Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Congress Approves Compensation for Pantex Employees

Friday, January 20th, 2012   |   Posted in News, News & Events

*Original article from NewsChannel 10 in Amarillo, TX- click here

 

Amarillo, TX – Compensation is now available for thousands of former employees and contractors of the Pantex Plant who were diagnosed with cancer.

The approval from Congress marks a monumental day.

Between 1958 and 1983, many people walked in and out of the Pantex Plant in Amarillo.

They were unknowingly exposed to radiation, and as a result were diagnosed with cancer.

After six long years of action, their voices have finally been heard.

William Clark worked as a contracted electrician at Pantex for several years.

“I didn’t ever wear an exposure badge or anything. I went where the people were wearing them but I was never required to put one on,” says William Clark, contracted electrician, Pantex Plant in Amarillo.

In 2007 his health took a turn for the worst.

“They came back to me later and said to me, ‘we want you for operation tomorrow morning.’ I said, ‘why tomorrow morning?’ Well they found out I had cancer,” says William Clark, contracted electrician, Pantex Plant in Amarillo.

He was exposed to so much radiation that the bad news didn’t stop there.

“They found four different cancers in me, in my lung,” says William Clark, contracted electrician, Pantex Plant in Amarillo.

After removing all the cancer, they thought he was clean but it came back even harder.

“Just recently, they found out the cancer went into my bones,” says William Clark, contracted electrician, Pantex Plant in Amarillo.

Along with his intestines, his ribs and back in his lungs.

Now that Congress and the Department of Health and Human Services have approved the compensation, the 90-year-old can rest easier.

“I’m real happy,” says William Clark, contracted electrician, Pantex Plant in Amarillo.

He along with many others are eligible to file a claim or submit a new claim if they were once denied.

“Just straight across the board the amount of compensation for part B, which is radio-genic cancers and beryllium diseases, is 150-thousand dollars,” says Sarah Ray, advocate and former Pantex Plant employee.

Along with all their past and present medical expenses paid for.

Sarah Ray was the advocate who fought a hard battle in order to make this all possible.

Although Clark can’t change his own fate, he says he can help change others’.

“There’s a lot of people out there that have the same problem that I’ve got and they don’t even know it,” says William Clark, contracted electrician, Pantex Plant in Amarillo.

Aid is being offered through the Energy Employees Compensation Resource Center in Espanola, New Mexico. They can answer any questions and help you file a claim at 866-272-3622. People from the resource will be coming to Amarillo and hold a meeting at Carpenters Union Hall January 25th and 26th. Call them ahead of time to set up an appointment.

To get a hold of Sarah Ray, who has been the advocate for the approval process and will be setting up more meetings for anyone needing help, email her at dworay82@yahoo.com

To get information about the qualifications you need to file a claim or about the compensation you can receive click the link below:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=134f79c1d0b0c8b0&mt=application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3D214aa096e1%26view%3Datt%26th%3D134f79c1d0b0c8b0%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dsafe%26zw&sig=AHIEtbTF0ajm6eOhhDQSHTdZ7VzyQD4pdA&pli=1

Expanded Coverage for Uranium Workers Under EEOICPA

Friday, January 6th, 2012   |   Posted in News, News & Events

* Original circular was posted to the DOL website – click here *

 

EEOICPA CIRCULAR NO. 12-05             December 2, 2011

 

SUBJECT: Employment at 17 new facilities is now covered under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) and additional years of employment have been added at three facilities.

 

The purpose of this Circular is to announce that 17 additional facilities associated with the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) are Department of Energy (DOE) facilities under EEOICPA and three facilities already covered under EEOICPA have additional covered time periods associated with environmental remediation at those facilities.

