DOE needs more money for Test Site compensation claims

Suzanne Stuglinski

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2003 | 1:04 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department needs at least $33 million more next year than it originally requested to process former Nevada Test Site and other workers compensation claims, officials told Congress today. This would put the program at $49 million.

This would be in addition to the $9.7 million added to the program in October and $16 million already approved by Congress for 2004.

The money would not come from an additional request to Congress, since the appropriations process is winding down for the year. Department spokesman Joe Davis said it will work with lawmakers to figure out how to "reprogram" funds from other Energy Department accounts.

Davis said the department is still working on determining which accounts would lose money to make up the $33 million.

The Energy Department created the program in 2002 to help its former workers now ill from various sicknesses due to their work at different facilities. Previous estimates were that 3,000 claims and $360 million would be paid through the program, but instead 70,000 applications have been filed and costs have exceeded $1 billion, according to the department.

"The original estimates on the number of claims and the expectations it set for handling these cases was inaccurate," said Energy Undersecretary Robert Card, who now supervises the program. "To thoroughly and comprehensively process these claims, as we assumed Congress intended, we must receive the support of Congress and the necessary funding."

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham raised the program to Card's level "to ensure the fastest possible processing ofapplications for assistance," he said.

The request comes just after House and Senate negotiators decided earlier this month to allow the department to continue assisting workers in filing claims with state worker compensation programs.

There had been a proposal to shift the responsibility to the Labor Department, which still controls the $150,000 lump sum program for former workers now ill from exposure to radiation, beryllium or other sicknesses specified in the law.

The Labor Department has received $346 million since 2001 to runs it share of the program while the Energy Department has received $74 million in the same time frame, although it has helped process 33,000 claims with Labor.

Energy Department officials said today that their department met an goal of processing more than 100 worker claims per week. Claims data updated Nov. 7, shows 106 applications were completed and prepared for review by the independent physician panel.

According to the department's website, there are 439 cases from the Nevada Test Site, and increase from the 402 claims identified in data updated Oct. 3.

There is also one case from the Project Shoal Nuclear Explosion Site and three from the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project site. The data does not specify the status of these cases.

For Nevada residents, 385 applications have been filed.

Overall, 20,851 applications have been received and 1,270 have been completed. About 14,500 cases still need to be development. Others have dropped out or were deemed ineligible.

Under the Labor Department's program 1,706 claims have been filed by Nevada residents. Of these, 145 claims have been paid totaling just under $11 million as of Oct. 31.

For former Nevada Test Site workers, 2,118 claims have been filed and 95 paid as of Oct. 30, an increase from the 2,081 claims and $11.5 million paid on 89 claims through Sept. 29.

Card, and seven other witnesses, are scheduled to testify at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the worker compensation program Friday.

The House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing on the Labor Department's role in the program last month.