Read What’s New Around the EEOICPA Program

Below are the latest developments from the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP) world.

Office of the Ombudsman

While the office itself has been open since Mr. Malcolm Nelson retired as the Ombudsman, the position itself has remained vacant until recently.  Amanda Fallon, who worked many years in the office was named Acting Ombudsman on March 14, 2021.  Cold War Patriots welcomes Ms. Fallon in her new role and know she will serve with the same dedication and diligence as she did before her appointment as Acting Ombudsman.

Savannah River Site Work Group

The Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health’s (ABRWH) Work Group on the Savannah River Site (SRS) held a six-hour meeting on March 23, 2021 to discuss the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) new approach to reconstruct dose for the construction trade subcontractors.  The Board’s technical contractor, Sanford Cohen and Associates (SC&A) disagrees with the lasts approach as they did with NIOSH’s previous methodologies.  The Work Group voted to have the full Board debate on the issues involved with the Special Exposure Cohort petition during the next meeting in April.

Advisory Board Meetings

ABRWH will hold a virtual meeting on April 14-15, 2021.  The Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health (ABTSWH) will hold their meeting virtually on April 22-23, 2021.  Cold War Patriots will provide the agendas and the call-in information when they become available.

Toxic Substance Safety Act

The House and the Senate introduced the Toxic Substance Safety Act of 2021 on March 25, 2021.  This legislation will streamline the claims process by establishing classes of workers who would be presumed to have developed a disease from their exposures to toxic substances at Department of Energy nuclear weapons facilities.  To learn more about the legislation and other changes to EEOICP please visit the Talk to Terrie blog on the subject.

Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2021

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties held a hearing on whether the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) needs to be expanded.  RECA, passed in 1990, expires June 10, 2022.  The witnesses included Mr. Jonathan Nez, President of the Navajo Nation, Senator Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), and Congressman Greg Stanton (D-AZ).  All witnesses stressed the importance of extending the program beyond July 10, 2022, expand coverage to additional labor categories for those involved in uranium mining, increase the number of counties or states who will be eligible to file claims as a downwinder and provide medical care in addition to the financial compensation since RECA does not include medical benefits.