Tests set for nuke workers

Rob Trenkle has ventured into a radioactive "hot zone" inside tunnels at the Nevada Test Site following underground nuclear blasts to recover equipment that monitored test results during the Cold War.

He is just one of thousands of workers who have been exposed to radiation while serving in the nation's defense program over the years.

Miners, operating engineers, electricians, carpenters, pipefitters and ironworkers are some of those who performed the dangerous work of preparing for and cleaning up after nuclear blasts.

Trenkle, 45, dug tunnels as a hard-rock miner at the Test Site from 1981 until 1990.

After a tunnel was dug, and usually within 24 hours of an explosion, Trenkle and a crew returned to recover equipment and recordings from the nuclear tests. Trenkle said the recovery crew along with a radiation monitor wore double-thick suits to protect them from radiation.

"I was always on the re-entry team," Trenkle said. "It wasn't scary. It was fascinating."

The Nevada Test Site, 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, became the land-based experimental ground for U.S. nuclear weapons from 1951 until the current testing moratorium began in 1992. The atomic experiments were conducted underground after 1963.

This week Trenkle will undergo a cost-free medical screening offered to former Test Site construction workers through a federal program sponsored by the Department of Energy.

The Defense Authorization Act of 1993 instructed the DOE to evaluate the health of former workers at nuclear weapons facilities across the country. This time it is the Nevada Test Site's turn.

"I think it's so overdue," said Trenkle, president of the AFL-CIO Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council. "Of course we won't know anything until after the screening."

The screening will take three years and is ongoing at DOE sites across the country.

However, from the symptoms written down in pre-screening medical histories, Trenkle said workers are reporting "staggeringly similar" symptoms, such as leg cramps.

In addition to cramping, numbness in the hands and feet and rashes are the most commonly reported symptoms of radiation exposure, said Sandie Medina of the NTS Medical Surveillance Project Office in Las Vegas.

"These symptoms are consistent," she said.

Trenkle said he signed up for the screening out of curiosity about his own health as well as to act as an example for other workers.

"Some people fear that if they find something wrong, it will get back to their employer and they will lose their jobs," he said.

That is why project coordinator Josephine Lally at the Boston University School of Public Health guarantees the workers participating in the screening complete confidentiality.

"We hope that this project will provide more information about health problems," Lally said. "Workers' names will never be used in published reports about this project."

Test Site construction workers who built tunnels, drilled holes and hauled tons of monitoring equipment in and out of the test areas from 1951 until the testing moratorium took effect in 1992 are eligible for the screening, Lally said.

Other construction workers eligible for screening are those who witnessed above-ground atomic blasts in the '50s as well as those who did recovery work in the tunnels, shafts or holes.

While no more appointments are available this week, another screening session is scheduled Dec. 4-6 in Las Vegas. In 1999 screenings will be held in March, June, September and December in Southern Nevada. They will continue through the year 2000. Those wanting to make an appointment for future screenings may call 702-636-8777 or toll-free at 1-888-636-8161.

In addition to focusing on radiation, the screenings look at other hazards that were present at the Test Site. Workers were exposed to silica dust, diesel smoke, noise and asbestos. Workers also can tell medical experts about other potentially toxic hazards.

Researchers involved in the screening effort hope to learn more about workers exposed to chemicals, noise and radiation in underground settings.

Doctors from the University of California, San Francisco, Boston University and the University of Nevada School of Medicine's Department of Family Medicine will perform the screenings.

The physicians will examine each worker, take an X-ray of their lungs and test their breathing, hearing and blood samples.

While most people will be screened once, others may be asked to return.

Workers will receive test results within six to eight weeks after the screenings. The results are private and will not be shared with anyone unless the worker gives his permission.

If more testing or medical care is needed, the screening project will refer test results to a worker's private physician.

If a health problem is related to the work done at the Test Site, an employee may be eligible for workers' compensation. The worker should call his union business agent for further advice before filing a claim.

One common worry that screening coordinators and Trenkle have is over continued funding for the medical screenings.

"Instead of five years' worth of funds, we have to fight in Congress for funding for the program every year," Trenkle said.

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