Date: 2010-04-19
Speaker: MIKE CRAPO (republican)
Chamber: S

MARK UDALL. MICHAEL BENNET. and JAMES RiSCH. I introduced a piece of legislation that takes the next step in addressing the remaining shortfalls of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. I wish to highlight some of the provisions of our bill. First. the inclusion of post1971 uranium miners and workers as qualified claimants. While the Federal Government ceased the purchase of domestic uranium in 1971. implementation of Federal work safety standards was slow and regulation of mines was poor. As a result. thousands of miners and millers were never made aware of the dangers of the yellow cake they handled on a regular basis. In recent surveys. the majority of uranium workers from this period reported they did not have showers or wash basins in the mines where they worked. They often took contaminated clothing home for laundering. unaware of the hazards. and with no other option for cleaning. Many also reported that ventilation to prevent unnecessary exposure was not provided in their work areas. Today. these workers continue to suffer and die from illnesses related to radiation exposure. But because their employment dates began after 1971. they have no opportunity for compensation. Our bill changes that. If the measure passes. individuals working from 1971 until 1990 will qualify to claim compensation for exposurerelated diseases. The bill we are introducing today would also expand the geographic areas that qualify for downwind compensation to include New Mexico. Idaho. Montana. Colorado. and Guam. And for the first time. the bill recognizes downwind exposure from the original atomic weapons test sitethe Trinity Site in New Mexico. This legislation would raise compensation levels for those exposed as a result of aboveground weapons tests. This would make their compensation consistent with their counterparts who worked in the mines and mills. The bill would also facilitate epidemiological research on the impacts of uranium development on communities and families of uranium workers. It authorizes funding for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to award grants to universities and nonprofits to carry out such research. We are seeking to broaden the use of affidavits to substantiate employment history and residence in an affected downwind area. Many who have suffered as a result of ColdWar uranium and weapons development did not have the documentation to prove their exposure. Often mines and mills did not keep proper documentation of their workers. and many communities impacted did not have a tradition of keeping birth and marriage certification. The bill would allow individuals to combine their time worked in multiple positions to meet the work time requirements for compensation in the original RECA legislation. Finally. this legislation would allow miners to be compensated for kidney disease. and it would allow core drillers to join miners. millers. and ore transporters on the current list of uranium workers who qualify for compensation under the act. Uranium and weapons development of the ColdWar era left a gruesome legacy in communities of mine workers and downwinders. For more than two decades now the United States has tried to compensate in some way for the sickness and loss of life. Today. we are taking the next step to close this sad chapter in history and to improve the reach of compassionate compensation to those Americans who have suffered but have not qualified under RECA in its current form. In introducing this legislation. I honor all those who continue to suffer from deadly illnesses as a result of radiation exposure but dont qualify for compensationespecially those workers who began employment after 1971 and. thus. do not qualify for RECA. I look forward to working with my colleagues to recognize these individuals and expand RECA to include all who are justified in receiving radiation exposure compensation. By Mr. HATCH (for himself. Mr. LEVIN. Mr. BENNETT. Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. KERRY. Mrs. SHAHEEN. and Mr. SCHUMER):