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EEOICPA & RECA Attorneys

Stephens & Stephens has obtained over $60 million through the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act and the Energy Employees Occupation Illness Compensation Act for our clients

Dee GodfreyDee Godfrey
18:49 12 Mar 24
I was astounded with the service I received from Mr. Hugh Stephens in regard to my husband's compensation claim. He was not only efficient, but also compassionate, and communicated clearly and frequently. Because of his outstanding efforts and expertise, I, who am now a grieving widow, am unexpectedly stabile and secure. I had little to do. He did all the heavy lifting. I'm so very grateful for his help. I'll always remember not only his professionalism, but also his kindness.
Audrey OgletreeAudrey Ogletree
22:19 09 Mar 24
From: Laurence OgletreeI received good assistance from Stephens & Stephens in submitting the recent claim for increased impairment benefits from the Energy Workers program.
Randy MooreRandy Moore
14:48 07 Mar 24
I was a machinist at Honeywell F.M.&T.and developed bilateral tinnitus and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. They helped me file a claim with EEOICPA in 2017. Stephen’s & Stephen’s was very good to work with, they take care of all the paperwork and help with any paperwork I receive from the Department of Labor. They stay on top of things helping with scheduling impairment reviews etc.I feel that without their help this would have been a very overwhelming process.I plan on still using them if any other illnesses occur due to my employment with Honeywell.
Mike DauzatMike Dauzat
15:54 02 Mar 24
I highly recommend Stevens and Stevens. Hugh Stevens and his staff are very professional and very friendly. They're extremely good at making sure you get the full amount of money you deserve. If you need a DOL lawyer, I highly recommend this team. I can't be more happy that I picked Stevens and Stevens.
Mary YbarraMary Ybarra
01:33 27 Feb 24
Stephen’s and Stephen’s has kept fight for my dad. Now they are fight for my mom. They are on top of things and I would recommend them to anyone who needs help and guidance with the Uranium mines.
Dianne HarperDianne Harper
01:02 17 Feb 24
Robert and I are very pleased with Mr. Hugh Stephens and all that he has done for us. From the first moment we spoke, we sensed that though Mr. Stephens exhibits sharp business acumen, he cares deeply about his clients and he has a huge heart.
Diane pontonDiane ponton
17:38 07 Feb 24
I tried to get others to help me with this claim, and it wasn"t until I hired Mr. Stephens that things started happening. I would recommend any one to get in touch with him . I would go to him again, if i ever needed to.
Judy LeonardJudy Leonard
22:26 06 Feb 24
I very much appreciate the successful litigation concerning my husband's Hanford work related illness. Stephens & Stephens LLP were thorough, caring, considerate, and fair during this difficult time.
Kenneth GKenneth G
18:23 03 Feb 24
Mr. Stephens was able to simplify an otherwise complicated lengthy process (DEEOIC) to file an initial claim as well as a claim for impairment benefits.
dave DONAIDdave DONAID
18:08 03 Feb 24
Frankie KnucFrankie Knuc
19:24 08 Jan 24
I had other attorneys hired in Cortez, Colorado and Grand Jct., Colorado to assist me with receiving my uranium claim, but they were not successful. I was advised by an employee of CNS of Stephens & Stephens, LLP good work. I contacted them & they took my case It was settled very quickly. I have been very pleased with this group & would advise others of their prompt service. I would recommend them to others. Respectfully, Frankie Knuckles
Rebecca ConsolRebecca Consol
19:57 22 Dec 23
My family used Stephen’s and Stephen’s for a settlement case. We were extremely pleased with all they did. They were very professional, easy to get a hold of, and invaluable when it came to answering questions and handling complicated Department of Labor issues and forms. They also did everything in a very timely manner. I have already recommended them to other people.
Thomas CliffordThomas Clifford
15:29 21 Dec 23
I have been represented by Hugh Stevens for several years now, He and his staff has made everything so easy for me. I had lung cancer from working in the uranium processing industry, they have opened so many doors for me and made dealing with DOL so much easier. They always answer my questions in a very timely manner. I have referred several other people to him and he has been able to get them through this process also. There are benefits that I was not aware of that he has brought to my attention and been able to lead me through the process of obtaining them. I would most highly recommend him to lead anyone through this process.
Lonnie killingHawkLonnie killingHawk
02:35 14 Dec 23
When I first contacted Stephens & Stephens I was at the end of my rope with DOL. Hough and his staff got me on track and handled everything with DOL and just made this process so easy. Do not know where I'd be with out them. They are able to communicate at a layman's level and understand the client. Would strongly recommend this firm.
Ruthy LyonRuthy Lyon
21:00 28 Sep 23
Our initial conversation with Mr. Stephens was productive & reassuring. His previous experience with similar cases was obvious and very helpful, in both asking us specific questions for clarification & also addressing our own questions. Breanna is also a great asset to their team.
James O'DayJames O'Day
15:07 13 Sep 23
I have referred several friends to Hugh Stephens and they were more satisfied than they ever expected. I would refer him with confidence to anyone in need. I trust when he speaks for me, for example, in court. He is a good communicator and a deep thinker. He is well respected in his profession. He handles environmental law, injury law, and medical malpractice. He is tactful and direct and knows what he is doing. He knows the legal briar patches well.
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EEOICPA Covered Facilities: Project Chariot Site

