Casualties of the Cold War: Native American Miners

Read More About Business

American Indians have spent decades working in Colorado Plateau mines. This involves running a drill that gouged soft, yellow uranium ore out of the rock. The very uranium unearthed by countless American Indians helped produce the nuclear warheads that propelled America to victory during the Cold War.

Yet, a great number of these very miners became victims of the Cold War. Cancer and other ailments that can be blamed on radiation exposure have killed, or are killing many of the miners today. There have been many families who have lost people, and many who are still alive face a desperate struggle against sickness.

The arms of these miners are webbed with scars caused by dialysis. Dialysis is the treatment that is required in order to aid the workers who are suffering from kidney disease and failure. The majority of workers blamed the drinking water that was in the mines, and traces of radioactive minerals in it have been proven scientifically.

In 1990, Congress approved the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. This act was designed to assist uranium miners that are enduring various health problems due to the work they performed in the radioactive mines. One important element in this case is that a majority of this mining process was done exclusively to provide the US with nuclear weapons.

Every worker that mined uranium underground was granted $100,000 by Congress. This was based on the condition that they were experiencing one of six possible lung diseases that are linked to being exposed to radiation. Unfortunately, many of the American Indian miners that are entitled to the benefit have yet to receive any compensation.

The miners have found that filing a claim is almost impossible because of many of the requirements of the statute. To begin with, the papers required to begin the compensation process must be filled out in English. Written English is not a strength with these American Indian miners.

Astoundingly, only 96 miners who have filed compensation claims through the Office of Navajo Uranium Workers have been approved, even though 242 miners have applied. 1,314 claims from former uranium miners have been approved by the Justice Department. Unfortunately, over 1300 applications for compensation have also been denied.

Check stubs in the form of a record of having work and other documentation are required to prove that a worker had spent so much time working in the mines. Most people don't hang onto check stubs for several decades and the miners are no different. In addition, it been shown that obtaining them through the authorities is also difficult.

In 1947, the first uranium mines were started on and near the Navajo Indian Reservation. During this period, the Navajo were glad to see an opportunity for employment. Despite the poor working conditions and low wages.

Outside of the pure uranium ore itself, radon is a huge concern in the mines. Radon is created when uranium breaks down and decays, but because it is odorless and colorless, it is sometimes difficult to detect. Experts believe that it is this exposure to radon that leads to many of the lung problems that the government has placed on the compensation list.

Former miners and tribal officials plan to meet with Congress this fall in hopes of making changes to the compensation law so that it is easier for former miners' claims to be approved. The hardest problem for the government will be telling the Navajo miners that the compensation is not based solely on the work they've done.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

To get a closer look on personal injury solicitor visit this site. Learn more on the topic of personal injury lawyer.

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Business Articles Via RSS!

Additional Articles From - Home | Business

Our other websites
All about SEO
Beauty Tips Forum

	Print This Article
	Post Comment
	Add To Favorites
	Email to Friends
	Ezine Ready

Submit Articles
Member Login
Link Us
Submission Guidelines
Ezine Notifications
Article RSS Feeds
Sitemap

New Stuff
About Us
Developer
Good shopping portal
Link to Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service