Advisory Board to Hold First In-person Meeting!

We are pleased to announce The Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health, which advises the Department of Energy’s Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP), will hold an in-person meeting November 14-15, 2018 in Washington, DC.  This is the first in-person meeting since the board members were appointed in August 2018 and public comments are being accepted.

The meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC in room N-4215 A/B/C.  The meeting will be held between 8:30 am and 6:00 pm EST both days.  A public comment period will be held on November 14, 2018 only from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm EST.

Anyone who wishes to speak during the public comment period must notify the Board by November 6, 2018.

Submit comments, materials, and requests to speak at the Advisory Board meeting, identified by the Advisory Board name and the meeting date of November 14-15, 2018, by any of the following methods:

• Electronically: Send to: [email protected] (specify in the email subject line, for example “Request to Speak: Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health”).
• Mail, express delivery, hand delivery, messenger, or courier service: Submit one copy to the following address: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health, Room S-3522, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20210.

For those who wish to comment please provide the amount of time needed for your comments, the interest you represent (claimant, advocate, etc.) and a brief outline of the comments or presentation.

For those of you who cannot attend the meeting in person a teleconference number and other details for participating remotely will be posted on the Advisory Board’s website, http://www.dol.gov/owcp/energy/regs/compliance/AdvisoryBoard.htm, 72 hours prior to the commencement of the first meeting date. Advisory Board meetings are open to the public.  Cold War Patriots will post this information when it becomes available.

The tentative agenda for the Advisory Board meeting includes:

• Welcome remarks from DOL officials;
• New member orientation including FACA and ethics rules;
• Overview of the EEOICPA program;
• Discussion on the Site Exposure Matrices (SEM) of the Department of Labor;
• Discussion on medical guidance for claims examiners with respect to the weighing of medical evidence of claimants;
• Discussion on evidentiary requirements for claims under EEOICPA Part B related to lung disease;
• Discussion on the work of industrial hygienists and staff physicians and consulting physicians of the Department of Labor and reports of such hygienists and physicians to ensure quality, objectivity, and consistency;
• Administrative matters;
• Review of DOL responses to past Advisory Board recommendations;
• Consideration of any new issues; and
• Public comments.