Reid to sponsor Senate hearing on silicosis

Suzanne Struglinski

Thursday, March 4, 2004 | 9:55 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department's lack of silica protection for former Yucca Mountain project workers will be topic of a Senate hearing to take place March 15.

The department admitted last month that it knew silica, which can cause the lung disease silicosis, existed at Yucca Mountain but did not require workers digging a tunnel or mining rock there to wear protective gear to protect against silica.

Then, a statement surfaced in which a former worker for a contractor said her boss made her change silica dust level tests, causing more concern.

Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, the top Democrat on the Senate subcommittee that controls the Energy Department's budget, will sponsor the hearing. He sent letters to the Energy Department looking for answers after it started a silicosis screening project for former Yucca workers in January.

"DOE (the Energy Department) knew that exposure is 100 percent preventable, but did nothing that would have protected these workers," Reid said. "At best, DOE's actions are negligent and at worst criminal and I intend to use the hearing to get to the bottom of this."

Reid's office notes that the senator's father was a miner who suffered from silicosis.

Reid blasted the department's actions at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee this morning where Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham testified on portions of the budget request.

Reid said miners at Tonopah died of the same sickness and it is clear the department knew the Yucca workers were also in danger, but did nothing about it. He said his father had the sickness.

"I thought all dads coughed at night," Reid said.

Reid will work with the whistleblowers who alerted the department to the problems to see what type of federal compensation program might work best for them. Reid has also asked Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to look into the issue but has not received any response yet, according to his office.

A final witness list is not complete yet, but Reid's office said current and former Yucca Mountain project workers, department officials, and medical and industrial health experts are among those expected to testify.

The hearing, which is open to the public, will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on March 15 at the Clark County Government Building, Commission Chambers, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway.