[net-gold] A Nuclear Workers' Compensation Disaster
- From: "David P. Dillard" <jwne@xxxxxxxxxx>
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- Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:16:16 -0400 (EDT)
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Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:38:23 -0000
From: JonG <jon@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: Net-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: Net-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Net-Gold] A Nuclear Workers' Compensation Disaster
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A Nuclear Workers' Compensation Disaster
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As Japanese nuclear energy workers at the
Fukushima Daiichi plant are being ordered
to abandon efforts to contain the radiation
emission, now at 1,000 times the safe limit,
serious concern exists whether the US workers'
compensation could handle a similar disaster,
if not the consequences of the present event.
The gut reaction in the US has been to lean
on the Federal Government to bailout the ailing
patch work of ailing state compensation systems.
The lack of Federal preparation may not be
adequate to permit an effective response this
time around.
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Historically The Federal government's role has
been to rise to the occasion and walk further
down a path to federalization. On a smaller
scale than the potential consequences of the
Japanesse debacle, the US was first in line
in other mass disasters including: Beryllium
workers, coal miners compensation, 9-11 Victims
Compensation and subsequent Zadroga Fund, and
the Gulf oil spill program. In the past the Feds
have even prepared to help with H1N1 flu
compensation and in the preparation of a
Smallpox compensation program.
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The Japanese model of delay and denial has proved
ineffective. The victims of the Sumitomo Metal
Mining uranium processing plant disaster in 1999
were summarily denied benefits for their ensuing
radiation health problems.
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While similar reactors in the US pose identical
design problems, preparation is lacking in the
US to provide an adequate response, and even
integrate or utilize, the best of the state
workers' compensation programs. Those systems
are universally struggling to handle the
delivery of benefits for occupational exposures.
The Federal government has even ignored the
implementation of legislation sponsored Senator
Edward Markey (MA) for the prophylactic
distribution of potassium iodine (KI) pills to
those who are in a potential radius of exposure
near nuclear reactor sites.
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One would think that we would have learned from
the Three Mile Island Diaster decades ago or
Chernobyl (prediction of fatal cancers of 9,000
to 28,000 between 1986 and 2056). Even the
warnings of leaks of similar nuclear reactors
like Oyster Creek in NJ or Shoreham in NY, all
close to major population centers, have not
seemed to create a momentum of urgency.
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Notoriously late to react in situations of latent
disease has become the classic US policy. We have
seen this repeated public health policy in other
toxic exposures such as asbestos and tobacco.
It is not that we didn't know, it is merely that
the government just chose to ignore the public
health issues. Unfortunately, this policy has
compounded the problems for ailing workers'
compensation systems, and it maybe too little and
too late to prevent a meltdown of the entire
system.
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Complete Article With Links:
http://tinyurl.com/4ecsrmy
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Jon L. Gelman LLC |
Attorney at Law |
http://www.gelmans.com
1700 State Route 23 Suite 120 |
Wayne NJ 07470-7537
o. 973 696-7900 |
direct f. 973-807-1811 |
mailto:jon@xxxxxxxxxxx
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Blog-Workers Compensation :
http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/
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Twitter :
http://www.twitter.com/jongelman
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Facebook Group :
http://tinyurl.com/yljckqh
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LinkedIn-Injured Workers Law & Advocacy Group :
http://tinyurl.com/2f7lsks
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Blog-Burn Pit Claims :
http://tinyurl.com/28apkym
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Other related posts:
- » [net-gold] A Nuclear Workers' Compensation Disaster - David P. Dillard
