Radiation payments improving

WASHINGTON — An investigation by the General Accounting Office into the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act — the program to compensate downwinders and uranium workers sickened by above-ground nuclear testing — found that the Department of Justice is doing a much better job administering the program than it was when a similar study was done in 2003.

According to the report, not only is the program now funded "for life," only 8 percent of 22,206 claims filed since 1992 remain unresolved — compared to 18 percent of the 14,987 claims that had been filed as of the 2003 report. The Department of Justice also is processing the claims faster.

The GAO found that improvements could be attributed to changes in the law that improved efficiencies and greater financial stability for the program.

"This is wonderful news," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. "That's a 180-degree difference from the last report, and it wasn't easy to turn it around in such a short time."

Hatch authored the Radiation Exposure Control Act Amendments of 2000 that require the GAO to report to Congress every 18 months on the status of the act. This is the GAO's third report on the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. Hatch's amendments also expanded the list of eligible diseases and made it easier to apply for money.

Under current law, uranium millers, miners and ore transporters who contracted radiation-caused diseases are entitled to $100,000 in compensation, whereas compensation for on-site participants is $75,000.

"Downwinders" — those living in most of Nevada, the southern half of Utah and northern half of Arizona who have suffered the deadly effects of the atomic testing — are eligible for $50,000 compensation.

As of June 19, the Justice Department had approved $926.4 million in compensation.

The GAO's earlier review found that the Department of Justice generally was living within guidelines and deadlines set by Congress, but it highlighted high rates of denials and sometimes long delays for victims seeking money.

Through the end of fiscal 2000, it said 46 percent of those who had applied were denied; another 46 percent were approved; and 8 percent still had their applications pending.

Approval rates have now improved to 60 percent, the latest GAO study found.

Program funding has been a problem over the years. The trust fund ran out of money once before, prompting the government to send claimants IOUs until money was available months later.