0001| SENATE MEMORIAL 5
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0002| 43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003| INTRODUCED BY
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0004| JOHN PINTO
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0007|
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0008|
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0009|
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0010| A MEMORIAL
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0011| REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ENACT LEGISLATION TO
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0012| REFORM THE RADIATION EXPOSURE COMPENSATION ACT IN ORDER TO
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0013| ENSURE FAIR AND JUST COMPENSATION TO ALL URANIUM WORKERS
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0014| HARMED FROM WORK FOR THE UNITED STATES.
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0015|
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0016| WHEREAS, uranium mining and milling activities undertaken
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0017| from the 1940s through the early 1980s for the benefit of the
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0018| United States government exposed uranium miners and millers in
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0019| New Mexico to large doses of radiation and other environmental
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0020| hazards that have since resulted in an unusually high
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0021| incidence of lung cancers and other health problems among
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0022| these uranium workers; and
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0023| WHEREAS, in 1990, the United States congress passed the
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0024| Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in order to ensure, among
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0025| other things, partial restitution to uranium miners suffering
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0001| from radiation-related diseases presumed to have been caused
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0002| by their work in uranium mines that provided uranium for the
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0003| benefit of the United States government; and
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0004| WHEREAS, since the passage of the Radiation Exposure
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0005| Compensation Act in 1990, new and additional scientific
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0006| information has become available to support the view that the
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0007| criteria imposed upon qualifications for compensation for
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0008| uranium miners under that act are too restrictive and
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0009| burdensome, resulting in the unjust denial of compensation to
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0010| individuals who have suffered injury as a result of their work
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0011| in the mines; and
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0012| WHEREAS, further additional evidence supports the view
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0013| that miners working in above-ground uranium mines, and uranium
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0014| millers, should be provided compensation similar to that for
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0015| underground uranium miners where such individuals have
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0016| suffered injury and death as a result of their work in such
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0017| mines and uranium mills; and
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0018| WHEREAS, in 1995, the president's advisory committee on
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0019| human radiation experiments concluded that the federal
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0020| government wronged the uranium miners by allowing them to be
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0021| exposed to radiation hazards without having provided the men
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0022| with then-available safety protections, and then by
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0023| subsequently studying the effects of their exposure under
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0024| false pretenses, without obtaining the informed consent of the
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0025| miners and without disclosure of the true nature of the
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0001| studies; and
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0002| WHEREAS, the compensation program under the Radiation
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0003| Exposure Compensation Act has proven inadequate, unfair and
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0004| unjust and is therefore in need of major reform in order to
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0005| afford fair and just compensation for all uranium workers; and
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0006| WHEREAS, the Navajo nation council, the New Mexico
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0007| uranium workers council and others have called for major
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0008| reform of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in order to
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0009| ensure fair and just compensation for all uranium workers;
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0010| NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE
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0011| OF NEW MEXICO that the United States congress be requested to
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0012| recognize that the individuals who worked in the uranium mines
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0013| and mills of New Mexico and the southwest served the national
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0014| security interests of our nation during a most critical time
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0015| and that, as a result of their patriotic service, their lives
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0016| and their health were sacrificed; and
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0017| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States government
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0018| recognize and assume responsibility for the harm done to the
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0019| uranium workers; and
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0020| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that congress pass needed
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0021| legislative reform of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
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0022| in order to ensure fair and just compensation to all uranium
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0023| workers who have been harmed as a result of working in uranium
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0024| mines and uranium mills for the purpose and benefit of the
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0025| United States government; and
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0001| BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
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0002| transmitted to the New Mexico congressional delegation.
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0003|
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