Cold War Cancer Fund Blog

Subcontractor Database Available to Use

Posted On Friday, December 9th, 2016

Subcontractor Database from Department of Labor is Now Available Online.

subcontractor

The Department of Labor Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation (DEEOIC) has released their contractor and subcontractor database online. All companies known to have a contract with a nuclear weapons facility or the Department of Labor will be added into the database. Currently, there is ongoing research to identify as many contractors and subcontractors as possible. New contractors are added to the database after DEEOIC approval.

This database is one of the sources of information used by the DEEOIC Claims Examiners to verify employment status. However, the database should not be used as the only basis for establishing a claim. There are many other requirements including: diagnosis, what facility you were employed with, and when you were employed. For more information on EEOICPA Requirements visit our eligibility page.

To read the database please visit www.btcomp.org.

Fernald Nature Preserve Experience

Posted On Monday, November 14th, 2016

10 years ago a historic transformation happened at one of the many uranium sites. The former Fernald Plant was transformed into the beautiful Fernald Nature Preserve.

A few weeks ago, we were fortunate enough to attend the Weapons to Wetlands event by the US Department of Energy & Fernald Nature Preserve Visitors Center.

When I began pulling up to the site, I felt something powerful. Looking around I could only see trees, grass, and lakes – I couldn’t even imagine this being the site of a toxic uranium site. After following winding roads, I finally made it to the visitors center. The parking lot was packed – countless cars filled with former employees, local residents, and activists who helped make the nature preserve possible.

The first landmark I saw was an old shipping container. To make the preserve possible, the Department of Energy hired uranium specialists to take the toxic chemicals out of the ground and into one of 3,776 silos. After taking a quick walk around the small .1 mile nature trail I ventured inside to join the rest of the celebration.

Once I walked inside, it became very clear that this was more than a celebration of a nature preserve, it felt more like a high school reunion. Employees from the former uranium were introducing their grandchildren to their former co-workers. Activists who travel around the country gave hugs and support to the local residents. Most powerful was the seeing the exchange of “Good Ol’ Day” stories.

Shortly after, the program began. Countless Department of Energy employees spoke about the model that the nature preserve created and how they tried to replicate it across the country. We heard from old managers of the plant, some of whom could not hold back their tears when speaking of the beauty that came of the nature preserve. The room was stunned with silence throughout the entire program. Every employee had a story of their work and the damage done to their body afterwards.

Changing the former uranium site to a nature preserve could never take away the physical, mental, and costly pains caused from improper protection at the uranium site, but seeing the shift brought a small sense of comfort to those in pain.

Check out our slideshow below to see pictures of the event.

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Weapons to Wetlands: A Decade of Difference

Posted On Monday, October 24th, 2016

fernald time cover

On October 29th, the US Department of Energy will host an event celebrating the transformation of the Feed Materials Production Center (Fernald). Join the Department of Energy for this special event between 10:00am and 2:00pm at the Fernald Preserve Visitors Center located at 7400 Willey Road, Hamilton, Ohio 45013.

After decades of contaminating the water wells, radium being stored in silos, waste pits out in the open, and rows of rusting 55-gallon drums; the transformation from a nuclear site to a nature preservation center is a powerful celebration for all energy employees. Fernald is the largest environmental remediation in Ohio’s history and has helped other nuclear sites reform for the better.

The Weapons to Wetlands story showcases how workers and residents came together, worked with the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Ohio EPA to clean up the area and make it the landmark it is now.

All are welcome to come to the 1,050-acre Fernald Preserve between 10:00am and 2:00pm on Saturday, October 29th. Everyone will be able to see the undeveloped park, tour the first LEED Platinum building in Ohio, learn more about the Cold War History, and walk many of the 7 miles of trails now available to the public. At 11:00am the Department of Energy will host a brief program featuring speakers from the site’s cleanup era and present long-term stewardship mission.

If you or a loved one was diagnosed with Cancer due to their work at Fernald, please contact us.

