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. West Valley Demonstration Project 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/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.
West Valley Demonstration Project
Also Known As: Nuclear Fuels Services, West Valley, Western New York Fuel Services Center
State: New York
Location: West Valley
Time Period: AWE 1966-1973; Residual Radiation 1974-1979; DOE 1980- present
Facility Type: Atomic Weapons Employer, Department of Energy
Facility Description: From 1966 to 1972, Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc., under contract to the State of New York, operated a commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at the Western New York Nuclear Services Center. The plant reprocessed uranium and plutonium from spent nuclear fuel; sixty percent of this fuel was generated at defense facilities. Spent nuclear fuel reprocessing generated approximately 600,000 gallons of liquid high-level radioactive waste; this waste was stored onsite in underground tanks.
In 1980, the United States Congress passed the West Valley Demonstration Project Act (Public Law 96-368), which authorized the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct a technology demonstration project to solidify the liquid high-level waste at the Western New York Nuclear Services Center..Under this act, DOE is also responsible for developing containers suitable for the permanent disposal of the solidified high-level waste at an appropriate Federal repository; transporting the containers to this repository; disposing of low level waste and transuranic waste generated by high level waste solidification; and decontaminating and decommissioning facilities used for the solidification. DOE is also responsible for dispositioning the spent nuclear fuel stored at the site.
In 1982, DOE selected vitrification as the treatment process for high level waste. This process solidifies and stabilizes nuclear waste by mixing it with molten glass. Pretreatment of the high-level waste began in 1988 and was successfully completed in 1995. DOE expects to complete the West Valley Demonstration Project by 2005.
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.
CONTRACTOR: CH2M Hill-B&W (2011-present); West Valley Nuclear Services, Inc. (1982-2011)
Listing:
West Valley Demonstration Project is listed as an Atomic Weapons Employer (AWE) site and as a Department of Energy (DOE) site under the EEOICPA.
Compensation:
As of 06/14/2015, 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 West Valley Demonstration Project is $12,260,627.
*
VIDEOS:
DOCUMENTS:
NIOSH Technical Basis Documents
SITE PROFILE FOR THE WEST VALLEY DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
REVIEW OF THE NIOSH SITE PROFILE FOR THE WEST VALLEY DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
DOE DRAFT FOR U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION CONSULTATION REVIEW AND PUBLIC REVIEW
West Valley Demonstration Project – Draft Waste-Incidental-to-Reprocessing Evaluation for the Concentrator Feed Makeup Tank and the Melter Feed Hold Tank