 

In EEOICPA Circular No. 11-01, the Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation (DEEOIC) determined that the Uranium Mill at Shiprock was a Department of Energy (DOE) facility, for the purposes of EEOICPA.  The Uranium Mill at Shiprock, however, is only one of the facilities associated with UMTRCA.  Since the release of that earlier Circular, DEEOIC has considered whether additional facilities meet the statutory definition of a DOE facility.  As a result of this review, and for the same reasons given in EEOICPA Circular No. 11-01, DEEOIC has determined that the following facilities meet the DOE facility definition based upon DOE-funded environmental remediation efforts for the years noted in parenthesis:

 

1.  Uranium Mill in Monument Valley (AZ) (May 1989 -Febraury 1990; September 1992 – May 1994)

2.  Uranium Mill in Tuba City (AZ) (January 1985 – February 1986; January 1988 – April 1990)

3.  Climax Uranium Mill in Grand Junction (CO) (December 1988 – August 1994)

4.  Uranium Mill in Gunnison (CO) (September 1991 – December 1995)

5.  Uranium Mill in Maybell (CO) (May 1995 – September 1998)

6.  Uranium Mill in Naturita (CO) (May – November 1994 and June 1996 – September 1998)

7.  New Uranium Mill in Rifle (CO) (September 1988 – September 1989 and April 1992 – October 1996)

8.  Old Uranium Mill in Rifle (CO) (September 1988 – September 1989 and April 1992 – October 1996)

9.  Uranium Mill No. 1 in Slick Rock (East) (CO) (1995 -1996)

10. Uranium Mill No. 2 in Slick Rock (West) (CO) (1995 -1996)

11. Uranium Mill in Lowman (ID) (1992; 1994 – present)

12. Uranium Mill in Ambrosia Lake (NM) (July 1987- April 1989 and October 1992 – July 1995)

13. Uranium Mill and Disposal Cell in Lakeview (OR) (1986 – 1989)

14. Uranium Mill in Falls City (TX) (January 1992 – June 1994)

15. Uranium Mill in Mexican Hat (UT) (July – October 1987 and then from September 1992 – February 1995)

16. Uranium Mill in Riverton (WY) (May 1988- September 1990)

17. Uranium Mill in Converse County (Spook Site) (WY) (April – September 1989)

 

Additionally, while each of the following facilities is already covered under EEOICPA, additional years of coverage correlating to periods of environmental remediation performed under contract to DOE are also being added under this Circular. This remediation was performed as part of UMTRCA for all locations noted in this Circular, except for the remediation at the Uranium Mill in Monticello for which the remediation was performed or under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).  The years added to these facilities are as follows:

 

1.  Uranium Mill in Durango (CO), currently covered for 1948 – 1953, is now also covered for remediation under UMTRCA for the period October 1986 – May 1991.

2.  Vitro Manufacturing in Canonsburg, PA, currently covered as a beryllium vendor facility for 1948, and as an atomic weapons employer facility for 1942-1959 (with residual radiation coverage for 1958-1985), is now also covered as a DOE facility for remediation under UMTRCA for 1983-1985 and 1996.

3.  Uranium Mill in Monticello (UT), currently covered for 1948-1960, is now also covered for remediation performed by DOE and DOE contractors under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) for the period 1983-2000.

 

Coverage for the Uranium Mill at Shiprock, NM is unchanged by this Circular.

 

In making determinations on whether the facilities in this Circular are covered under EEOICPA and for which years, DEEOIC relied upon documentation from DOE, including their reports entitled, “A Report to Congress on Long-Term Stewardship,” and “Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Surface Project 1979-1999, End of Project Report,” as well as a September 28, 2011 letter from Dr. Patricia R. Worthington, Director of DOE’s Office of Health and Safety and its attachment entitled, “Subcontractors on UMTRCA Contracts by UMTRCA Site.”  For each period newly identified above, the documentation establishes that DOE was responsible for remediation and funded contractors to accomplish this work.

 

To aid DEEOIC staff in understanding the names of DOE contractors and subcontractors that performed the work identified in this Circular, a document entitled, “UMTRCA remediation subcontracts” will be made available for claims adjudication purposes.

 

Given the findings of DEEOIC, each of the facilities identified in this Circular is a DOE facility for purposes of the EEOICPA for the period noted, and staff should handle claims in a manner consistent with this guidance.

New Chemical Elements Honor Livermore Lab and Russia’s Flerov Lab

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011   |   Posted in News, News & Events

PC Mag posted this story click here for original article

Moscovium is out and livermorium is in as the name of two new super heavy elements that will soon be added to chemistry’s periodic table. Along with flerovium, or element 114, livermorium, element 116, is a highly unstable, synthesized Transuranium element.