Department of Labor

Posted On Tuesday, October 11th, 2016

Huntington West Virginia

Department of Labor to hold Outreach Event in Huntington, West Virginia in October

The Deparment of Labor Enenergy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation (DEEOIC) will hold an outreach event in Huntington, West Virginia on Tuesday, October 18th 2016. Staff from the DEEOIC Cleveland Office will have a brief presentation about EEOICPA (Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program), compensation, and medical benefits available to those who qualify. The program will begin at 9:00am, afterwards the Cleveland District Office and Portsmouth Resource Center will be available between 10:00am to 12:00pm (noon) and 1:00pm to 4:00pm to assist individuals who wish to file a new EEOICPA Claim. They will also provide updates on existing cases.

If you are unable to attend the event but still wish to learn more about the EEOICPA Program, please contact our firm by calling 513 651 3700.

Outreach Event Information

When: Tuesday, October 18th, 2016. Presentation at 9:00am. Resource Staff Hours: 10:00am – 12:00pm (noon) & 1:00pm – 4:00pm.

Where: Mountwest Community & Technical College. One Mountwest Way Huntington, West Virginia 25701.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Designated as SEC Site

Posted On Tuesday, September 6th, 2016

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has officially been approved as an SEC site for EEOICPA claims. All employees, agencies, contractors & subcontractors who worked in the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California may be eligible for $150,000 in EEOICPA Compensation.

To qualify you must have worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for at least 250 work days between January 1st, 1974 and December 31st 1989. Additionally, you must have one of the approved cancers.

To see the official notice to Congress, please read the Department of Labor’s report.

If you or a loved one worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and meet the qualifications for an EEOICPA Claim – please contact our firm by calling (513) 651-3700 or email [email protected].

New SEC Dates for EEOICPA Claims

Posted On Monday, August 15th, 2016

Individuals who worked at the Idaho National Laboratory between March 1st, 1970 through December 31st, 1974 and Argonne National Laboratory-West between April 10th, 1951 & December 31st, 1957 may be eligible for EEOICPA Claims. These two sites were recently established as SEC (Special Exposure Cohort) sites. If you worked during these times you are exempt from proving that your illness was directly related to workplace toxins.

Many individuals will be impacted by the recent change. If you attempted to file a claim previously and worked at one of these sites during the dates above, you may now qualify for EEOICPA Compensation.

For more information contact our firm by calling (513) 651-3700 or email [email protected].

Rocky Flats Residents Class Action Update

Posted On Thursday, August 4th, 2016

If you or a loved one owned a home in Rocky Flats as of June 7th 1989 – you may be eligible for the recently settled $375 million Rocky Flats Home Owners Class Action Case. To see the area eligible, check out the map below. After months of waiting, there is an update on moving forward with your potential claim.

rocky flats settlement

If you believe that you fit the criteria for the Rocky Flats Home Owners Settlement please contact Susan Leo of Berger & Montague. She is handling the coordination for residents and the distribution.

You can contact Susan at 215-875-3081 or by email at [email protected].

If you or a loved one worked at Rocky Flats and developed cancer, you may be eligible for other forms of compensation. Please visit our Rocky Flats Workers page for more information.

EEOICPA Public Meeting Information

Posted On Monday, June 27th, 2016

The first Sub-Committee meeting on improving the EEOICPA Process will take place this Wednesday at 10:00am EST. See below for more information on how to call in and participate.

June 29, 2016: Meeting of the Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health: Subcommittee on Evidentiary Requirements for Part B Lung Conditions (Area #3)

Meeting Type: Subcommittee, Teleconference, Public, Written Comments only

Time: Wednesday, June 29, 2016: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Eastern time

Virtual Meeting Participation: The subcommittee meeting will be open to the public.

There will not be a public comment session. Written comments may be submitted to [email protected] by June 22, 2016.

