OWCP News Release: [02/01/2012]
Contact Name: Mary Brandenberger Egan Reich
Phone Number: (202) 693-4651 (202) 693-4960
Email Address: Brandenberger.Mary@dol.gov Reich.Egan.2@dol.gov
Release Number: 12-0172-SAN
US Department of Labor notifies former California nuclear weapons employees of energy workers’ compensation program
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor is notifying former workers of 25 covered facilities located in Calif., about benefits that may be available to them under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act administered by the department’s Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation. Survivors of qualified workers also may be entitled to benefits.
Former employees of the following sites may be eligible for EEOICPA compensation and medical benefits if they worked at the facility during a period of covered employment: Hexcel Products in Berkeley, Ceradyne Inc. in Costa Mesa, Lab for Energy Related Health Research in Davis, Electrofusion and Poltech Precision in Fremont, Sandia Laboratory Salton Sea Base in Imperial County, Lab for Biomedical and Environmental Sciences in Los Angles, Robin Materials in Mountain View, Philco-Ford Corp. in Newport Beach, Stauffer Metals, Inc. and Calif. Research Corp. in Richmond, Hunter Douglas Aluminum Corp. in Riverside, Jerry Carroll Machining in San Carlos, Ceradyne Inc. in Santa Ana, Ron Witherspoon, Inc. in Campbell, Lebow in Goleta, Edm Exotics in Hayward, Hafer Tool in Oakland, Electro Circuits, Inc. in Pasadena, Pleasanton Tool and Manufacturing in Pleasanton, Arthur D. Little, Co. and Lab of Radiobiology and Environmental Health in San Francisco, C. L. Hann Industries in San Jose, City Tool and Die MFG in Santa Clara, and Tapemation in Scotts Valley.
The department urges all potential eligible former workers and their survivors to contact its California Resource Center in Livermore, California at 866-606-6302 or visit DEEOIC’s website at http://www.dol.gov/owcp/energy/ for more information.
On July 31, 2001, the Department of Labor began administering Part B of the EEOICPA. Part B covers current and former workers diagnosed with cancer, beryllium disease or silicosis caused by exposure to radiation, beryllium or silica while working directly for the U.S. Department of Energy, that department’s contractors or subcontractors, a designated Atomic Weapons Employer or a beryllium vendor. Individuals or their survivors found eligible under Part B may receive a lump sum compensation payment of $150,000 and medical expenses for their covered conditions. Part E, created by an amendment to the EEOICPA on Oct. 28, 2004, and also administered by the Department of Labor, provides federal compensation and medical benefits to DOE contractors and subcontractors who worked at covered facilities during a covered time period and sustained an illness as a result of exposure to toxic substances.
In support of the Department’s implementation of the EEOICPA, DOE maintains a list of covered facilities under the EEOICPA, which is periodically updated and published in the Federal Register. DOE also maintains a searchable covered facility database, which contains additional information pertaining to each of the facilities, including years of covered activity and an overview of the type of work performed. The database can be accessed online at http://www.hss.doe.gov/healthsafety/fwsp/advocacy/faclist/findfacility.cfm.
It is the Labor Department’s goal to disseminate information concerning EEOICPA benefits to potentially eligible claimants across the country. To aid in this effort, the department maintains 11 resource centers nationwide to provide in-person and telephone-based assistance to individuals regardless of where they live. To date, the department has delivered more than $313 million in EEOICPA compensation and medical benefits to 3,008 eligible EEOICPA claimants living in Calif., and more than $7.7 billion nationwide.
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