New Legislation Proposed for Nuclear Workers with Beryllium Claims

New legislation proposed by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., would save lives of Hanford nuclear reservation workers, according to medical experts and union officials.

A federal program to provide help for workers at risk for a debilitating and incurable lung condition, chronic beryllium disease, has not kept up with medical advances, according to medical experts.

The current federal standards to diagnose beryllium sensitivity, which indicates that workers are at risk of developing chronic beryllium disease, “are outdated and put people at risk,” said Murray during a visit with Hanford workers Wednesday at the pipefitters union Local 598 labor hall in Pasco.

Read the full article from the Seattle Times here.