The EEOICPA was passed in 2000. It provides compensation to workers who became ill as a result of their employment manufacturing nuclear weapons in the USA, as well as their spouses, children, and grandchildren. Project Chariot Site EEOICPA coverage is available for qualified former Workers and their families.

Are you eligible for compensation? If you or a family member worked at this or another DOE facility and became ill, you may be entitled to compensation of up to $400K plus medical benefits. Call EEOICPA Counsel Hugh Stephens at 1-855-548-4494 or fill out our free claim evaluation, We can help even if you’ve already filed, even if your claim was denied!

Here, we have compiled publicly available information and documentation about the facilities covered by the Act to clarify how their activities relate to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act.

Project Chariot Site

 
State: Alaska
Location: Cape Thompson
Time Period: 1962; 1993 (remediation)
Facility Type: Department of Energy

Facility Description: Project Chariot was part of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission’s Plowshare Program established to test peaceful uses of nuclear explosions. The objective of Project Chariot was to create a deep water harbor for the eventual shipment of coal, oil, and other natural resources thought to exist along this section of the Alaskan coast. In 1962, the U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS) conducted a study to determine the dispersal of radioactive products from a buried nuclear explosion. Later in 1962, before any nuclear explosives were detonated, Project Chariot was canceled. After this cancellation, the USGS excavated and buried the soil contaminated from its study. In 1993, the Department of Energy removed the contaminated soil and shipped it offsite for disposal.

Listing:
Project Chariot Site is listed as a Department of Energy (DOE) site under the EEOICPA.

Compensation:
As of 05/10/2015, the total compensation paid under Parts B and E of the EEOICPA, including medical compensation, for workers suffering from the effects of having worked at the Project Chariot Site is $0.

*Site Description and History:
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) conducted remedial action in 1993 to remove remnants of radioactive tracers used in a 1962 experiment at the Project Chariot Tracer Test Site, located in the Ogotoruk Valley in the Cape Thompson region of northwest Alaska. This region is about 125 miles north of the Arctic Circle and is bounded on the southwest by the Chukchi Sea. Because of its remote location, the site is accessible only by air or by sea. High winds, extreme cold, and snow make the site inaccessible during the 9-month winter. The closest populated areas are the Inupiat Eskimo villages of Point Hope, 32 miles northwest of the site, and Kivalina, 41 miles to the southeast. The Inupiats use the Cape Thompson area for subsistence hunting and fishing.

Project Chariot was part of the Plowshare Program created in 1957 by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), a DOE predecessor agency, to study peaceful uses for atomic energy. One aspect of the Plowshare Program was to explore the possibility of using nuclear explosives to excavate a harbor. Project Chariot began in 1958 when a scientific field team chose Cape Thompson as a potential site to develop nuclear excavation technology. AEC, with assistance from other agencies, conducted more than 40 pretest bioenvironmental studies of the Cape Thompson area between 1959 and 1962. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a radioactive tracer experiment from August 20 through 25, 1962, on soils and in a creek at the Chariot Site. AEC suspended Project Chariot in 1962 and ended the associated environ- mental studies. No nuclear explosive devices were brought to the Chariot Site.

