Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement

for

Members of the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health

The Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (Board) is very concerned with 

maintaining the transparency of the compensation program created by the Energy 

Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA). In an 

effort to foster a fully open and honest environment for claimants and in order to allay 

any concerns within the stakeholder community regarding perceived or actual conflicts of 

interest for Board members, the Board releases the following information for its 

Members:

Board Member’s Name: Loretta R. Valerio

Job Title and Current Employer: Ombudsman

The Office of Nuclear Worker’s Advocacy for the 

State of New Mexico

 Albuquerque, NM

Biographical Information: Ms. Valerio has served as an Ombudsman assisting New 

Mexico claimants under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation 

Program Act (EEOICPA) since 2007. Appointed by Governor Bill Richardson, Ms. 

Valerio has intervened to expedite and improve the claims adjudication for hundreds of 

EEOICPA claimants. Ms. Valerio was appointed to this position after seven years of 

contractor work as a local caseworker and outreach staff for the U.S. Department of 

Labor administering EEOICPA. Earlier in her career, Ms. Valerio was a contractor 

employee at Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of the major Department of Energy 

nuclear weapons sites, where she was involved in the administration of safety related 

operations, training and communications at the site.

Expert Witness Experience: N/A

DOE/AWE Sites Where a Conflict of Interest Exists: Accurate Machine & Tool, 

Albuquerque Operations Office, Chupadera Mesa, Hangar 481, Kirtland Operations 

Office, Los Alamos Medical Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lovelace 

Respiratory Research Institute, Ore Buying Station at Grants, NM, Ore Buying Station at 

Shiprock, Project Gasbuggy Nuclear Explosion Site, Project Gnome Nuclear Explosion 

Site, Sandia National Laboratories, South Albuquerque Works, Trinity Nuclear Explosion 

Site, Uranium Mill at Shiprock, Uranium Mill in Ambrosia Lake, Waste Isolation Pilot 

Plant, Nevada Test Site, Pantex Plant, and Rocky Flats.

Subject Matters Where a Conflict of Interest Exists: Specific party matters that would 

have a direct and predictable effect on Ms. Valerio’s employer’s financial interests. 

Specifically, Ms. Valerio may not participate in any Advisory Board discussions or 

recommendations involving the potential expansion (or addition) of classes of individuals 
that are or were employed at any of the Department of Energy and Atomic Weapons 

Employers covered facilities under EEOICPA in New Mexico, Nevada Test Site, the 

Pantex Plant, and the Rocky Flats Plant. Ms. Valerio also may not participate in any 

discussion involving Special Exposure Cohort petitions concerning any of the covered 

facilities in New Mexico, Nevada Test Site, the Pantex Plant, and the Rocky Flats Plant. 

Additionally, Ms. Valerio may not participate in a particular matter where her employer 

is a party (or represents a party) to that matter, which may include, but not limited to,

individual claimants who are or have previously received assistance from Ms. Valerio’s 

employer for their dose reconstruction claims. 

Conflicted Sites/Subject Matters Regarding Which the Board Member Has 

Received Permission to Participate: Ms. Valerio has not received permission to 

participate in specific party matters involving the abovementioned conflict of interest 

concerns.