Lab assists with workers compensation claims

Contact: Fran Talley, flt@lanl.gov, (505) 667-5225 (02-006)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Jan. 24, 2002 -- The Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory is assisting current and former Laboratory employees who believe they may be eligible for compensation under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000.

The Laboratory has made resources available to respond to requests from the Department of Labor or DOE for employment, medical, dosimetry and other data for people who file claims under the Act.

Congress passed the Act to provide compensation of $150,000 and payment of necessary medical treatment for certain illnesses resulting from work at DOE facilities to eligible current employees and former employees of the department, its contractors and subcontractors and to some survivors of those workers. The Department of Labor administers that part of the Act. The Act also authorizes DOE to help current and former workers with qualifying illnesses obtain assistance from their state’s workers’ compensation administration.

“The Department of Labor has responsibility for the part of the Act that compensates workers, former workers, or eligible survivors for radiation-related cancers, chronic beryllium disease and chronic silicosis,” explained John Fox, chief of staff for Los Alamos’ Environment, Safety and Health Division. “Anyone who believes they may qualify is required to file a claim with the Labor Department.

“The DOL will then request Laboratory medical records, exposure records and employment history. Survivors also will need employment and medical records of the deceased worker to qualify for compensation. That’s where the Laboratory can help,” Fox said.

“We will retrieve the Laboratory records DOL needs,” Fox said. “We’re also coordinating efforts closely with Johnson Controls Northern New Mexico as well as the Española Resource Center.”

The Resource Center, located at 412 Paseo De Onate, Suite “D” in Española, is one of several centers set up around the country to provide information to workers or survivors and assist them in filing and processing claims. Workers, former workers or their survivors who believe they may be eligible for compensation under the program are encouraged to contact the Resource Center at (505) 747-6766, toll free at 1-866-272-3622 or by fax at (505) 747-6765.

Claim forms also are available on the Department of Labor website at
http://www.dol.gov/dol/esa/public/regs/compliance/owcp/eeoicp/main.htm online.

As part of DOE’s responsibility under the Act, a separate Office of Worker Advocacy has been established by the DOE to help workers and former workers obtain benefits from their state’s workers’ compensation program for illnesses that resulted from exposure to toxic substances while working at DOE or contractor facilities.

The Office of Worker Advocacy may be contacted by writing to the Office of Environment, Safety and Health, Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20585, or by telephone at 1-877-447-9756. More information about the DOE program may be found at http://tis.eh.doe.gov/advocacy/index.html online.

DOE’s program is not yet fully implemented. Workers or former workers who may have claims regarding an occupational illness resulting from their work in a DOE or contractor facility are encouraged to directly contact the Ombuds Office of the New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Administration for information about filing claims and related matters.

The New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Administration (WCA) is located at 2410 Central Ave. S.E., P.O. Box 27198, Albuquerque, N.M. 87125-7198. The WCA also can be contacted at (505) 841-6000 or 1-86 WORKOMP (1-866-967-5667), toll free in New Mexico, and at http://www.state.nm.us/wca/ online.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy and works in partnership with NNSA's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories to support NNSA in its mission.

Los Alamos enhances global security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, developing technical solutions to reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health and national security concerns.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy.