Remembrance Quilt displayed in Frances Perkins Building

The Department of Labor in Washington DC is displaying the Cold War Patriots National Day of Remembrance quilt. View the press release here, or the content is below.

US Department of Labor displaying the Remembrance Quilt in Frances Perkins Building

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is displaying the Remembrance Quilt in the lobby of the Frances Perkins Building located in Washington, D.C., for two weeks beginning June 26, 2013. The Remembrance Quilt was handcrafted to honor the thousands of workers who served this nation by building its nuclear defense programs, many of whom became seriously ill due to their exposure to radioactive and toxic substances during their employment in the nuclear weapons industry. The 1,040 squares of this quilt were completed by workers or family members of deceased workers and represent over 25,000 years of service in nuclear weapons complexes. This one-of-a-kind quilt is now traveling across the nation for display and serves as a masterpiece for events commemorating the National Day of Remembrance for Nuclear Weapons Program Workers.

On July 31, 2001, DOL began administering Part B of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA). The purpose of the EEOICPA is to assist individuals who became ill as a result of working in the nuclear weapons industry. Survivors may also be eligible for benefits. The EEOICPA is administered by staff from the Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation (DEEOIC), part of DOL’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs.

Part B of the EEOICPA covers current or former workers who have been diagnosed with cancers, beryllium disease or chronic silicosis, and whose illness was caused by exposure to radiation, beryllium or silica while working directly for the Department of Energy (DOE), DOE contractors or subcontractors, designated Atomic Weapons Employers or designated Beryllium Vendors. Part E created by an amendment to the EEOICPA on Oct. 28, 2004, provides federal compensation and medical benefits to DOE contractors and subcontractors who worked at covered facilities and sustained an illness as a result of exposure to toxic substances.

To assist individuals regardless of where they live, DEEOIC established 11 stationary resource centers located nationwide that provide an initial point-of-contact for individuals interested in filing a claim under the EEOICPA. Resource center staff provide both in-person and telephone-based assistance. For a listing of each resource center or to obtain additional information about how to file a claim under the EEOICPA, call toll-free at (866) 888-3322 or visit the DEEOIC website at http://www.dol.gov/owcp/energy.