Buffalo Soldiers in the National Parks Study Act

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act amendments of 2010. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, known as RECA, was first introduced in this body 21 years ago today. Proposed by the Senator from Utah, Orrin Hatch, this original legislation was a monumental step in recognizing some of the unheralded victims of the Cold-War era.

As the United States Government built up its Cold-War nuclear arsenal during the mid-20th century, many Americans paid the price with their health. Some were sickened through exposure to aboveground atomic weapons tests. Others were exposed to heavy doses of radiation from working in the uranium mining industry. All the while the government was slow to implement Federal protections.

As a result, a generation of Americans who worked in the mines or lived near testing sites became sick with serious diseases such as lung cancer and kidney disease and many others.

Much of the U.S. uranium development occurred on the Navajo Nation. That is where jobs in the mines and mills drew workers from the surrounding rural areas. These workers and much of the country were unaware of the dangers of radiation exposure, and this was despite reports from the European mining industry indicating that uranium mining led to high rates of lung cancer. There should have been a warning call, there should have been a wake-up call, but there wasn't.

In the ensuing years, rates of lung cancer among Navajo Indians went from disproportionately low to disproportionately high compared with the rest of the U.S. population. This was clearly a result of uranium development and related radiation exposure.

In addition to lung cancer, numerous other illnesses began to emerge in the men and women who worked in the uranium mining industry. These individuals were not limited to the Navajo Nation. In my home State of New Mexico, the Pueblo of Laguna was home to the Nation's largest open pit uranium mine. Workers from across the State came to the mines, especially from the economically struggling communities of rural New Mexico.

In the late 1970s, my father, Stewart Udall, took up the fight for these workers. In 1979, my father filed 32 claims against the Department of Energy on behalf of widows of deceased Navajo uranium miners. In many ways, this marked the beginning of the fight for compensation for all uranium workers.

I remember working those years with my whole family to collect information and push for recognition. It was a family effort to fight for justice, and for me it continues to be a family priority.

Ten years later, the original RECA legislation was introduced in the Senate. It passed in 1990, giving a level of restitution to sick miners and millers, as well as individuals living downwind of nuclear tests. Amendments to RECA have occurred over the ensuing decades, most significantly in 2000. That is when the act was expanded to include mill workers and ore transporters and expand downwind counties, among other things.

Today, with Senators Jeff Bingaman, Mike Crapo, Mark Udall, Michael Bennet, and James Risch, I introduced a piece of legislation that takes the next step in addressing the remaining shortfalls of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. I wish to highlight some of the provisions of our bill.

First, the inclusion of post-1971 uranium miners and workers as qualified claimants. While the Federal Government ceased the purchase of domestic uranium in 1971, implementation of Federal work safety standards was slow and regulation of mines was poor. As a result, thousands of miners and millers were never made aware of the dangers of the yellow cake they handled on a regular basis.

In recent surveys, the majority of uranium workers from this period reported they did not have showers or wash basins in the mines where they worked. They often took contaminated clothing home for laundering, unaware of the hazards, and with no other option for cleaning. Many also reported that ventilation to prevent unnecessary exposure was not provided in their work areas.

Today, these workers continue to suffer and die from illnesses related to radiation exposure. But because their employment dates began after 1971, they have no opportunity for compensation. Our bill changes that. If the measure passes, individuals working from 1971 until 1990 will qualify to claim compensation for exposure-related diseases.

The bill we are introducing today would also expand the geographic areas that qualify for downwind compensation to include New Mexico, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, and Guam. And for the first time, the bill recognizes downwind exposure from the original atomic weapons test site--the Trinity Site in New Mexico.

This legislation would raise compensation levels for those exposed as a result of aboveground weapons tests. This would make their compensation consistent with their counterparts who worked in the mines and mills.

The bill would also facilitate epidemiological research on the impacts of uranium development on communities and families of uranium workers. It authorizes funding for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to award grants to universities and nonprofits to carry out such research. We are seeking to broaden the use of affidavits to substantiate employment history and residence in an affected downwind area.

Many who have suffered as a result of Cold-War uranium and weapons development did not have the documentation to prove their exposure. Often mines and mills did not keep proper documentation of their workers, and many communities impacted did not have a tradition of keeping birth and marriage certification. The bill would allow individuals to combine their time worked in multiple positions to meet the work time requirements for compensation in the original RECA legislation.

Finally, this legislation would allow miners to be compensated for kidney disease, and it would allow core drillers to join miners, millers, and ore transporters on the current list of uranium workers who qualify for compensation under the act.

Uranium and weapons development of the Cold-War era left a gruesome legacy in communities of mine workers and downwinders. For more than two decades now the United States has tried to compensate in some way for the sickness and loss of life. Today, we are taking the next step to close this sad chapter in history and to improve the reach of compassionate compensation to those Americans who have suffered but have not qualified under RECA in its current form.

