Staff Reports
NS&D Monitor
1/15/2015
The Alliance of Nuclear Worker Advocacy Groups is urging U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez to extend the comment period on proposed rules changes for the government’s compensation program for sick nuclear weapons workers.
The comment period is scheduled to end Jan. 19, but worker advocates are upset because the Labor Department has yet to approve the nominees for the newly created Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health.
Sick worker advocates want the new board to review the Labor Department’s multitude of proposed changes because of concerns they will make it more difficult to workers to file claims or gain compensation for their illnesses caused by the Cold War weapons workplace.
ANWAG’s Deb Jerison, in a letter to Perez, asked the Labor Department of extend the comment period until the new board has been seated and had a chance to review the rule changes.
“It has been over a year since the legislation creating the Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health was enacted,” Jerison wrote to Perez. “The statute required that the board be seated within 120 days of enactment. Yet the final selection of the members has not been finalized more than 365 days after enactment.”
Terrie Barrie, a longtime spokeswoman for ANWAG, said she opposes many of the proposed rule changes. She said she wants the Labor Department to withdraw its proposal and “start all over again,” in conjunction with stakeholders and the new advisory board.
The Labor Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jerison said proposed changes could make it harder for workers to get claims approved — or even filed — with the Energy Employees Occupational Illness and Compensation Program. “And some (changes) are going to make it a lot hard to get the medical care. I kind of feel like the Labor Department may be trying to do an end around,” she said.
