Free Medical Screenings Available to Building Trades Workers at DOE Sites

If you or a craftworker you know worked at the following Department of Energy (DOE) sites: Oak Ridge, Hanford, or Savannah River — please read the following article carefully.
The Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD) of the AFL-CIO represents thousands of workers who have worked at various nuclear weapon complexes across the country, many of whom have developed serious illnesses. Following a hard-fought battle, federal legislation titled Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) went into effect July 1, 2001. For those eligible, the program provides Federal compensation of $150,000 plus payment of lifetime medical expenses for workers with radiation cancer or beryllium disease. It also provides for future monitoring for workers diagnosed with beryllium sensitivity.

To apply for compensation, workers must first find out if they have a compensable illness or disease. To assist members in finding out if they are eligible, the BCTD has introduced the Building Trades Medical Screening Program, which offers free medical exams to those who worked at the following DOE sites: Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Hanford, Washington; and Savannah River, South Carolina. The BCTD hopes to expand medical screening to other DOE sites in the future.

Building Trades members who worked at these sites can call toll-free 1-800-866-9663 to participate in the Building Trades Medical Screening Program. When a worker calls the program, arrangements will be made to schedule a work history interview, which can be done in a local outreach office or by telephone.

Because many workers traveled great distances to work on these projects, they may not live in the area around the site. As a result, workers are not hearing about the free medical screening through local radio and newspaper announcements. If a worker qualifies for this program and resides outside of the outreach office area, arrangements can be made to have a medical examination within a reasonable distance of their home. Time is of the essence for Building Trades’ free medical screenings — the Hanford and Savannah River programs are due to end within the next ten months, and the Oak Ridge program even sooner — so call today.

If you worked at the Oak Ridge, Hanford, or Savannah River sites, call the Building Trades Medical Screening Program at 1-800-866-9663 to find out more about EEOICPA compensation.