American Indian Miners With Radiation Exposure Denied Workers Compensation

Mines exist far below the Colorado Plateau, and for decades American Indians have made a living by working in those mines. Soft, yellow uranium ore was drilled from the rock by the miners. This uranium helped comprise nuclear warheads that have been credited with helping the United States win the Cold War.

Most people are unaware of the part these miners played in the Cold War or the terrible tragedy that they are suffering now. Because of the radiation present within the mines, many have either been killed, or are afflicted by cancer and similar illnesses. Nearly everyone in this community has either lost someone very close to them or are fighting for their own health.

It's very common to find a miner whose arms are covered with scar tissue from the harsh dialysis treatment required to fight the effects of uranium exposure. Since kidney failure is a pervasive component of their failing health, the dialysis is a necessary part of their lives. 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 1980, the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was passed by Congress. This law was intended to help uranium miners and those who suffer as a result of mining work. The reason these miners are being compensated by taxpayers is that the work they did was solely to assist the American military's nuclear weapons division.

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. While hundreds of miners have met all of the preconditions necessary to begin receiving payments, most have yet to see a single dime.

American Indians find it difficult to fulfill the law's requirements. Firstly, the paperwork is all in English. The problem for these Indian miners is the fact many of them do not understand English that well.

Only 96 miners have been approved for compensation out of the 242 that have applied through the Office of Navajo Uranium Workers. A total of 1,314 applications have been authorized by the Justice Department. But there have been an additional 1,316 applications denied.

Another problem for many miners is that the government requires proof of constant exposure in the form of check stubs or similar documentation. Most of the workers who have been in the mines for decades don't keep those kinds of records for their work. In addition, trying to recover the documentation through the authorities has been difficult.

The first uranium mines opened in 1947, on land that was part of or close to the Navajo Indian Reservation. The mines were welcomed by the people in the area because they brought jobs and income to the area. Even though the conditions were miserable and the pay was low, they were glad to work.

Radon is seen as one of the leading health hazards in the mines. Radon is created by the decay of uranium and is a colourless, odourless radioactive gas. The government provides compensation to these miners because the lung diseases that most are suffering from is caused by radon exposure.

Former miners and officials within these tribes have plans to work towards altering these compensation conditions by lobbying Congress in the fall. The challenge facing the government is that all Navajo miners believe that they are entitled to the compensation based solely on their work.

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