Workers Compensation Should Be Provided To American Indian Miners
For decades, Native American miners have worked the mines of the Colorado Plateau.The mining process requires the use of a drill to excavate yellow, soft uranium ore from these rocks.The uranium that was mined was used to create nuclear warheads for the United States during the Cold War, a key factor in its victory.
However, many of the miners themselves have become Cold War casualties. Cancer and other ailments that can be blamed on radiation exposure have killed, or are killing many of the miners today.Survivors are literally fighting for their lives after losing family members to complications of the radiation exposure.Find out more about personal injury lawyers through this website.
The majority of workers have webs of scars on their arms from dialysis treatments. Kidney failure is just one of the illnesses caused by the condition in these mines.One or the most injurious factors in the mines was the drinking water that was provided, which has been tested and proven to be radioactive.
In 1990 the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was passed by Congress.This act was constructed to aid these uranium miners, as well as other miners who suffer similar issues, whose health had been compromised by their work as miners.The fact is that the majority of this work was simply done to advance the country’s nuclear weapons program.
Under the law, each eligible uranium miner is entitled to a $100,000 compensation.It’s required that the miner be victim to one of six lung diseases linked to radiation exposure in order to receive compensation.However, of the hundreds of Native Indian miners who are eligible to receive this payment, not one of them as seen a penny of it to this day.As a person looking for personal injury lawyer melbourne you should visit that site.
American Indians find it difficult to fulfill the law’s requirements.The paperwork, for example, must be completed in English only.The Indians speak little or no English and understand very little of it.
Only 96 of the 242 miners who have gone before the Office of Navajo Uranium Workers to make a claim have received the payment due.The total number of claims filed by former uranium miners approved by the Justice Department is 1,314.Compare this to the 1,316 applications that have been denied.
In order to establish how much time the miner labored in the mines, Congress demands check stubs and other documents in order for the miners to prove their claims.Most of the workers who have been in the mines for decades don’t keep those kinds of records for their work.Obtaining copies from those in charge of the mines is also difficult.
The uranium mines first opened on and around the Navajo Indian Reservation in 1947. Many embraced the mines when they opened, as the jobs were needed at the time.They presented an opportunity to work, even though the pay was low and the conditions horrible.
Radon is one of the most serious hazards presented by mining.Decaying uranium produces this odor and color free radioactive gas.A majority of the lung issues that have affected these miners was likely cause my exposure to radon, making them candidates for compensation from the government.
In order to facilitate the process of receiving compensation for their injuries, past miners and tribal leaders plan to petition Congress for modification of the bill in the fall.The government faces the issue that many Navajo miners believe that they are entitled to compensation simply because they worked in these mines, and not because of existing illness.
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