Feds Threaten Lawsuit Over Nuclear Worker Presumption

The U.S. Department of Justice is threatening to sue Washington state over a new law that presumes cancer, respiratory disease and other specified conditions arose out of and in the course of employment for workers at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The Department of Justice said in an Oct. 31 letter to Gov. Jay Inslee that it believes the presumption created by House Bill 1723 violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The department said it intended to file a lawsuit by Nov. 30, but was reaching out to the state to try to avoid litigation. Spokespeople for the ...