The two new elements must undergo a five-month public comment period overseen by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry before being added to the table, officials said this week. Once that period is over, livermorium and flerovium will join three other super heavy elements that were added early last month—darmstadtium (Ds), roentgenium (Rg), and copernicium (Cn).

Livermorium, named in honor of California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, will use the symbol Lv, while flerovium will have the symbol Fl. Both elements were synthesized more than 10 years ago at Russia’s Joint Institute for Nuclear Research outside Moscow by a joint team of Russian scientists and researchers from the Livermore lab. The instability of the elements made it extremely difficult to confirm their existence, however, making their journey to inclusion on the periodic table a long one.

Livermorium, formerly known as ununhexium, was originally going to be named moscovium in a nod to the Russian capital, but it seems the Livermore contingent won out. Flerovium, once temporarily known as ununquadium, honors both Russian physicist Georgiy Flerov (1913-1990) and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research’s Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions where it was synthesized.

“Proposing these names for the elements honors not only the individual contributions of scientists from these laboratories to the fields of nuclear science, heavy-element research, and super-heavy-element research, but also the phenomenal cooperation and collaboration that has occurred between scientists at these two locations,” said Bill Goldstein, associate director of Lawrence Livermore National Labs’ Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, in a statement.

Other synthesized Transuranium elements that are positioned in the slots for elements 113, 115, 117, and 118 have also been observed, but lack enough evidence to begin the process of inclusion in the period table. For example, scientists have to date only observed six atoms of ununseptium, the temporary name for element 117.

Senate approves Day of Remembrance for Downwinders

Monday, November 21st, 2011   |   Posted in News, News & Events

Political News posted this update on November 19, 2011. For original article  click here

Nov 19,2011 – Senate Approves Risch-Crapo Resolution Recognizing Downwinders

Establishes National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Radiation

Washington, DC – Idahoans and residents of states adversely affected by nuclear fallout from arms testing during the Cold War era deserve
greater attention and compensation for health problems related to the above ground tests.

For that reason, Idaho Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo have joined several colleagues in the U.S. Senate to introduce a resolution bringing more attention to the “downwinders” who were exposed many years ago. The resolution, S. Res. 330, passed the Senate last night by unanimous consent.

The legislation, co-sponsored by Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-New Mexico), Michael Bennett (D-Colorado), Tom Udall (D-New Mexico) and Mark Udall
(D-Colorado), designates January 27, 2012, as a “national day of remembrance for Americans who, during the Cold War, worked and lived downwind from nuclear testing sites and were adversely affected by the radiation exposure generated by the above ground nuclear weapons testing.”

The Senate resolution adds:
“Whereas on January 27, 1951, the first nuclear weapons test in the United States commenced at a site known as the Nevada Proving Ground, located
approximately 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada; Whereas many Americans who, during the Cold War, worked and lived downwind from nuclear testing sites (referred to in this preamble as “downwinders”) were adversely affected by the radiation exposure generated by the above ground nuclear weapons testing, and some of the downwinders sickened as a result of the radiation exposure; Whereas the downwinders paid a high price for the development of a nuclear weapons program for the benefit of the United States; and Whereas the downwinders deserve to be recognized for the sacrifice they have made for the defense of the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-
(1) designates January 27, 2012, as a national day of remembrance for many Americans who, during the Cold War,  worked and lived downwind from nuclear testing sites and were adversely affected by the radiation exposure generated by the above ground nuclear weapons testing; and (2) encourages the people of the United States to support and participate in appropriate ceremonies, programs, and other activities to commemorate January 27, 2012.”

Risch and Crapo reintroduced legislation earlier this session to amend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to provide expanded restitution for Americans exposed to atomic weapons tests, in addition to former workers in uranium mines. Among other things, the RECA Amendments of 2010 would build upon previous RECA legislation by further widening qualifications for compensation for radiation exposure; qualifying post 1971 uranium workers for compensation; and expanding the downwind exposure area to include seven states.

The legislation also expands eligible downwind areas to include all of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Utah for the Nevada Test Site; New Mexico for the Trinity Test Site; and Guam for the Pacific tests.

