February 11, 2010

Washington, DC – Nevada Senator Harry Reid today made the following statement regarding the decision of the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health to grant Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) status to Nevada Test Site (NTS) workers employed from January 1, 1963, to December 31, 1992.  The SEC status will ensure that these Cold War veterans no longer have to wait for the compensation and benefits they earned through years of service to our nation.

“The unanimous vote by the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health is great news for these Test Site workers and I applaud them on their decision.  These brave men and women served their country honorably during one of the most dangerous conflicts in our nation’s history, and many of them contracted life-threatening illnesses in the process.  While I believe it should never take this long to meet our obligation to those who serve their country, I am thankful that the correct decision was made and that we are now closer to compensating them in a manner equal to their service.”

On February 5, 2007, Sen. Reid joined with Paul Stednick, Peter White and Lori Hunton to file the petition that was accepted.  Additional procedural steps need to be taken in the next 90 days before the Board’s decision becomes law, but their vote was the key hurdle to overcome.