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. Hooker Electrochemical 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 AWE facility and became ill, you may be entitled to compensation of up to $150K 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.
Hooker Electrochemical
Also Known As: Hooker Chemical Co., Occidental Chemical Corp., Occidental Chemical Corp., Specialty Chemical Div., Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corp.
State: New York
Location: Niagara Falls
Time Period: AWE 1943-1948; Residual Radiation 1949-1976
Facility Type: Atomic Weapons Employer
Facility Description: In January 1943, Hooker began work for the Manhattan Engineer District to manufacture fluoridated and chlorinated organic chemicals. The by-product of this work was hydrochloric acid that was subsequently used in the chemical processing of a uranium-bearing slag as a precursor of uranium recovery. This work was continued until shortly after World War II. Activities related to this contract ended June 1948. Hooker Electrochemical’s relationship with the AEC resumes between 1953 and 1958 as the Management and Operating Contractor for Plant 31 at the Lake Ontario Ordnance Works, listed separately in this database.
During the period of residual contamination, as designated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and as noted in the dates above, employees of subsequent owners and operators of this facility are also covered under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act.
Listing:
Hooker Electrochemical is listed as an Atomic Weapons Employer (AWE) site under the EEOICPA.
Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) classes:
All Atomic Weapons Employees who worked at the Hooker Electrochemical Corporation in Niagara Falls, New York, during the operational period from July 1, 1944, through December 31, 1948, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, occurring either solely under this employment or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the Special Exposure Cohort
Note: This class was established from Petition 141
Compensation:
As of 04/05/2015, the total compensation paid under Part B of the EEOICPA, including medical compensation, for workers suffering from the effects of having worked at Hooker Electrochemical is $3,211,485.
Hooker Electrochemical Workers:
If you or your parent worked at this or any other AWE facility and became ill, you may be entitled to compensation of up to $150K 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.
Site Function:
In January 1943, Hooker Electrochemical Company began work under MED contract W-7405-Eng-28 to manufacture xylene hexafluoride(P-45), xylene hexachloride, and Miller’s fluorolubricant. The P-45 Program produced large amounts of hydrochloric acid. This byproduct was initially neutralized and discarded. A supplement (No. 3) was added to the contract that provided for use of the acid in the chemical processing (concentration) of uranium-bearing slag as a precursor to uranium recovery. The material to be processed included furnace liners from the nearby Electromet operation that were thought to contain enough uranium to warrant recovery. Wooden barrels carrying the material arrived by rail and were deposited on a concrete pad. The material was then transported by bucket conveyor to an area where it was screened. The large material was drummed and shipped without further processing, while the fines were treated with the acid to remove carbonates and oxides. After agitation the residues were filtered in a press to collect concentrated slag. The filtrate was disposed of in the sewer. The residues were then transferred into wooden barrels and shipped out by rail. This work continued until shortly after World War II.
Site Description:
The site is owned by Occidental Chemical Corporation, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation, and was known as Hooker Electrochemical Company at the time of the MED contract.
The site is located in an industrial area on the north bank of the Niagara River, approximately 2 miles east of Niagara Falls. All uranium operations were confined to the “D” area, 5.5 acres adjacent to the New York Central Railroad. Five buildings (D-5,6, 7, 8, and 9) were used in the MED program. However, except for the laboratory in building D-6 that was used for uranium analysis, all of the uranium handling was done largely outdoors in an area adjacent to the railroad siding location north of the MED buildings. A cinder block structure was constructed to house the major process equipment,which included four wood tanks with agitation equipment, a filter press, and a bucket elevator and conveying system. When the P-45 Program ended, the five buildings were outfitted for new processes. The structure and equipment used for the uranium operations (including the concrete pad) was removed (disposition unknown) to make room for process expansion. Building 5 was destroyed by a process explosion during the late 1950s. The other four buildings were still in use at the time of the 1976 survey, but all have since been razed except for a small portion of building 6, which is being used as a storage shed.
*Source
DOCUMENTS:
NIOSH Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) Petition Evaluation Reports
REVIEW OF THE NIOSH SITE PROFILE FOR THE HOOKER ELECTROCHEMICAL COMPANY
Petition 141 (Aug 14, 1942 to Nov 30, 1949)
Petition SEC-00141 – Report Rev #: 0 – Report Submittal Date: May 3, 2010
Technical Basis Documents
Technical Basis Document for the Hooker Electrochemical Company
Revision No.: 03, Effective Date: 09/13/2016
- Revision No.: 02, Effective Date: 12/08/2015
- Revision No.: 1, Effective Date: 06/17/2011
- Revision No.: 0, Effective Date: 04/04/2011
Site Profiles for Atomic Weapons Employers that Refined Uranium and Thorium
Site Profiles for Atomic Weapons Employers that Refined Uranium and Thorium
Appendix AA – Hooker Electrochemical Company
Hooker Electrochemical TBD Revisions
Effective Date: 7/24/2012
SC&A
ADVISORY BOARD ON RADIATION AND WORKER HEALTH
A FOCUSED REVIEW OF THE HOOKER ELECTROCHEMICAL COMPANY PETITION EVALUATION REPORT FOR SEC-00141