Uranium Miners to Get Compensation Checks

July 24, 2001
Uranium workers and others exposed to radiation from Cold War-era\r\nnuclear weapons tests will finally get the compensation they were\r\npromised.

Uranium workers and others exposed to radiation from Cold War-era nuclear weapons tests will finally get the compensation they were promised.

A Senate and House conference committee inserted language in a supplemental appropriations bill Thursday that would guarantee payment of $31.8 million of outstanding IOUs in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) trust fund.

The supplemental bill still must be approved by the full House and Senate, but that is expected to be just a formality.

The RECA program was created in 1990 to provide cash payments of $100,000 to uranium miners and $50,000 to "downwinders" -- those residents sickened by their exposure to radioactive fallout caused by nuclear weapons testing.

Last year, the act was expanded to cover more people, but no more new money was added.

Many victims were left holding unpaid IOUs. That includes 191 outstanding IOUs worth $10.1 million in Utah alone, plus 71 worth $6.5 million in Colorado, 42 worth $4 million in New Mexico and 68 worth $3.5 million in Nevada.

The Justice Department said it is awaiting final approval of the program and then it will immediately begin to send checks.

Meanwhile, the miners are eligible to receive another $50,000 through the new nuclear weapons industry workers'' compensation program administered by the Department of Labor.

Under that program, $150,000 and related medical expenses are paid to workers who became seriously ill from exposure to radiation, beryllium or silica while working in the nuclear weapons industry for the Department of Energy during the Cold War.

by Virginia Foran

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Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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