Town hall meeting in Cañon City, Colorado, on Dec. 3 to assist nuclear energy workers to be hosted by US Labor Department

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Labor Department's Office of the Ombudsman for the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Program will host a town hall meeting in Cañon City, Colorado on Wednesday, Dec. 3, to notify current and former U.S. Department of Energy employees and their survivors about the benefits available to them under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. The act covers department employees who worked at Department of Energy facilities, including uranium mine and mill workers as well as uranium ore transporters.

The goal of the meeting is to make current and former nuclear weapons workers living in Colorado aware of the program and to assist them in finding information to determine eligibility for available compensation and medical benefits. Labor Department representatives will also answer questions from those with existing claims accepted under the EEOICPA and Section 5 of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. Those seeking to file a claim or receive more information should attend the town hall meeting or contact the Office of the Ombudsman toll free at 1-877-662-8363.

The town hall meeting will include a presentation from the Office of the Ombudsman, followed by a question-and-answer period. After the meeting, attendees will be able to speak individually with representatives from the Office of the Ombudsman and the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs. Representatives from OWCP's Denver Resource Center and Denver District Office will also attend to receive new claims and answer specific claim questions.

Established by Congress in 2004, the Office of the Ombudsman provides information and addresses the concerns of claimants and potential claimants relating to the benefits available under the EEOICPA.

The Office of the Ombudsman also submits an annual report to Congress in which it presents the number and types of complaints, grievances and requests for assistance it received and provides an assessment of the most common difficulties encountered by claimants and potential claimants during the year.

Meeting Date & Location: Wednesday, Dec. 3 10:30 am MDTHampton Inn Cañon City 102 McCormick Parkway Cañon City, CO 81212