News Release: US Department of Labor notifies former Feed Materials Production Center employees of additional inclusions in EEOICPA Special Exposure Cohort [12/02/2013]

OWCP News Release: [12/02/2013]
Contact Name: Adriano Llosa
Phone Number: (202) 693-4686
Email Address: llosa.adriano.t@dol.gov
Release Number: 13-2296-CHI

US Department of Labor notifies former Feed Materials Production Center employees of additional inclusions in EEOICPA Special Exposure Cohort

CINCINNATI — The U.S. Department of Labor is notifying all former Feed Materials Production Center employees who worked at the covered facility in Fernald about two new classes of employees added to the Special Exposure Cohort of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. The EEOICPA provides compensation and medical benefits to employees who became ill as a result of working in the nuclear weapons industry. Survivors of qualified workers also may be entitled to benefits.

A worker who is included in a designated Special Exposure Cohort class of employees, and who is diagnosed with one of 22 specified cancers, may receive a presumption of causation under the EEOICPA. On Sept. 30, 2013, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services designated the following two classes of employees as an addition to the Special Exposure Cohort: all employees of the U.S. Department of Energy, its predecessor agencies and their contractors and subcontractors who worked at the Feed Materials Production Center in Fernald from Jan. 1, 1954, through Dec. 31, 1967, and all employees of the Feed Materials Production Center who were not employed by National Lead of Ohio, DOE or its predecessor agencies, who worked at Feed Materials Production Center from Jan. 1, 1951, through Dec. 31, 1983, for at least 250 workdays occurring either solely under this employment or in combination with workdays within other classes of employees in the Special Exposure Cohort.

These two designations became effective on Oct. 30, 2013. The department’s role is to adjudicate these claims based on the new Special Exposure Cohort designation, as determined and introduced by HHS.

To date, $188 million in EEOICPA compensation and medical benefits have been paid to 1,553 Feed Materials Production Center claimants, while more than $9.9 billion has been paid nationwide. For additional information about the new Special Exposure Cohort, or to schedule an appointment for claim-filing assistance, contact the department’s Portsmouth Resource Center toll-free at 866-363-6993.

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