Unspoken DOE achievement by Bill Richardson

By Regina Griego Kelleher

The recent passing of former U.S. Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson inspired me to share my personal experience of one of the many of his accomplishments when he served as the head of DOE.  

In his career, Secretary Richardson played a pivotal role in international and domestic policy as a U.S. Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations, and Governor of New Mexico.  

But there is a program at DOE that he championed that has quietly aided thousands of DOE employees and their families.  

As a young political appointee brought into the Department by then-Secretary Richardson, my journey with him was marked by a commitment to public health and a shared dedication to making a difference through public service. As a fellow New Mexican, I had previously worked for him on Capitol Hill and later at the United Nations, so when he asked me to rejoin his team at DOE, I eagerly accepted. 

In 1999, I was serving as Special Assistant to Dr. David Michaels, DOE’s Assistant Secretary of Environment, Safety, and Health.  One day, I walked into my office at DOE headquarters and found something on my desk that instantly captured my attention: a document from a recent meeting in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, bearing a handwritten note from Secretary Richardson. The note read, "Doc, how can we help these workers?" which I passed on Assistant Secretary Michaels.

The Oak Ridge meeting had been a significant turning point. Secretary Richardson was making trips to all the major nuclear weapon facilities, and at Oak Ridge he met with workers who had dedicated their lives to the nuclear weapons mission but whose health had suffered. Many of them were suffering from radiation-related illnesses, a painful consequence of their service to the nation. It was a poignant reminder of the human cost associated with this vital but perilous work. 

What struck me most was Secretary Richardson's genuine concern and empathy for these workers. He knew I was passionate about public health, and it was evident that he shared that passion. His note on that document was not just a bureaucratic formality; it was a heartfelt plea for solutions. 

Under Secretary Richardson’s guidance, Assistant Secretary Michaels and his team traveled to sites across the DOE complex and spent hours listening to the workers and survivors.  Based on the overwhelming testimonies of the injustices these workers and survivors endured, Secretary Richardson instructed the DOE and contractors to stop fighting radiation-related workers’ compensation cases. He also requested that the National Economic Council assess the epidemiologic evidence of radiation and non-radiation related disease in the complex and whether state workers’ compensation programs were suited to addressing occupational disease claims.

But most importantly, he tasked the Department staff to develop legislation that would ensure fair compensation for these workers. It was a challenging task, but Secretary Richardson's unwavering commitment to public service was our guiding light. We worked tirelessly with many including the workers themselves to develop legislation that would ensure fair compensation. 

Secretary Richardson's leadership was instrumental in initiating a process to address the needs of these workers and their families. He recognized that the government had a moral obligation to provide support and compensation to those who had sacrificed their well-being for the nation's security. He also understood the urgency of the issue and was determined to make a meaningful impact. 

During the development of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA), Secretary Richardson worked closely with colleagues on Capitol Hill and advocacy groups to ensure that the legislation was comprehensive and effective. He engaged in dialogue with affected workers and their families to understand their needs and concerns, which informed the provisions of the bill. His collaborative approach and leadership were critical in garnering bipartisan support for the legislation. 

The EEOICPA was signed into law on October 30, 2000, and aimed to provide much-needed assistance and compensation to the thousands of individuals who had faced health issues as a result of their work in the nuclear weapons industry during the Cold War era. It also acknowledged their sacrifices and suffering and demonstrated the government's commitment to righting the wrongs of the past.

Upon its enactment, Secretary Richardson continued to be actively involved in the implementation of the EEOICPA. He leveraged his authority as Governor of New Mexico to establish the Office of Nuclear Workers Advocacy, which has helped hundreds of EEOICPA claimants advance their claims at more than a dozen sites in New Mexico.

And as recently as last month, he called me to request assistance on behalf of a fellow New Mexican whose father worked in Oak Ridge and died from a rare illness.  

He understood his responsibility was to ensure that the EEOICPA would continue to make a significant impact on the lives of many nuclear industry workers and their families, providing them with financial assistance and recognition for their sacrifices and suffering.

The EEOICPA has served as a landmark piece of legislation in addressing the consequences of hazardous working conditions and has set a precedent for compensating workers in other industries facing similar health-related challenges, most notably the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. 

Today, DOE continues working with its partners at the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to carry out its responsibility to secure records for claims and providing the information to claimants and the other agencies to establish potential eligibility.

In the end, the Oak Ridge meeting and that handwritten note from Secretary Richardson served as a powerful reminder of the impact that one person's dedication to a just cause can have. It was an honor to work alongside him, and his leadership continues to inspire my commitment to public service. 

Since the enactment, EEOICPA has paid 24 billion dollars in compensation and medical benefits to 139,000 employees.