In introducing this legislation, I honor all those who continue to suffer from deadly illnesses as a result of radiation exposure but don't qualify for compensation--especially those workers who began employment after 1971 and, thus, do not qualify for RECA.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to recognize these individuals and expand RECA to include all who are justified in receiving radiation exposure compensation.

Mr. President, I rise today on behalf of myself and Senator Boxer to introduce the Buffalo Soldiers in the National Parks Study Act. This legislation is an important step in preserving the legacy of the Army's first all-black infantry and cavalry units and their unique role in the creation of our National Park system.

Established Congressionally by 1869, the Buffalo Soldiers served bravely in campaigns both at home and abroad before being stationed at the military Presidio in San Francisco and given charge of patrolling the National Park system. Although first tasked with taming the frontier, these troops also took on the responsibility of preserving that wilderness for future generations. Each summer, Buffalo Soldier regiments traveled roughly 320 miles from San Francisco to either Sequoia or Yosemite National Park, where they patrolled the parks for poachers and loggers, built trails, and escorted visitors. They were, in essence if not in name, the nation's first park rangers.

In a time of segregation and adversity, these soldiers served their country bravely and the National Parks they worked to establish are part of the legacy they leave behind. Unfortunately, this unique aspect of their history is neither widely recognized nor remembered. This legislation would address that by authorizing a study to determine the most appropriate way to memorialize the Buffalo Soldiers. Money procured under the act would be used to determine the feasibility of establishing a national historic trail along the route traveled by the Buffalo Soldiers, scout for properties to add to the National Register of Historic Places, and develop educational initiatives and a public awareness campaign about the contribution of African-American soldiers after the Civil War.

although the experiences of the Buffalo Soldiers are an important piece of our national history, we are in danger of losing their legacy to the passage of time unless we take conscious steps to preserve the memory. This legislation works to ensure that the contributions of the Buffalo Soldiers will be remembered and shared by all. I urge my colleagues to join me in their support for this measure.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today on behalf of myself and Senator Boxer to introduce the Buffalo Soldiers in the National Parks Study Act. This legislation is an important step in preserving the legacy of the Army's first all-black infantry and cavalry units and their unique role in the creation of our National Park system.

Established Congressionally by 1869, the Buffalo Soldiers served bravely in campaigns both at home and abroad before being stationed at the military Presidio in San Francisco and given charge of patrolling the National Park system. Although first tasked with taming the frontier, these troops also took on the responsibility of preserving that wilderness for future generations. Each summer, Buffalo Soldier regiments traveled roughly 320 miles from San Francisco to either Sequoia or Yosemite National Park, where they patrolled the parks for poachers and loggers, built trails, and escorted visitors. They were, in essence if not in name, the nation's first park rangers.

In a time of segregation and adversity, these soldiers served their country bravely and the National Parks they worked to establish are part of the legacy they leave behind. Unfortunately, this unique aspect of their history is neither widely recognized nor remembered. This legislation would address that by authorizing a study to determine the most appropriate way to memorialize the Buffalo Soldiers. Money procured under the act would be used to determine the feasibility of establishing a national historic trail along the route traveled by the Buffalo Soldiers, scout for properties to add to the National Register of Historic Places, and develop educational initiatives and a public awareness campaign about the contribution of African-American soldiers after the Civil War.

although the experiences of the Buffalo Soldiers are an important piece of our national history, we are in danger of losing their legacy to the passage of time unless we take conscious steps to preserve the memory. This legislation works to ensure that the contributions of the Buffalo Soldiers will be remembered and shared by all. I urge my colleagues to join me in their support for this measure.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the Preserving the American Historical Record Act, a bill that I introduced along with Senator Levin today. This is a piece of legislation designed to ensure the protection of important historical documents housed and preserved at the State and local level.

Put simply, this legislation would require the Archivist of the United States to make grants to the States for a number of purposes, including protecting historical records, promoting the use of such records in new and creative ways, providing education and training to those who care for historical records and creating a wide variety of access tools of key records maintained by State and local organizations. The bill authorizes $50,000,000 a year--a very modest sum, all things considered--to be distributed among the States according to formulas based on both size and geographical area.

We live in a time where there has been a resurgence in interest in family history and genealogical research. With the advancement of internet research tools, millions of Americans have gone online to learn more about their pasts. Indeed, this type of research is among the more prominent uses of Internet resources, as evidenced by the growth of websites and services like Ancestry.com and Family Search. Also, millions of Americans have tuned into hit television shows describing the experience and revelation that comes with the discovery of one's family history.

I want to thank Senator Levin for working with me on this legislation, as well as our cosponsors Senators Bennett, Schumer, Kerry, Shaheen, and Gillibrand.