DOL’s web site says that there has been more than $61,000,000 in compensation paid under Part E. How were you able to make payments prior to the issuance of these regulations?
A – When the amendment was passed in October, 2004, certain provisions were so clear that the DOL was able to adjudicate claims that met specific, straightforward criteria that were contained in the amendment itself. As a result, certain survivors of deceased workers could be found to be eligible for a payment of $125,000 under Part E in advance of DOL issuing detailed regulations. Because we know that many of the people who were waiting for a decision under the old DOE program had been waiting for up to four years, we wanted to make any payments we could, as quickly as we could.
