Nuclear Energy Worker Programs

Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Act (EEOICPA)

The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) was enacted by congress in 2000 to compensate workers who became sick due to their involvement with the production of nuclear weapons, primarily during the Cold War era. The program has continued to expand to cover more workers who are exposed to radiation and hazardous chemicals while working on government projects.

EEOICPA is an entitlement program split into Part B and Part E.

Part B-The purpose of Part B is to provide a lump sum payment and medical benefits as compensation to covered employees suffering from occupational illnesses as a result of their exposure to radiation, beryllium, or silica while in the performance of duty for the Department of Energy and certain vendors, contractors and subcontractors. 

Part E-The purpose of Part E is to provide variable amounts of compensation to Department of Energy contractor employees or to their survivor(s) where it is at least as likely as not that exposure to a toxic substance while employed at a covered facility was a significant factor in aggravating, contributing to or causing the employee's illness or death.  

Both parts have differing eligibility requirements and provide varying compensation and medical benefits to sick energy workers or their survivors. Currently the program has paid out over $10 billion in claims.

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) was created in 1990 to award compensation payments to persons who contracted certain cancers and developed other specified diseases as a result of their exposure to radiation from the United States atmospheric nuclear-weapons testing or as a result of their exposure to radiation during employment as uranium workers and those involved or who lived nearby the over 200 atmospheric nuclear weapons tests conducted throughout the Cold War era.

Section 5 of RECA covers uranium workers employed in the mining, milling or transportation of ore. Individuals employed in above-ground or underground mines; employed in a uranium mill, or employed in transport of uranium ore or vanadium-uranium ore from mines of mills. Employment occurred in uranium mines or mills located in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, Washington, Utah, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon and Texas. 

Section 4 of RECA covers Downwinders who are individuals who were physically present in one of the affected areas downwind of the Nevada Test Site during a period of atmospheric nuclear testing, and who later developed a covered illness. RECA also covers onsite participants who participated onsite in a test involving the atmospheric detonation of  nuclear device, and who later developed a covered illnesses. 

RECA offers only lump-sum payments, depending on acuity levels, of $50,000 (baseline), plus. ​