DOL Responds to CWP Inquiry About Advisory Board

On February 9th Tim Lerew, Chairperson for the Cold War Patriots Advisory Committee, sent a letter to Julia Hearthway, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Director of the Office of Worker Compensation Programs, requesting that the existing members of the citizen’s Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health (ABTSWH) be expeditiously re-seated for the Board’s new term and the public be notified. The DOL Office of Worker Compensation Programs has jurisdiction over the DOL’s Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation.

On March 1st, 2018, Mr. Lerew received a response from Ms. Hearthway which appears below.

Dear Mr. Lerew:

Thank you for your recent email regarding the Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health (Advisory Board). You expressed support for the reappointment of all current Advisory Board members who wish to serve, requested that reappointment occur as soon as possible, and urged broad communication with impacted stakeholders.

The Department is pleased to consider for reappointment the current Advisory Board members who wish to continue serving, given the expiration of their terms in February and March 2018. Your letter of support will be considered along with other letters of support and required nomination materials submitted in regard to each of the Advisory Board member candidates. Selections will be based on how the Advisory Board may best accomplish its statutory mission and fulfill its obligations under both Section 3687(a) of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act. At this time all nominees are still under consideration. When the final membership selections have been made, they will be communicated promptly to the nominees and the public.

For more information about the Advisory Board, please see the Board’s website at https://www.dol.gov/owcp/energy/regs/compliance/AdvisoryBoard.htm. I appreciate your continuing interest in the Energy program and the nuclear worker community it serves.

Sincerely,
Julia K. Hearthway
Director
Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs