HHS would advise
the Department of Labor when estimates are sufficiently difficult to develop
that they should be placed in a "special exposure cohort" the law established.
A Presidential Advisory Board will be established to provide oversight and
assure confidence in the scientific validity and quality of this work.
The order establishes a Worker Assistance Program within
the Department of Energy that will help workers with occupational illnesses not
specifically covered in the Act, or their survivors, apply for benefits under
state compensation programs, building upon the Worker Advocacy Office
Richardson opened in May.
In addition, the order:
- Creates an interagency working group composed of
representatives from the Office of Management and Budget, the National Economic
Council and the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Energy and
Justice and
- Directs the Department of Energy to publish in the
Federal Register a preliminary list of facilities where workers may be eligible
for benefits, including atomic weapons employer facilities, Department of
Energy employer facilities and beryllium vendor facilities.
Also, Energy Secretary Richardson today announced a series
of actions the Energy Department will take to implement the program. The Energy
Department will work closely with the Department of Labor to establish a
nationwide outreach program to publicize the compensation program and the
availability of employment, medical and exposure records and other information
to support compensation claims by workers or their survivors. The Energy
Department also will ensure that these records remain accessible to potential
claimants even after current Energy Department facilities have terminated
operations, and will ensure records are available on former sites that have
closed years ago. Richardson reiterated to Energy Department contractors that
he expects their full support helping workers get the compensation they
deserve.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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