Testimony on DOE Radiation Compensation by Shelley Berkley, February 24, 2000 (3 pages)

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (NV-1) Testimony on DOE Radiation Compensation February 24, 2000 MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE PANEL: THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS MY VIEWS THIS MORNING. I AM HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF JUSTICE AND FAIR PLAY FOR NEVADA TEST SITE WORKERS WHO HAVE SUFFERED DUE TO RADIATION EXPOSURE OR OTHER TOXIC EXPOSURE RELATED TO THEIR JOBS. WE AS A NATION HAVE A DEBT TO FULFILL TO THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED PAIN AND SUFFERING....OR HAVE LOST LOVED ONES...DUE TO THE DANGERS THAT WORKERS FACED AT THE TEST SITE. THESE PEOPLE MUST BE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR TREMENDOUS LOSSES. FROM 1951 TO 1992, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TESTED NUCLEAR WEAPONS ABOVE AND BELOW GROUND HERE IN NEVADA. THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED AT THE TEST SITE WERE NEVER MADE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL DANGER THIS EXPOSURE TO RADIATION AND TOXIC CHEMICALS MIGHT POSE TO THEIR HEALTH. BUT WE NOW KNOW THE HAZARDS THAT WERE FACED, AND WE NOW HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THE RIGHT THING. WE CAN NOT SHIRK THIS RESPONSIBILITY, NOR CAN WE DELAY LIVING UP TO IT, AT THIS LATE DATE. THE U. S. CONGRESS IS CURRENTLY CONSIDERING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD COMPENSATE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WORKERS WHO SUSTAINED A BERYLLIUM-RELATED ILLNESS DUE TO THE NATURE OF THEIR JOBS AT DOE FACILITIES IN PADUCAH, KENTUCKY. PRESIDENT CLINTON IS PROPOSING LEGISLATION TO COMPENSATE WORKERS AT BOTH THE PADUCAH DOE FACILITY, AND THE FACILITY AT OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE. NEITHER OF THESE PROPOSALS INCLUDES COMPENSATION FOR FORMER IN 1997, YVONNE FLOWERS LOST HER FATHER, AND CLARA BROOKS HER HUSBAND, TO CANCER. JOHN BROOKS WAS HIS NAME. HE WORKED AT THE NEVADA TEST SITE FOR OVER 20 YEARS, FIRST AS A LABORER, THEN AS A FOREMAN OF CONSTRUCTION CREWS HE BEGAN HIS JOB IN THE EARLY 1960 S. NOT LONG AFTER, JOHN BROOKS STARTED GETTING SICK. AT FIRST, IT WAS COLON CANCER. THEN THE CANCER SPREAD TO HIS LUNGS, AND FINALLY THROUGHOUT HIS WHOLE BODY. THE DOCTORS SAID THAT THE CANCER WAS CAUSED BY EXPOSURE TO RADIATION AND TOXIC CHEMICALS. JOHN BROOKS LITERALLY SACRIFICED HIS LIFE IN THE CAUSE OF OUR NATIONAL DEFENSE. HE AND A LEGION OF DEDICATED AMERICANS LIKE HIM WHO WORKED AT THE NEVADA TEST DID NOT FLINCH FROM THE HEAVY DEMANDS...AND THE OBVIOUS DANGERS... OF THEIR WORK. AND THEY TOILED WITHOUT THANKS OR RECOGNITION FROM THE NATION FROM THEIR FELLOW AMERICANS. BUT NOW WE CAN PROPERLY RECOGNIZE THEM BY PROVIDING THE COMPENSATION THAT JUSTICE DEMANDS WE PROVIDE. IT IS OUR MORAL OBLIGATION. BOSTON UNIVERSITY'S SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH IS CONDUCTING A MEDICAL SCREENING PROGRAM FOR FORMER NEVADA TEST SITE WORKERS. THE PROGRAM IS TARGETING PERSONS WHO WORKED AT THE TEST SITE DURING THE NUCLEAR TESTING ERA, 1951 TO 1992, AND IS LOCATING AND IDENTIFYING THOSE FORMER WORKERS WITH POTENTIAL EXPOSURE RISKS AND OFFERING THEM MEDICAL SCREENING WHERE AVAILABLE. HERE IN LAS VEGAS, FORMER TEST SITE WORKERS CAN GET INFORMATION ABOUT SCREENINGS BY CALLING 1-888-636-8161. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE ALL THOSE WHO WORKED AT THE NEVADA TEST SITE DURING THE WEAPONS TESTING PERIOD TO CALL AND GET SCREENED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I ALSO WANT TO STATE MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR LEGISLATION THAT INCLUDES COMPENSATION FOR FORMER TEST SITE WORKERS WHO SUFFERED WORK-RELATED ILLNESSES OR LOST WAGES DUE TO RADIATION EXPOSURE OR OTHER TOXIC EXPOSURE. NEVADA TEST SITE WORKERS DESERVE COMPENSATION JUST AS MUCH AS THOSE WHO LABORED IN PADUCAH, KENTUCKY, OR OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE. I AM ALSO SHARING MY VIEWS WITH THE PRESIDENT AND ENERGY SECRETARY BILL RICHARDSON. Thank You.