Do Commissioners Support Radiation Compensation?

Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis weighed in on the proposed bill to include Pike and Scioto County residents affected by radiation exposure from the A-Plant among those eligible for compensation from a federal fund. Davis says he wants to dig further into the details of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act before endorsing expanding it to Pike and Scioto Counties. “I know that there is a deadline. I believe that we are 14 days out from a vote.” The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act compensates workers and residents who have become ill or died as a result of radiation exposure. The 34-year-old fund was originally aimed at workers and residents exposed due to nuclear tests. A bipartisan bill supported by Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance would add Scioto and Pike Counties to the affected areas. Eligible affected residents would be eligible for a one-time $50,000 payout. Activist Vina Colley, quizzed commissioners about their stand on the bill during Thursday’s meeting. Commissioner Davis said he had spoken to Colley earlier about the matter. Commissioner Davis said he believed conditions at the current facility are safe. “We care about the workers at the plant. We have over 1200 workers working at the plant. We’ve been very involved for several years now making sure we have a safe environment for the workers.” Davis said commissioners were following reports of offsite contamination closely and paying attention to findings from the Department of Energy, the Ohio EPA, and the Ohio Department of Health. “I cannot do this on my own. We have to do this as a board. We have not come to a consensus on that. We have time. I know that it seems that 14 days isn’t a lot of time. It will be okay. We can get our letters sent off to Senators Brown and Vance. I want to make sure our terminology is correct and that any kind of letter of support would be legally correct.” Davis said the matter had never been brought to commissioners until last week. “This may seem odd. But a lot of what goes on at the plant and in Piketon and in the surrounding area, we don’t hear about. I guess the answer is stay tuned and we will see.”

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