White Lung Association Cannot Accept
the Asbestos Compensation Act of 2000

The White Lung Association, (WLA), believes that this legislation will reduce or eliminate compensation for people whose diseases are caused by asbestos exposure. The medical certificate, required by this bill, would eliminate over one-half of the victims who are now awaiting compensation. The medical criteria for this certificate were dictated by the asbestos industry and their paid agents. The criteria suggested by the WLA were rejected.

Insurance companies have already defined disability by whom they will insure. They have not insured asbestos victims for over seventy years. For example, try to get a job or buy health insurance if you have a little asbestosis. Under the proposed bill, as many as three million people would be put into limbo, unable to work, unable to get compensation, unable to get health care because a few legislators were blinded by rude talk and asbestos company donations.

The legislation would exclude future defendants Companies like Metropolitan Life, General Electric, Westinghouse, many real estate concerns and premise owners like Bethlehem Steel, General Motors and energy companies might be future defendants. Over 14 million potential premise owner victims would not have recourse against their main defendants, premise owners. The protection of GAF is only the first layer in this rush to judgement.

The Office of Asbestos Compensation would expect to see over 100,000 victims in the first months of operation. The entire budget provided would be exhausted after delivering only $2,500 dollars total to each victim. Nowhere in the bill is the victim's health insurance discussed, provided for or guaranteed. Health insurance is the main concern of the asbestos victim.

The bill preserves much of the worst aspects of the present situation. The Justice Department must build a bureaucracy to continually sue the defendants. Money which should go for compensation of people who have asbestos cancer and lung disease will line the pockets of defense lawyers. The victims still have lawyers, but only those approved by the government. An additional layer of Administration Law Judges is thrown in to absorb more money that the victims need. This bill is nothing but welfare for government workers, lawyers and asbestos companies. It is a rip off in the name of the poor asbestos victim

The bill does not reflect scientific knowledge, published by the US government, regarding the hazards of asbestos, but instead depends upon the creationism of asbestos company science. The bill demands that the victims work in high concentrations of asbestos for years before their disease will be paid for. ASBESTOS VICTIMS AND ALL WHO SUPPORT THEM - REJECT IT!!!