Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010 | 2:22 p.m.
Former Nevada Test Site workers who are seeking compensation from the federal government for cancer they contracted while working on underground nuclear tests are one big step closer to achieving that goal.
The Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health has granted "special exposure cohort status" to individuals who worked at the Test Site from 1963 through 1992, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced today.
Reid hailed the unanimous vote as great news for workers who served the nation during the Cold War.
"These brave men and women served their country honorably during one of the most dangerous conflicts in our nation's history, and many of them contracted life-threatening illnesses in the process," Reid said.
"While I believe it should never take this long to meet our obligation to those who serve their country, I am thankful that the correct decision was made and that we are now closer to compensating them in a manner equal to their service."
Additional procedural steps will have to be taken over the next 90 days before the board's decision becomes law. But Reid described the board's vote as the key hurdle.
The board's decision was brought about by a petition that Reid supported in 2007 along with former Test Site workers or their relatives. A compensation process is already in place for employees who worked at the government facility 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas from 1951 through 1962.
The petition covered any employees of the Energy Department or of a department contractor who were present for underground nuclear tests, performed cleanup work following those tests, worked at Area 51 or other classified areas, or participated in tests related to the Nuclear Rocket Testing Program.
There were 828 underground nuclear tests and 100 above-ground tests at the Test Site from 1951 until the nuclear weapons testing moratorium in 1992.
I never heard of the Nuclear Rocket Testing program, I thought that was science fiction. I was wrong!
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_the... :
"The United States tested several different sizes and designs (of nuclear thermal rocket) during the Rover program from 1959 through 1972 at the [Nevada Test Site], with progressively higher power densities culminating in the Pewee (1970). Tests of the improved Pewee 2 design were cancelled in 1972, and the U.S. program officially ended in 1973."
More Senator Reid delivering for Nevada. It's my understanding that he's been working on this for years.
Civilian workers of Dept. of Energy/AEC or their contractors or subcontractors, who were on-site at NTS or Groom Lake for 250 work days, who were diagnosed with any of 23 types of cancer, or their direct survivors, will be gratified to know that in May 2010 the Special Exposure Cohort class, will be applicable from 1963 through 1992.I'm taking and filing these claims now. The Cohort previously covered 1951-through 1962, now expanded by 30 more years. That means that workers in those years diagnosed with certain cancers, or chronic silicosis, are now eligible claimants for administrative awards of $150,000 lump sum, tax free under the EEOICPA, with payouts up to $400,000, plus uncapped medical benefits for the specified cancers. If you dormed around the clock on site and proof is found, the 250 days can be proportionally reduced to as little as 83 days. No litigation. No lawyers. I've successfully completed more than 400 of these Special Exposure Cohort claims for employees and survivors of Dept. of Energy facilities, including Pacific Proving Grounds, Amchitka Island, NTS and others. My claimants have received more than $50 million in tax free lump sum awards. Direct survivors include the surviving spouse, or children, parents, or grandchildren. My fee is zero if no award, 2% once paid, and only after it is received by claimant Albert B. Frowiss, Sr., 858.756.1494, email FROWISS@FROWISS.ORG , or P.O. Box 909, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067. I have no unhappy clients, and references are available nationwide. I do all the claims paperwork,interview and manage it through the multi-tiered Federal bureaucratic quagmire of adjudication steps to completion and payout, all as a full time advocate for my clients, seven days and nights every week. Bottom line is that I work solely for you, not for the government or a government outsource contractor. No bureaucrat or other person works as hard and dedicated as I do for my clients. Contact me for the list of 23 types of cancer, your circumstances, etc., and I'l forward the appropriate check list of things needed and work with you to completion. I'll take over prior denied claims, reactivate pending claims or file new ones. I'm familiar with NTS having been an entrepreneur in the 1960's-70's, developing and selling precision test instrumentation to all the AEC facilities. In the early 1980's I was offered a White House deputy policy post in the Dept. of Energy. 858.756.1494 Albert B. Frowiss, Sr., Box 909 Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067 FROWISS@FROWISS.ORG
My parents both meet and worked at the AEC and later married. My mom tells stories of watching the bombs being dropped in the dessert, she had several photos of this that we are now trying to locate at home. Several times I would bring the large photos to school for show and tell. My father died at 67 lung cancer my mom now has stage 3A a very agrassive cancer she has been told by her doctors for a women of her age, she is now 81. Last year mammogram no sign this year its traveled from her breast to her lympnods all in less then one year. Could my father and mothers cancer have to do with the fact the were employed by AEC for several years, that they viewed the bombs, then raced to the site to stand were the bomb had just gone off? If you have any answers I would really like to learn more. Thank you so much