To join this virtual meeting, please follow the below steps. The Webex link will allow you to see materials being discussed, and the phone number will allow you to listen in to this discussion. If you wish to only participate via telephone call, you only need to complete Step 1.
1.Call 800-369-1712 and enter Participant Code 3535458 #

2.Click on this link:
Join WebEx meeting
Meeting number: 647 675 503
Meeting password: ABSubPartB3! (the password should be pre-filled but can be entered)

3.When prompted, enter your name and email address

4.When prompted, either click “Run” or download the Cisco WebEx app (make sure ad-blocking software is turned off)

IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE CONNECTING PLEASE EMAIL: [email protected]

Outreach Events in Utah and Colorado

Posted On Wednesday, June 8th, 2016

About the Outreach Events

The Deparment of Labor will be hosting two (2) outreach events discussing the EEOICPA Process. If you are around one of the upcoming meeting locations and have questions regarding the EEOICPA Process, we recommend you attend. Each of the upcoming meetings will have a brief presentation discussing the EEOICPA Process and will be followed by open hours.

The meetings will be held in Grand Junction, Colorado and Moab, Utah For more information regarding each specific meeting, please see below.

If you are unable to make one of the outreach meetings, you can contact our firm by calling (513) 651-3700 or emailing [email protected].

Grand Junction, Colorado

Date: Tuesday, June 28th

Location: Two Rivers Convention Center
159 Main Street
Grand Junction, Colorado 81501

Presentation begins at 9:00am.

Staff Hours will be from 10:00am – 12:00pm (noon) & 1:00pm – 4:00pm.

Moab, Utah

Date: Wednesday, June 29th

Location: Star Hall
159 E Center Street
Moab, Utah 84532

Presentation begins at 9:00am.

Staff Hours will be from 10:00am – 12:00pm (noon) & 1:00pm – 4:00pm.

If you are unable to make one of the outreach meetings, you can contact our firm by calling (513) 651-3700 or emailing [email protected]

$375 Million Rocky Flats Settlement by Markovits, Stock & DeMarco Lawyers

Posted On Monday, May 23rd, 2016

The lawyers at Markovits, Stock & DeMarco have finalized a $375 million settlement in the Rocky Flats case against Dow Chemical. The case has been open since the initial filing in 1990. As many as 15,000 homeowners in a 16 square-mile area near Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refugee may qualify for part of the settlement. If you were a home owner as of June 7th 1989 in the specified area, you may be eligible for compensation after the compensation process begins. To see a general map of the area, view the map created by The Denver Post below.

Louise Roselle and Paul De Marco are two of the lawyers from Markovits, Stock & DeMarco who represented the residents of Rocky Flats that were harmed by the downwind affects from the Rocky Flats plant. While our team has worked on many other cases regarding nuclear facility sites, including Fernald, Hanford, Mound, Piketon, and Cotter Mill, the Rocky Flats case is the largest nuclear settlement the firm has settled.

Louise Roselle was one of the attorneys leading the class action lawsuit. She stated, “We are very pleased that after 26 years we finally have achieved a settlement for the families that lived around Rocky Flats.” Her work had earned her and the entire trial team 2009 Trial Lawyer of the Year by the America’s Public Interest Law Firm, specifically for their work on the Rocky Flats Case.

Paul De Marco added, “This result is a tribute to the perseverance of the dedicated plaintiffs and their attorneys, who had to overcome defeats, disappointments, and government-funded opposition to secure this measure of justice for Rocky Flats’ neighbors.”

Continued Work on Nuclear Facilities

The Markovits, Stock & DeMarco team has continued to assist the workers and residents surrounding nuclear facilities site through their website www.coldwarcancerfund.com. On the site they detail how workers of certain nuclear facility sites who have developed cancer may qualify for EEOICPA Claims. Additionally, they provide resources for RECA and Downwinder claims for cases similar to the Rocky Flats Settlement.

Individuals who believe they may qualify for an EEOICPA, RECA, or Downwinder claim can visit www.coldwarcancerfund.com or call the Markovits, Stock & DeMarco office at (513) 651-3700 for assistance.

About Markovits, Stock & DeMarco

The attorneys at Markovits, Stock & DeMarco, LLC have worked on a wide variety of commercial disputes and complex litigation matters. We have litigated both for and against some of the largest corporations in the United States, in some of the highest exposure and highest stakes cases. But we also pride ourselves on our ability to obtain results for our clients – no matter the size of the dispute. We do not throw hordes of lawyers and time at each case; instead we bring to bear the most experienced lawyers with the best fit to the case, and keep the staffing both lean and efficient.