Craig Daily Press

George Barrie's days have been mostly good since his last major kidney surgery in March. But he still has his share of bad days as a man will who's afflicted with 30 illnesses.

To help her husband, a former nuclear weapons worker at Rocky Flats, Terrie Barrie traveled from her home in Craig to Washington, D.C., last week to lobby Congress for federal compensation for the 24,000 workers who, like George, got sick working at bomb plants during the Cold War.

It was a good trip, she said, but she was disappointed that she didn't get to meet with senior staff members for Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colorado Springs. Hefley is the only member of Colorado's House of Representatives delegation who is not supporting an amendment to provide aid to sick workers.

Hefley is neutral on the issue, said spokeswoman Sarah Shelden said. But the representative likely will have to make a decision in a few weeks, when the plan comes before the House Armed Services Committee, of which Hefley is a member.

But Terrie and other members of the Alliance of Nuclear Worker Advocacy Group are lobbying Hefley to choose a side now, and preferably theirs.

"These people are dead or dying. Most of them are dying of cancer," Terrie said.

She said she's "cautiously optimistic" Congress will resolve the issue soon, perhaps by November's election. But in the Capitol, Terrie said she heard it could be January before House members vote on the amendment.

The amendment, which the Senate unanimously approved in August as part of a military spending bill, would reform complications in the Energy Employee Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000.

That bill divided sick workers into subdivisions of those with cancer and those with pre-cancerous conditions. The U.S. Department of Labor handled compensation claims from workers who have cancer, and the department has paid 95 percent of its claimants, Terrie said.

But the U.S. Department of Energy handled the compensation claims of workers with pre-cancerous conditions. The department has paid only 31 of 25,000 ill workers and spent $95 million, according to the advocacy group.

The amendment would move the compensation program from the Department of Energy to the Department of Labor and its superior record of service, Terrie said.

"The workers from Rocky Flats live in Colorado. Rep. Hefley needs to take an active role and stand up for this amendment. It's not perfect. There's room for improvement. But we the workers and advocates are OK with the amendment," Terrie said.

"Colorado Rep. Mark Udall sponsored similar legislation in 2002. Then, he told the Daily Press he thought it was very important to help workers from Rocky Flats, which for decades was a key part of the nation's nuclear weapons complex.

"Now, as we work to have Rocky Flats cleaned up and closed, we also need to take care of the people who worked there and at similar sites. They were part of our country's defense.

"They may or may not have been exposed to hostile fire, but many were exposed to radiation, beryllium, or other hazards -- and as a result some are seriously ill or will become ill," Udall said.

During her three days in Washington, Terrie traveled with a Horizons Specialized Services client who lives in her home. They met Gov. Bill Owens while visiting Sen. Wayne Allard's office.

Terrie spends about eight hours a day e-mailing and phoning other nuclear worker advocates and politicians. She had contacted Owens a couple of weeks ago, but his office has informed her it was still investigating the issue.

She was disappointed that she didn't have a chance to visit U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis during her trip. The retiring representative has been a strong supporter of the plan, she said.

She has not yet contacted Colorado's congressional candidates to gauge their opinions.

But the Bush administration is opposing the Senate reform, saying the Department of Energy has resolved its problems running the program.

Rob Gebhart can be reached at 824-7031 or rgebhart@craigdailypress.com.