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February 2nd, 2004

"Yucca Mountain Officials Knew About Silica Risk, Claims Whistleblower"

Over a thousand workers at Yucca Mountain were exposed to toxic dusts for several years in the 1990s, before the Energy Department installed effective health protections. A number of workers have since reported medical problems that they believe resulted from their exposure to materials in the dust, especially silica.

Gene Griego, who has been diagnosed with chronic obstruction pulmonary disease, began airing complaints about the hazardous conditions the Energy Department allowed. He believes that workers were at risk from the beginning of tunnel operations in 1993 through 1996, when Yucca managers improved the ventilation and dust controls. Griego said that he knows of 25 current or former workers diagnosed with silicosis, or displaying symptoms such as coughing up blood.

Energy Department officials acknowledged in January that workers may have been exposed to silica, which limits lung capacity when inhaled and can lead to death. Spokesman Allen Benson reported last Thursday that health protections were always in place, but were not always fully enforced. The Energy Department announced January 15 that it would offer free silicosis screenings for persons who have worked on the proposed site for nuclear waste burial. Notifications are being sent to between 1,200 and 1,500 current and former Yucca Mountain workers, according to the department.

A Los Alamos report from 1991 warned that the Yucca Mountain drilling posed health concerns due to rock''s high silica concentration and an abundance of zeolites, which if inhaled, "may result in asbestos-like lung diseases."