News from ANWAG
DOL Issues
On January 23, 2012 the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine held their first meeting to review DEEIOIC's Site Exposure Matrix. Terrie Barrie was invited by them to present the advocates' position on the issues surrounding the SEM and claim adjudication. Ms. Barrie both spoke to the committee and provided them with printed material. Dr. Laurence Fuortes from the University of Iowa College of Public Health also provided the committee with his observations on SEM and HazMap.
On January 5, 2011 ANWAG issued a press release alleging that DOL has found a way around President Obama’s memorandum on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and is effectively denying advocates for sickened nuclear weapons workers requests for documents by charging outlandish search fees.
Because there has been no progress with any meaningful reforms to EEOICPA this year, ANWAG developed a thought-provoking essay describing some of the serious flaws with the program.
Terrie Barrie: "More must be done" was published in the Craig Daily Press on December 28, 2011.
NIOSH Issues
ANWAG is concerned about possible conflict of interest problems within EEOICPA. To begin to address this problem ANWAG wrote a letter to Dr. Howard of NIOSH regarding a possible conflict of interest rising from the Designated Federal Official (DFO) for the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health who authored the final rules for the dose reconstruction and Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) petition processes.
ANWAG also sent a letter to Director Hinnefeld of NIOSH regarding possible conflicts of interest between contractors Dade Moeller and Associates and EG & G their financial involvements with EEOICPA and DOE sites.
NIOSH responded to this concern on January 3, 2012.
Program wide Issues
There has been some confusion within EEOICPA on whether certain x-ray reports are valid or not. Some claimants have had their "b-reads" refused if the technician did not sign the report. NIOSH's Dr. Howard clarified the issue for ANWAG. If you have had this problem, please contact ANWAG or EECAP for help.
ANWAG has put together a report on the problems claimants are having with Department of Labor and NIOSH as well as solutions to those problems.
ANWAG Newsletters
ANWAG, of which EECAP is a proud member, is now publishing a monthly newsletter! Check in to see all the latest news.