White House Eyes Atomic Illness Cost Cap

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is taking steps to limit costs associated with a benefits program for Cold War-era nuclear workers who developed cancer from radiation exposure, according to a White House document.

Republicans and Democrats say they are concerned, with one GOP lawmaker saying he plans to hold hearings.

The document, obtained by The Associated Press, was written by White House budget officials and sent to the Labor Department.

It commends Labor officials for "identifying the potential for a large expansion" of a program aimed at compensating thousands of nuclear workers. Then, it states that the White House will lead an interagency working group to develop ways "to contain growth in the costs of benefits" the program provides.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/bush_nuclear_workers

[IChing]

1. All the nuclear proponents need to realize the real costs of this "safe"

Energy. Mining, storage and handling have enormous cost of human suffering and general health.

Please look into the Navajo nation in just one example. If this was not a problem do you think they would want to lessen the liabilities and obligations for the workers or their families?
Recommended

[PhilipShore]

2. AP: Bush team moves to limit nuke-illness costs

The Associated Press
Bush team moves to limit nuke-illness costs
02.15.2006

http://www.azstarnet.com/news/115956

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is taking steps to limit costs associated with a benefits program for Cold War-era nuclear workers who developed cancer from radiation exposure, according to a White House document.

Republicans and Democrats say they are concerned, with one GOP lawmaker saying he plans to hold hearings.

Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., decried attempts to alter the program, saying, "Any effort by Department of Labor bureaucrats to limit these benefits would be a true injustice to these workers, their families and their memory."

[truthisfreedom]

3. watch them sneak in a way to limit damages due to DU exposure too.

it's obvious.

[raccoon]

10. Good thinking. I bet they will too. nt

[Jim Lane]

4. K & R (n/t)

[formercia]

5. This kills the "cheap nuclear energy" argument

so think twice about reactivating the nuclear reactor building program.

[phantom power]

19. This was weapons industry, not nuclear energy industry.

[formercia]

20. Mining covers both civilian and military

there is a proposal to use weapons grade plutonium and uranium as a feedstock for fuel for commercial reactors. Last year a shipment of weapons-grade plutonium was shipped to France to be converted into reactor fuel, thus the health cost of producing the fuel should be attributed to the civilian reactor program as well.
If energy companies want to use the material for reactor fuel, then they should shoulder the health cost of producing it as well.

[jpak]

21. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act covers

uranium miners and workers at uranium enrichment plants as well - the same mines that produce uranium for reactor fuel, and plants that enriched uranium for reactor fuel...

[saigon68]

6. There will be a Few DINOS

Who will support the NEOCONS on this.

Just "WAIT AND SEE"

[tanyev]

7. Cost will be capped at one quarter.

The White House would like victims to use it to call someone who cares.

[raccoon]

8. Two quarters, in my neck of the woods. nt

[tanyev]

9. You just doubled the budget! You..you...LIBERAL!

[raccoon]

13. Liberal or Neocon? LOL nt

[annabanana]

11. typical . . .main concern re NUCLEAR contamination:

cost control

The old "cost of doing business" dodge...

[Vickers]

12. "to contain growth in the costs of benefits"

These motherfuckers and their 1984 wordplay.

[superconnected]

14. Compassionate conservatives - going out of their way to stop

helping people, yet again.

[phusion]

15. I read _Bravo for the Marshallese_

and she has a chapter on case studies of nuclear workers around the country that were exposed to radiation and who have suffered debilitating health problems ever since. It was really an eye-opening discussion -- I had never heard of half of these Cold War programs that blatantly disregarded human health and safety.

Also, the deception employed by the military before and after the nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands was absolutely horrendous. It is truly a forgotten part of US history.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0534613268/102-4504336-6429735?v=glance&n=283155

[ConcernedCanuk]

16. Gee - silly me, I thot it meant to PREVENT Atomic Illness

.
.
.

That's my Canuk naivety for ya . .

If I'd even thought for a nanosecond about all the Depleted Uranium the PNACers are spreading around

I woulda known better

(sigh)

[Demeter]

17. Good Way To Avoid Costs of Depleted Uranium and Gulf War Syndrome

I just can't crank my cynicism up high enough these days.

[cyberpj]

27. I didn't see your post before I added mine. But I'm confident we're right

not just cynical.

Although I'm sure we're both very much that as well.

[jpak]

18. Stupid mystic Librils - radiation is GOOD for you!!!

Hormesis etc.

Greenpeace Twit radiation paranoids....

:rofl:

[VegasWolf]

22. Bush says 300 bucks ought to cover the cost of Americans injured

by the government's testing of atomic bombs for war.

:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

[livetohike]

23. My dad was an Atomic Vet

http://www.naav.com/

He died of pancreatic cancer in Nov. 2004. Would he have died of it anyway, without having been exposed to radiation. Maybe.

[stlsaxman]

24. Our family benefited from the DOE/DOL EEOICP program...

My fathers survivors got compensation. We are very, very grateful to President Clinton for launching this program by executive order. Though no amount of money can replace a parent who was taken away from 6 children and a loving mother by such a horrible, long lasting disease (berylliosus), it is comforting to know that the government of the country he loved and served acknowledges his efforts. And our father was one of the first to die from this exposure (d. 1959).... there are now thousands upon thousands of families traumatized by this horrendous affliction. Over a period of 10-15 years the bone marrow rots and the lungs crystallize.

... and now Bush wants to cut the program? What a truely heartless, soul-less being. :mad:

more info available at http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/owcp/eeoicp/main.htm

[mom cat]

25. Bet these limits morph into GI DU injuries.

[cyberpj]

28. There ya go. That makes at least 3 of us already. Will congress even

know what that's about yet? probably not.

[mom cat]

29. Congress knows. They are paid not to care.

[cyberpj]

26. I think this has to do with DEPLETED URANIUM in prep for Gulf wars.

[mom cat]

30. In both Gulf Wars and in Kosovo.