Communities Honor Cold War Nuclear Workers

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011   |   Posted in News, News & Events

Communities Across the Country Honor Cold War Nuclear Workers On National Day of Remembrance

DENVER, CO – On October 30, communities across the country will honor the sacrifices of uranium and nuclear weapons workers who served their country during the Cold War Era. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution last month designating October 30, 2011, a national day of remembrance.”Since World War II, hundreds of thousands of men and women, including uranium miners, millers, and haulers, have served the United States by building our nuclear defense weapons,” said Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), one of the resolution’s co-sponsors. “I’m glad we’re setting aside time to remember our fellow Americans who have paid a high price for their service to develop the nuclear weapons program for United States.”

The events are organized by Cold War Patriots, a non-profit organization advocating for nuclear weapons complex workers that introduced the National Day of Remembrance campaign in 2009. This year, the organization is using the special day of recognition as a platform to launch its Remembrance Quilt Project. People attending National Day of Remembrance events will have the opportunity to sign quilted squares to honor former workers. Those squares will be incorporated into a large quilt that will tour the country once it’s completed.

The renewal of the National Day of Remembrance again in 2011 ensures the former workers will get the recognition they deserve. At the height of the Cold War, hundreds of thousands of men and women worked to make the country’s nuclear deterrent possible. Many of them developed disabling or fatal illnesses because of exposure to radiation and toxic substances while producing and testing nuclear weapons.

“Our goal is to make sure that these unsung heroes are not forgotten,” said Greg Austin, Chairman of the Cold War Patriots Advisory Committee.

Background

According to the Brookings Institution, between 1945 and 1990, the United States spent at least $5.8 trillion and developed more than 70,000 nuclear warheads.  During the Cold War, hundreds of thousands of people worked to build the U.S. arsenal of nuclear weapons. In 2000, the U.S. Congress passed an act to compensate people whose health had been affected.  The bill was modified in 2003 to cover exposure to toxic substances.  The Department of Labor administers the energy employee occupational illness program including cash compensation and payments for medical expenses associated with work related conditions.

Over 350 facilities in 43 states are associated with the compensation program. In many of them, workers were exposed to high levels of radiation and toxic substances.  Significant exposure happened to uranium workers in the southwest, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona, and nuclear weapons workers throughout the United States, including Washington, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Iowa, and South Carolina.

“Individuals who have been adversely affected by our nation’s nuclear weapons programs must be justly honored and remembered for their dedicated work and service to our country,” said Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), who also co-sponsored the resolution. “Designating a national day of remembrance in their honor is just one way we can show our support and recognition for their sacrifice.”

Cold War Patriots is the first national network connecting nuclear workers and uranium miners to support and assistance with claims related to the energy employee illness compensation act.  As they desperately wait for help, these workers are currently dying at an estimated rate of 60 per day. The organization’s advisory committee includes workers, physicians and an attorney.

Membership in Cold War Patriots is free to current and former nuclear weapons workers, uranium miners, millers, and haulers, as well as other individuals, family members or any interested individuals that support the Cold War Patriots mission. For more information visit www.coldwarpatriots.org or call 888-903-8989.

 

Biggest Nuclear Bomb Dismantled in Pantex

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011   |   Posted in News, News & Events

Below is a news article from the AP as republished by the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/26/biggest-nuclear-bomb-dismantled-texas

 

B53 nuclear bomb

The United States’ last B53 nuclear bomb has been dismantled at the Pantex Plant just outside Amarillo. Photograph: AP

The last of the nation’s biggest nuclear bombs, a Cold War relic 600 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, has been dismantled in what one energy official called a milestone in President Barack Obama’s mission to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

Workers in Texas separated the roughly 300lb (136kg) of high explosives inside from the special nuclear material – uranium – known as the pit.

The work was done outside of public view for security reasons, but explosives from a bomb taken apart earlier were detonated as officials and reporters watched from less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) away.

The deputy secretary of energy, Daniel Poneman, called the disassembly “a milestone accomplishment.” The completion of the dismantling programme is a year ahead of schedule, according to the US Department of Energy’s national nuclear security administration, and aligns with Obama’s goal of reducing the number of nuclear weapons.

Put into service in 1962, when Cold War tensions peaked during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the B53 weighed 10,000lb (4,500 kg) and was the size of a minivan. Many of the bombs were disassembled in the 1980s, but a significant number remained in the US arsenal until they were retired from the stockpile in 1997.

