Project Goals and Objectives

Convince/compel federal government leaders to:

• Presume that exposure to ionizing radiation from nuclear weapons “at least as likely as not” ¹ caused or may cause the development of cancers, certain other diseases, mutagenic changes, and chronic or debilitating medical conditions.
• Presume that the use of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, organic solvents, compounds, and metals “at least as likely as not” caused or may cause the development of cancers, certain other diseases, mutagenic changes, and chronic or debilitating medical conditions.
• Acknowledge ionizing neutron radiation continuously emitted through weapon cases— radiation that Nuclear Weapons Technicians were not made aware of nor protected from.
• Acknowledge the risks to fertility and unborn children.
• Set aside, without prejudice, previous denial(s) of related claims and appeals.
• Accept/grant related claims and appeals submitted prior to, during, and after this process.
• Provide all due respect, consideration, benefits, and compensation.

Legislation passed including:

• Identify Nuclear Weapons Technicians’ primary duties as a “Radiation-Risk Activity” and that each Nuclear Weapons Technician is considered a “Radiation-Exposed Veteran”.
• Presumption of service-connection for ionizing radiation exposures.
• Identify Nuclear Weapons Technicians’ primary duties as a “Toxic Exposure Risk Activity.”
• Presumption of service-connection for exposure to toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, organic solvents, compounds, metals, and other substances.
• Certification/recognition of “Nuclear Weapons Technician” as a radiation-exposed and toxic-exposed category, class, cohort, or group. Include Nuclear Weapons Technicians in screening programs for ionizing radiation and toxic substances, to include health examinations and related diagnostic procedures.

Provide federal government leaders with an awareness of the biological dangers of ionizing radiation exposure from live nuclear weapons.

Inform them that, in general, during the Cold War period:

• Nuclear Weapons Technicians routinely maintained, repaired, disassembled, assembled, modified, tested, transported, and conducted other hands-on tasks on the Nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile. The tasks were completed with hands, arms, faces, and often heads in the weapons; and torsos pressed against the exterior; exposed to ionizing radiation.
• Nuclear Weapons Technicians worked without time or distance restrictions, nor adequate shielding from ionizing radiation sources during nuclear weapons operations.
• Nuclear Weapons Technicians worked without established ionizing radiation dose limits.
• Nuclear Weapons Technicians were not consistently, continuously, and accurately monitored for individual ionizing radiation doses, e.g., with personal dosimeters.
• Nuclear Weapons Technicians worked without knowledge of individual real-time or cumulative monthly, annual, or lifetime ionizing radiation doses.
• Nuclear Weapons Technicians’ ionizing radiation exposure records are incomplete or nonexistent, due to the inconsistency or absence of personnel radiation dose monitoring.
• Nuclear Weapons Technicians were routinely exposed to ionizing radiation without personal safety restrictions such as current ALARA ² and INRAD safety programs.
• A 1983 Department of Energy “Intrinsic Radiation Intercomparison Workshop” report acknowledged decades of problems with inconsistent and inaccurate radiation dose measurements, and measurement diversity that was not understood.
• Nuclear Weapons Technicians developed occupational chronic and debilitating medical conditions, cancers, other diseases, and lost lives due to ionizing radiation.
• Nuclear Weapons Technicians may have had offspring with health issues, diseases and chronic, debilitating, or fatal medical conditions due to ionizing radiation.

[1] “At least as likely as not” is a VA term for claims but carries less weight than “More likely than not” for disability status. VA Office of Inspector General, Report #19-00227-226, 10 September 2020. pp. ii, iii, 11. Note: VA has used this term as presumptive criteria to find in favor of veterans' claims.
[2] ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) via time, distance, and shielding. A philosophy of ionizing radiation protection practices in DOE Guide to ALARA, April 1980; adopted by DOD, Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, e.g., DODI 6055.08 C2, 8 Aug 2018; AR 40-14 15 Mar 1982; NAVMED P-5055 Feb 2011; AF PD 91-1 21 May 1993.