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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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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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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