Far beneath the Colorado Plateau, American Indians have labored for tens of years in the mines there. Working in these mines means running drills that will gouge out the yellow uranium ore from the rocks. This uranium was used in the nuclear warheads that the US deployed around the country and that eventually helped win the Cold War. Read this site if you want
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Most people are unaware of the part these miners played in the Cold War or the terrible tragedy that they are suffering now. Many of them have died, or are dying, of cancer and other related diseases that results from being exposed to radiation in those mines. Those that have survived such sicknesses still continue to fight for their lives and many have lost family members.
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. Such dialysis is required to keep miners who suffer from kidney failure alive. Blame has been placed on the mines' drinking water, which has been proven to contain traces of radioactive minerals in scientific testing.
In 1990, Congress approved the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. Congress intended to provide uranium miners who have been exposed to dangerous levels of radiation with some much needed assistance in dealing with the pain they suffer every day. 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. Read this site if you want
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The Act states that each underground uranium miner may receive up to $100,000. Their exposure has made them victim to one of six lung diseases that directly results from radiation. Sadly, while hundreds of Indian miners have not seen a penny, even though the are entitled to it.
The hurdles that an Indian miner must overcome make it almost impossible for them to establish a claim for compensation. To begin with, the papers required to begin the compensation process must be filled out in English. However, there are many Native Americans who do not speak or write English.
And even when they can fill out the paperwork properly, to this day only 96 of the 242 miners that applied for compensation at the Office of Navajo Uranium Workers have been approved. A total of 1,314 applications have been authorized by the Justice Department. Compare this to the 1,316 applications that have been denied.
A worker is required to provide check stubs for a record as proof of working there, plus more documentation is required to prove the specific amount of time the worker spent in the mines. Do you save your pay stubs and other work records over a period of years and decades? These records are even more troublesome to get a hold of later on.
The Navajo Indian Reservation saw the first uranium mines opening in 1947. This was a time when any types of jobs or occupations that became available were greatly welcomed. They presented an opportunity to work, even though the pay was low and the conditions horrible.
Radon is seen as one of the leading health hazards in the mines. Decaying uranium produces this odorless, invisible, radioactive gas. Exposure to radon is believed to be a cause of most of the lung ailments that make miners eligible for government compensation.
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.