The B53′s disassembly ends the era of big megaton bombs, said Hans Kristensen, a spokesman for the Federation of American Scientists. The biggest nuclear bomb in the nation’s arsenal now is the 1.2-megaton B83, he said. The B53 was 9 megatons.

The 1.5-kiloton bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, at the end of the second world waer killed as many as 140,000 people.

The B53s’ size helped compensate for their lack of accuracy, Kristensen said. Today’s bombs are smaller but more precise, reducing the amount of collateral damage, he said.

Kristensen said the Obama administration should not boast too much about dismantling the B53 when its arsenal of active nuclear warheads has been reduced by only 10 in the past seven months and Russia’s arsenal has grown by 29. The two nations signed a treaty in December to reduce their arsenals.

Since the B53 was made using older technology by engineers who have since retired or died, developing a disassembly process took time. Engineers had to develop complex tools and new procedures to ensure safety.

“We knew going in that this was going to be a challenging project, and we put together an outstanding team with all of our partners to develop a way to achieve this objective safely and efficiently,” said John Woolery, general manager of the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, where the bomb was taken apart.

The plant is the nation’s only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility. This was the first time in 18 years media were allowed into secure places there. Hallways in one building had pictures of nuclear blasts from tests hanging on the walls. Riding in a bus one could see areas in the 16,000-acre (6,500-hectare) facility, one of the nation’s most secure sites, where plutonium pits and other weapons materials are stored.

The B53′s pit will be kept there temporarily, Pantex spokesman Greg Cunningham said. Meanwhile, the remaining non-nuclear material and components will be processed, which includes sanitizing, recycling and disposal, the National Nuclear Security Administration said last fall when it announced the Texas plant’s role in the B53 dismantling.

 

Dept. of Energy Memo about NDR

Thursday, October 20th, 2011   |   Posted in News, News & Events

Glenn Podonsky, the Chief Heath, Safety and Security Officer of the Office of Health, Safety and Security at the Department of Energy has issued a memorandum for distribution regarding the National Day of Remembrance.    We thank the DOE for their support of the workers.

Click to read the PDF, or view the image below.

 

Arvada, CO City Council Recognizes NDR

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011   |   Posted in Day of Remembrance, News, News & Events


On Monday October 16th, the City of Arvada, CO designated October 30, 2011 as a National Day of Remembrance honoring the contribution of Nuclear Workers, such as our friends who worked out at Rocky Flats.

Our thanks go out to Laura, Judy and all the folks who helped make the proclamation a reality.  Our gratitude also goes to the City of Arvada for recognizing the important effort.  Please see below for photos of the meeting.

 

 

 

 


All 2011 National Day of Remembrance Celebrations

Thursday, October 13th, 2011   |   Posted in News, News & Events

OHIO
Monday, October 24th, 2011
11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Scioto County Welcome Center
342 Second Street
Portsmouth, OH 45662
(view map)
Come enjoy refreshments and speakers.

COLORADO
Friday October 28th, 2011
1:00 – 4:00 pm
Office of Professional Case Management
1910 North 12th Street, Suite E
Grand Junction, CO 81501
(view map)
Refreshments provided.

COLORADO – Rocky Flats
Sunday October 30th, 2011
Noon
200 East Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80203
(view map)


NEW MEXICO
Friday, October 28th, 2011
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Cibola County Complex
515 W. High St.
Grants, NM 87020
(view map)
Refreshments provided.

NEVADA
Friday, October 28th, 2011
10:00 am -  1:00 pm
Atomic Testing Museum
755 East Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(view map)
Refreshments and free admission to museum!

TENNESSEE
Friday, October 28th, 2011
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
New Hope Center
602 Scarboro Road
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
(Located on the corner of Scarboro and East Portal Road)
(view map)
Enjoy refreshments and speakers.

WASHINGTON
Friday, October 28th, 2011
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Richland Community Center
500 Amon Park Dr.
Richland, WA, 99352
(view map)
Refreshments provided.

