RICHLAND, Wash. – The history of Hanford is well known. Former Hanford workers have come forward talking about health issues they’ve been experiencing. Those workers didn’t know there is a program through the Department of Energy called the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program or EEOIC.
According to the DOL’s website, the program went into effect in July of 2001. The DOL’s office workers program is responsible for adjudicating and administering claims filed by employees or former employees or certain qualified survivors.
At the Holiday Inn in Richland DOL officials held a gathering to provide information on the EEOIC program to assist with individual compensation and health care covered by the Department of Energy if the claim is accepted.
Rachel Pond, Director of the EEOIC program told me not many people know about it.
“Since 2000, when it was first passed we were going around the country trying to let people know about the benefits that are out there,” said Pond.
The program is funded through taxpayers dollars and according to the DOL’s website, they’ve funded over $875 million in compensation.
Many former workers showed up to learn about the EEOIC program. The DOL held a two-hour presentation and then stayed to assist the workers and answer questions about the program and how to get started.
“We have 365 facilities across the country that worked on the production of nuclear weapons,” said Pond. “Hanford being one of those.”
According to Pond, contractors and subcontractors are eligible for a claim if they were exposed to either radiation or a toxic substance.
Miles Fisher the Assistant Director for the Building Trades Medical Program was one of many agencies there on site to provide information on getting screened for medical issues.
“The Building Trades National medical screening program offers free medical screening exams to any construction workers that worked down at the Department of Energy facilities,” said Fisher.
According to the Building Trades National Medical screening program’s website. The process has two steps, the first is a work history interview. A specially trained building trades worker or work site expert conducts your work history interview to determine what hazardous materials you’ve been exposed to. This can be done either in person, over the phone or online. The second step is a medical exam to test for illnesses that may have been caused by exposure. All of the results are kept confidential.
Fisher says it’s important for former workers to get screened right away.
“Then they’ll be eligible through these programs and every three years for another re-screen,” said Fisher.
Pond says she believes people that did all of this work weren’t given all the information when they signed up. It’s important for her that those people get all of the benefits they deserve.
“The government did a good job creating this program to try to make up for it,” said Pond. “They did all of this in secret and they did it all for the protection of our country.”
Pond says if you’re not sure you can receive compensation, she encourages you to give them a call to find out.
