Senator Murray Seeks Answers about Compensation for Sick Hanford Workers

Murray Concerned about Lack of Transparency, Long Wait to Hear about Claims (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) asked tough questions of Federal Government officials during a hearing of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on concerns that have been raised about the compensation program for sick nuclear workers at Hanford and sites around the country. The program helps Cold War-era workers who are ill because they were exposed to nuclear and toxic materials on the job.  Senator Murray is demanding to know why it takes so long to process claims, why workers and their families are finding it difficult to get information about the status of their claims, and what can be done to make the process more transparent. “Many of these brave men and women and their families have suffered painful consequences from their commitment to our national security,” Murray said.  “I’ve heard countless stories of workers and survivors who’ve waited too long for a response to their concerns or claims.  Thousands in Washington state and across the country are stuck in a long and arduous filing process that often continues after the worker has lost their life to dangerous exposures.  The pain that accompanies illness and loss should not be compounded by bureaucratic and administrative frustrations.”  Senator Murray also pressed officials about the status of a special classification that Hanford workers are seeking.  The classification, called a Special Exposure Cohort (SEC), would make the process of receiving compensation far easier. For the rest of this article please visit murray.senate.gov.