Department of Energy Support to the 

Energy Employees Occupational Illness 

Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA)

Patricia R. Worthington, PhD Gregory S. Lewis

Director, Office of Health and Safety Director, Office of Worker Screening 

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Compensation Support 

and Security Office of Health and Safety 

November 30, 2016
DOE’s Core Mandate

Work on behalf of the program claimants to ensure 

that all available worker and facility records and 

data are provided to DOL, NIOSH, and the Advisory 

Board.

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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DOE Responsibilities

• Respond via the SERT system to DOL and NIOSH requests for 

information related to individual claims (employment 

verification, exposure records).

• Provide support and assistance to DOL, NIOSH, and Advisory 

Board on large-scale research and site characterization projects 

through records research and retrieval efforts at various DOE 

sites. 

• Conduct research, in coordination with DOL and NIOSH, on 

issues related to covered facilities designations. 

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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Individual Records

Fund and coordinate records retrieval activities at DOE sites in 

support of individual claims. 

• Employment verifications for DOL (~7,000/year) 

• Dose records for NIOSH (~4,000/year) 

• Document Acquisition Requests (DAR) employee work 

history/exposures for DOL (~7,000/year)

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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Size of Records Packages

• Average # of pages per Employment verification ~14 pages

• Average # of pages per NIOSH Request ~50 Pages

• Average # of pages per DAR ~150 pages

• Overall average # pages ~214

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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Individual Records (cont.)

• Claimants often worked at multiple DOE sites, for multiple 

contractors and subcontractors, and in different jobs or 

divisions over a career. 

• For a typical request for a worker’s records, DOE may have to 

go to many different site departments and within those 

departments many different records sources or databases. 

• For example, one DOE site routinely checks approximately 40 

different sources for responsive records, including hardcopy 

paper records, microfilm, microfiche, databases, and scanned 

electronic records. 

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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Response – 60 Day Goal

• In FY 16, DOE responded in under 60 days to 17,674 out 

of 18,621 records requests from DOL and NIOSH.

• 95 percent on-time response rate

• Many sites have a near perfect record:

• K-25: 6 late out of 2,112

• Richland: 6 late out of 1,564

• Savannah River: 1,316 all on time

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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Large-Scale Research Projects

• Large-scale research projects are driven by the needs of DOL 

and NIOSH. 

• DOE accommodates all requests.

• These projects can take years. 

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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Large Scale Research Projects

(cont.)

• Hanford

• Pacific Northwest 

National Lab

• Savannah River Site

• Nevada Test Site 

(Nevada National 

Security Site)

• Los Alamos National 

Lab

• Sandia National Lab

• Idaho National Lab

• Lawrence Livermore 

National Lab

• Oak Ridge National 

Lab

• Area IV Santa Susanna 

Field Lab

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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Document Reviews

• DOE is committed to providing documents to NIOSH, 

DOL, and the Advisory Board, but must do so in a 

responsible manner.

• The average turnaround time for review and 

released documents is typically about 8 work days. 

• In certain cases where an expedited review is 

necessary, DOE has returned documents in 1-2 days.

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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Facility Research

Research and maintain the Covered Facilities Database

• Database of over 300 facilities covered under EEOICPA. This includes 

DOE facilities, AWEs, and Beryllium Vendors whose employees are 

eligible for benefits under EEOICP.

• Full listing can be found at:

https://ehss.energy.gov/Search/Facility/findfacility.aspx

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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Outreach

• Continued to participate in all Joint Outreach Task Group 

meetings that include DOE, DOL, and NIOSH, along with the 

DOL Ombudsman and the DOE Former Worker Medical 

Screening Programs. 

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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Honoring the National Day of 

Remembrance for Nuclear 

Weapons Program Workers

October 28, 2016 
Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

Senate Resolution 560

(S. Res 560 introduced on September 15, 2016)

Designating October 30, 2016, as a national day of remembrance for U.S. nuclear weapons program workers, including uranium 

miners, millers, and haulers.

Whereas, since World War II, hundreds of thousands of men and women, including uranium miners, millers, and haulers, have 

served the United States by building the nuclear defense weapons of the United States;

Whereas these dedicated workers paid a high price for their service to develop a nuclear weapons program for the benefit of the 

United States, including having developed disabling or fatal illnesses;

Whereas the Senate recognized the contribution, service, and sacrifice these patriotic men and women made for the defense of the

United States in Senate Resolution 151, 111th Congress, agreed to May 20, 2009, and Senate Resolution 653, 111th Congress, agreed 

to September 28, 2010; Senate Resolution 275, 112th Congress, agreed to September 26, 2011; Senate Resolution 519, 112th 

Congress, agreed to August 1, 2012; Senate Resolution 164, 113th Congress, agreed to September 18, 2013; Senate Resolution 417, 

113th Congress, agreed to July 9, 2014; and Senate Resolution 213, 114th Congress, agreed to September 25, 2015;

Whereas a national day of remembrance time capsule has been crossing the United States, collecting artifacts and the stories of the 

nuclear workers relating to the nuclear defense era of the United States;

Whereas these stories and artifacts reinforce the importance of recognizing these nuclear workers; and

Whereas these patriotic men and women deserve to be recognized for the contribution, service, and sacrifice they have made for 

the defense of the United States: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate—

1) designates October 30, 2016, as a national day of remembrance for nuclear weapons program workers, including uranium 

miners, millers, and haulers, of the United States; and

2) encourages the people of the United States to support and participate in appropriate ceremonies, programs, and other activities 

to commemorate October 30, 2016, as a national day of remembrance for past and present workers in the nuclear weapons 

program of the United States.

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Former Worker Medical 

Screening Program

• Mission: To identify and notify former workers at risk for 

occupational disease and offer them medical screening that 

can lead to treatment.

• Program now serves all former workers from all DOE sites in 

locations close to their residences.

• Published an annual report.

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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Former Worker Medical 

Screening Program

FWP Website: 

• http://energy.gov/ehss/services/worker-health-andsafety/former-worker-medical-screening-program

FWP Annual Report: 

• http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2016/09/f33/2015-FWPAnnual-Report.pdf

FWP Brochure: 

• http://energy.gov/ehss/downloads/former-worker-medicalscreening-program-brochure

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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Questions?

Office of Environment, Health, Safety and Security

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