NAVAJO NATION
Friday, October 28th, 2011
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Rock Point Chapter House
Rock Point, AZ 86545
Navajo Nation

MISSOURI
Saturday October 29th, 2011
Noon – 3:00 pm
Union Hall
9404 Grandview Road
Kansas City, MO 64132
(view map)

KENTUCKY
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011
4:00 – 6:00 pm
Robert Cherry Civic Center
2701 Park Ave.
Paducah, KY 42001
(view map)
Refreshments provided.

Other private celebrations will be held around the county including Savannah River Site, Los Alamos, and Rocky Flats.

 

Cold War Patriots Press Release on the National Day of Remembrance

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011   |   Posted in News, News & Events

NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: JON PUSHKIN, APR

303-733-3441, cell: 303-725-5031; jon@pushkinpr.com

Senate Passes Unanimous Resolution Honoring Cold War Nuclear Workers With National Day of Remembrance

Resolution recognizes sacrifices made by nuclear weapons and uranium workers who risked their lives serving their country during the Cold War

(DENVER, CO – September 27, 2011) The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution last night designating October 30, 2011, a national day of remembrance for uranium and nuclear weapons workers who served their country during the Cold War Era.

The resolution was sponsored by U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)

“After World War II, hundreds of thousands of Americans went to work to build our nation’s nuclear arsenal and help us win the Cold War, and many were exposed to dangerous substances on the job, often without their knowledge,” said Senator Mark Udall. “I’ll continue fighting to get them the compensation they deserve, and I’m proud to recognize and thank them for their sacrifices.”

“There are thousands of Americans who defended our nation during the Cold War, who didn’t serve in the heat of battle but in the laboratory, where they worked with hazardous materials that were little understood at that time,” said Senator Alexander. “We should take the time to recognize their quiet sacrifice for our safety and freedom.”

Cold War Patriots, a non-profit organization advocating for nuclear weapons complex workers, launched the National Day of Remembrance campaign in 2009 to ensure that the former workers will get the recognition they deserve. At the height of the Cold War, over 700,000 men and women worked in 350 facilities in 43 states to make the country’s nuclear deterrent possible. Many of them developed disabling or fatal illnesses because of exposure to radiation and toxic substances while producing and testing nuclear weapons. On October 30, Cold War Patriots will honor their contribution to America’s defense with celebrations in a dozen communities around the country.

“On October 30 we will honor these unsung heroes,” said Greg Austin, Chairman of the Cold War Patriots Advisory Committee. “We applaud the Senate for making sure they will not be forgotten.

Cold War Patriots is the first national network connecting nuclear workers and uranium miners with support and assistance with complicated issues, including benefits claims. The organization’s advisory committee includes workers, physicians and attorneys.

Membership in Cold War Patriots is free to current and former nuclear weapons workers, uranium miners, millers, and haulers, as well as other individuals, family members or professionals that support the Cold War Patriot mission. For more information visit www.coldwarpatriots.com or call 888-903-8989.

The text of the resolution is below:

RESOLUTION

Designating October 30, 2011, as a national day of remembrance for nuclear weapons program workers.

Whereas, since World War II, hundreds of thousands of men and women, including uranium miners, millers, and haulers, have served the United States by building the nuclear defense weapons of the United States;

Whereas these dedicated workers paid a high price for their service to develop a nuclear weapons program for the benefit of the United States, including having developed disabling or fatal illnesses;

Whereas the Senate recognized the contribution, service, and sacrifice these patriotic men and women made for the defense of the United States in Senate Resolution 151, 111th Congress, agreed to May 20, 2009, and Senate Resolution 653, 111th Congress, agreed to September 28, 2010;

Whereas a national day of remembrance time capsule has been crossing the United States, collecting artifacts and the stories of the nuclear workers relating to the nuclear defense era of the United States;

Whereas these stories and artifacts reinforce the importance of recognizing these nuclear workers; and

Whereas these patriotic men and women deserve to be recognized for the contribution, service, and sacrifice they have made for the defense of the United States: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) designates October 30, 2011, as a national day of remembrance for nuclear weapons program workers, including uranium miners, millers, and haulers, of the United States; and

(2) encourages the people of the United States to support and participate in appropriate ceremonies, programs, and other activities to commemorate October 30, 2011, as a national day of remembrance for past and present workers in the nuclear weapons program of the United States.

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