FOR RELEASE: August 8, 2001

Evans Welcomes Atomic Veterans Service-Connection Presumption Proposal

Regrets Long Delay in Step to Provide Atomic Veterans Justice

Washington, DC – Congressman Lane Evans of Illinois, the Ranking Democratic Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, and a long time advocate for Atomic Veterans who were exposed to ionizing radiation during military service, today welcomed publication of a proposed regulation to establish a presumption of service-connection for Atomic Veterans.  With a presumption of service-connection, Atomic Veterans will be eligible to receive compensation for conditions such as bone, brain and colon cancer, which are associated with exposure to ionizing radiation. 

Evans said the proposed presumption of service-connection was “long overdue” and he regretted the proposal had encountered months of delay. The proposed regulation published in the Federal Register is the first step in the process to provide a presumption of service-connection.  Veterans and the public will have sixty days to comment on the proposed regulations after which the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will review the comments received and make any changes indicated before the rule is finally put into effect.

“Scientific experts studying the effects of radiation have concluded that persons exposed to radiation are at an increased risk for certain kinds of cancers.  Civilian employees of the Department of Energy as well as other civilians exposed to radiation are eligible to receive compensation for radiation-related illnesses.  Veterans deserve to have their claims for these illnesses recognized without having to jump through hoops related to imperfect reconstruction of the doses they may have received,” said Evans.

Encouraging any Atomic Veteran who now suffers from bone, brain, colon, lung or ovarian cancer who has not filed a claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to do so immediately, Evans cautioned that VA will not begin to decide claims for service-connected disability compensation until final rules are published.  Applications for service-connected compensation can now be filed on-line by clicking the “On-line Application” box for Compensation and Pension at VA’s website: www.va.gov.

The Illinois Congressman has continued to push for recognition of diseases associated with radiation exposure.  Earlier this year he introduced H.R. 1957, the Justice for Atomic Veterans Act of 2001 with Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV) to provide a statutory presumption of service-connection.   Evans’ late father was an Atomic Veteran.

Evans noted that in December 2000 he had written to the Clinton Administration urging prompt publication of a proposed regulation to establish a presumption of service-connection for Atomic Veterans.  Following the inauguration of President Bush in January, the Bush Administration delayed issuing proposed regulations that had been developed by the Clinton Administration.  Despite the long delay that occurred in the publication of a proposed regulation to establish a presumption of service-connection for Atomic Veterans, Evans said he welcomed today’s action and called it “an important step forward in the fight to provide justice to our nation’s Atomic Veterans”. 

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