Current
and former U.S. Department of Energy workers and contractors
interested in filing claims for medical assistance for illnesses
due to radiation, silica or beryllium exposure at work will
have another opportunity next month to get their questions
answered.
A joint DOE -U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Traveling Resource
Center will return to the San Francisco Bay Area during June
2-5. Representatives will be on hand to assist individuals
with claims under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness
Compensation Program Act. A similar center visited in March.
Workers who need help filling out claim forms can schedule
appointments or get questions answered at the Traveling Resource
Center by calling toll-free, (866) 697-0841, or drop in during
office hours (8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) at Four Points Hotel by
Sheraton, 5115 Hopyard Road, Pleasanton.
The act became effective on July 31, 2001 and provides two
different types of assistance. Eligibility and benefits differ
in each program. The DOL administers the program that provides
a lump sum of up to $150,000 and payment of future medical
expenses to current and former DOE employees and DOE contractor
employees who suffer from specific diseases - radiogenic cancers,
beryllium disease and chronic silicosis. Qualified survivors
of covered employees, including adult children, are also eligible
for benefits.
The DOE program helps DOE contractor employees apply for
State workers' compensation benefits, if it is determined
by an independent physician's panel that the worker sustained
an illness caused by exposure to a toxic substance at a DOE
facility. Benefits for successful claimants vary from state
to state, but are generally a portion of lost wages plus reimbursement
of medical costs.
Several facilities in this area have been designated by DOE
as locations for prospective worker claims -- Berkeley Lab,
Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories, and Stanford
Linear and Accelerator Center.
Additionally, 17 beryllium vendor facilities were added to
the covered facilities list. These include City Tool and Die
Manufacturing in Santa Clara, C.L. Hann Industries in San
Jose, EDM Exotics in Hayward, Electrofusion and Poltech Precision
in Fremont, Hafer Tool in Oakland, Hexcel Products in Berkeley,
Jerry Carroll Machining in San Carlos, Pleasanton Tool and
Manufacturing, Robin Materials in Mountain View, Ron Witherspoon,
Inc., in Campbell, and Tapemation in Scotts Valley.