The purpose of the USGS tracer experiment was to evaluate the mobility of radioactive fission products in saturated soils, sediment, and surface water subjected to simulated conditions of rain and runoff. Radioactive soil from an experimental nuclear detonation at the Nevada Test Site was brought to the site for use in test plots that ranged in size from 2 by 2 feet to 5 by 7 feet. The radioactive soil used in the tracer studies was mixed with 15 pounds of native soil and consisted of 6 millicuries (mCi) of cesium-137, 5 mCi of iodine-131, 5 mCi of strontium-85, and 10 mCi of various other isotopes. The test plots were located along and in the vicinity of Snowbank Creek and its confluence with Ogotoruk Creek.

At the conclusion of the tests, tracer-contaminated soil was removed and transported in drums to a nearby area, where it was mixed with native soil. The soils, along with boards and polyethylene sheeting used to enclose and cover the test plots, were covered with about 4 feet of clean soil, which formed a small mound that occupied an area of about 400 square feet. This material remained intact until it was removed in 1993.

AEC relinquished the Chariot Site to the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory in 1963. The U.S. Navy used the buildings, airstrips, and improvements at the site as a logistical support base. Naval operations ceased at the site in 1970, and administration was transferred to the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management. In 1988, the U.S. Department of Defense approved the site for cleanup under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program for Formerly Used Defense Sites. Remedial action began in 1990 and concluded in 1992. Cleanup included removal of debris, buildings, petroleum containers, and contaminated soils at the base camp site but did not include the contaminated soils mound.

In 1992, a University of Alaska researcher preparing a paper on Project Chariot obtained early 1960s correspondence between AEC and USGS. The letters discussed the use of radioactive tracers at the site and the radioisotopes that remained after the experiment. The researcher informed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the media of the radioisotopes at the site. The media published the letters, and local residents became concerned that the radioactive materials posed a hazard to human health and the environment.

In response to public concern, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a site investigation from September 10 through 14, 1992. No surface radioactivity above background levels was identified at the site. Risk assessment reviews performed by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services concluded that neither the original 1962 levels of radioactivity nor the levels remaining in 1992 posed a risk to human health or the environment. The iodine and strontium radioisotopes had short half-lives (the time required for half the atoms originally present to decay) and were no longer detectable. Only cesium-137, with a half-life of 30 years, and some of the isotopes originally present in much smaller amounts would be expected to have any detectable radioactivity in 1993.

Local residents expressed concern that the radioisotopes from the 1962 study could have entered into the food supply of animals the subsistence hunters depended on for survival. After further consideration, DOE, in consultation with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, determined that a site assessment and removal of any remaining contaminated material at the site was the most cost-effective approach. DOE held public meetings in 1992 and 1993 in Point Hope, Kivalina, Kotzebue, and Barrow to give residents an opportunity to comment on the proposed activities at the Chariot Site.

DOE conducted a site assessment and remedial action between July 29 and September 3, 1993. The assessment included radiometric analyses of surface water, soil, and sediment; tissue analysis of plants and animals in the site area; radiometric ground surveys of the tracer test plots; and an aerial radiometric gamma survey. The purpose of the aerial survey was to determine the natural background radiation in the area and map any potential anomalies that might indicate the presence of manmade radiation.

About 162 cubic yards of soils containing cesium-137 at levels exceeding established cleanup guidelines was excavated from the test plots and soil mound, packaged in metal containers, and shipped to the Nevada Test Site for permanent disposal. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation certified the site safe for unrestricted use.

chariot_site_ak_map

*Source
 
Videos:
A film describing the particulars of Project Chariot experiment and their effects on the lives of the Native population of nearby Point Hope can be seen below:
 

 
Project Chariot Site Workers:
If you or your parent worked at this or any other DOE or AWE facility and became ill, you may be entitled to compensation of up to $400K plus medical benefits from the US Department of Labor. Call EEOICPA Counsel Hugh Stephens at 1-855-EEOICPA (336-4272) or fill out the form to the right, whether or not you have already filed a claim and even if your claim has been accepted or denied.

We can help with all OWCP (Federal Workers Compensation) claims, impairments, wage loss and health care. 2495 Main Street, Suite 442, Buffalo, NY 14214.