Report: DOE Awards New Contract for Hanford Comp Claims

Tuesday, June 25, 2024 | 0

The U.S. Department of Energy picked a new company to administer workers’ compensation claims from the Hanford nuclear storage facility in Washington state, according to a report by the Tri-City Herald.

California-based Innovative Claim Solutions will replace Penser North America, which administered Hanford comp claims since 2009.

The Penser contract expires Sept. 30 and a 60-day transition to Innovative Claim Solutions starts Aug. 1, the newspaper reports.

Washington lawmakers in 2018 enacted a bill creating a presumption that respiratory disease, beryllium disease and neurological or heart conditions are compensable if experienced by federal employees at the Hanford site within 72 hours of exposure to fumes or chemicals.

In 2022, lawmakers amended the presumption to apply to all workers at the site in response to a lawsuit alleging that the original presumption discriminated against the federal government.

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 22 ruled that the 2018 presumption illegally singled out the federal government for unfavorable treatment.

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said the high court’s decision wouldn’t hurt Hanford workers because the federal government did not challenge the 2022 presumption.

“Because the (Washington State) Legislature already fixed the issues the federal government raised, there is little practical impact in Washington as a result of this ruling,” he said at the time. “Hanford workers, and all others working with dangerous radioactive waste, remain protected.”