Letter: NTS workers deserving of compensation

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2000 | 9:50 a.m.

We in Congress will continue working to get compensation for those who sacrificed so much for our security and safety.

Let me recap the course of this legislation so far. During mark-up of the Department of Defense authorization bill, I authored an amendment that would have created such a compensation program, but it was stricken on procedural grounds.

Working with a bipartisan group of legislators from districts with DOE facilities, I then obtained commitments from the key House Committee chairmen with jurisdiction over a compensation program to hold hearings this year.

While this was not a complete victory, it was progress.

As a member of a bipartisan working group, I have been pressing hard to encourage my House and Senate colleagues to include a DOE workers compensation program in the Department of Defense Authorization Act.

These efforts have also made legislators aware of silicosis and other occupational illnesses involved in hard-rock mining at the NTS.

On behalf of the affected DOE workers, I will not rest until the day when sickened and injured NTS workers are no longer worried about how to get the government to pay for illnesses and injuries for which it is responsible.

JIM GIBBONS

Representative, U.S. House