Uranium Miners' Compensation

[Steven Dapra <sjd@iolnm.net>]

Feb. 14

	Interesting article in the Albuquerque (NM) Journal (North edition;
2-13-00) about Bill Richardson's views on miner compensation.  (Article
will probably be unavailable via link after 2-15.)

	The link is

<http://www.abqjournal.com/news/8news02-13-00.htm>

	Who is influencing Richardson?

	"The National Institutes of Health took over studies of DOE weapons
workers in the early 1990s. That switch was fueled in part by "Dead
Reckoning: A Critical Review of the Department of Energy's Epidemiologic
Research," a study published in 1992 by Physicians for Social
Responsibility, a national nuclear-disarmament and environmental group.   .
. . 

	"A leading contributor to "Dead Reckoning" was David Michaels, an
epidemiologist and Geiger colleague at CUNY. He took a leave of absence a
year ago to become Richardson's assistant secretary for environment, safety
and health."  (Geiger is H. Jack Geiger, study co-author)

	Same article; different study, but a related topic:

	"As the White House and Congress agreed on legislation to compensate
beryllium workers, Richardson persuaded President Clinton to order a
sweeping study of job-related illness in the weapons complex and possible
ways to compensate other ailing workers.
 
	"The study is due out in March. Early drafts report that workers are at
increased risk of illness from radiation and chemical exposures at work.
Congress may demand harder evidence, but Richardson already is convinced."

	Richardson is convinced before the study is released.  Should we have
expected that?

Steven Dapra
sdj@iolnm.net
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