Workers Exposed to Radiation, Says Report

Sept. 7, 2000
Scores of private companies were hired by the government during the 1940s and 50s to process nuclear weapons material that contaminated unprotected workers and communities.

The U.S. government secretly hired scores of private companies during the 1940s and 50s to process huge volumes of nuclear weapons material, leaving a legacy of poisoned workers and contaminated communities, according to a USA Today report.

A White House panel -- the President''s Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments -- was set up in 1994 to investigate health risks from various secret Cold War studies and other government inquiries have focused on risks to both public and private workers who handled nuclear material.

While many of the cases involving companies have been written about previously, USA Today said it has documented for the first time the scope of the programs.

From mom-and-pop machine shops to big-name chemical companies, approximately 300 private manufacturing facilities in 10 states were quietly converted to business of producing and processing tons of uranium, thorium, polonium, beryllium and other radioactive material.

The report said that the government regularly documented worker health risks at many private facilities, producing highly classified reports that detailed radiation exposure rates hundreds of times above the safety standard.

Energy Secretary Bill Richardson told the paper he was "receptive to the idea of developing a government database for all of the sites that can be shared with the public" and said the administration will "continue to be aggressive, whether at federal or private sites," in an effort to obtain compensation for workers harmed in the various nuclear programs.

In the past year, Richardson offered the first government admissions that the nuclear weapons program caused widespread health problems, but his official statement focused mostly on the problems at government-owned plants.

The legislation now being considered to offer compensation to workers with a wide range of illnesses leaves the determination of coverage for employees at most private contracting sites in the hands of future administrations.

www.occupationalhazards.com/news/news_loader.asp?articleID=17702

www.occupationalhazards/news/news_loader.asp?articleID=5102

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

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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