Coalition of Oak Ridge Retired Employees (CORRE) Board Meeting
August 20, 2025

Attendees: Angelelli, Birk, Burton, Chilcoat, Cox, Gibson, Green, Hightower, Jessen, McRae, McSpadden, Petrie, Riggs, Shelton, Steward, Wasilko, Whitley, Whitehead

Before the meeting began, Garry Whitley announced information on a new Department of Justice program: The Downwinders. This program is formally part of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) provides monetary compensation to individuals who developed specific cancers and other diseases due to radiation exposure from atmospheric nuclear tests. This program is endorsed by the United States Congress. This compensation is provided by the Federal Government and arises from the radioactive nuclear fallout and radiation exposure originating from the Nevada Test Site. To qualify, individuals must have lived in a designated “downwind” area in states like New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, or Arizona for a specific duration (in an affected area for a minimum duration during the testing periods of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s) and been diagnosed with a compensable disease, such as various blood cancers, thyroid, breast, or liver cancer. The Department of Justice administers the program, which involves submitting a claim form along with proof of residence and medical documentation of the diagnosis. Qualifying downwinders are eligible for a one-time, tax-free compensation payment of $50,000; even if the affected individual is deceased, a living spouse, child, or grandchild can file a claim on their behalf and may receive $25,000. Attorneys may get between 2-10 percent of the claim, and it may take 18-24 months for an answer. You may also go online to DOJ, then RECA for Manhattan Project; eligible cancers are listed there.

Call to Order by Whitehead (10:50 a.m.)

July Board Meeting Minutes – Angelelli, Approved.

A. July Treasurer Report – Petrie, approved;

3. B. Authorization of BOD Expenditures/Reimbursements - Petrie paid for the previously approved annual PO Box bill this month and it will show up in next month’s Treasurer’s report.
Contractor Team Reports

CNS – Wasilko stated Beck should feel good about the meeting this morning with Representative Fleischmann; it is a different ask this time. He has cards from the Representative’s staff and will get information to them.

Simmons and Golden – Burton, nothing new to report.

UCOR – Riggs has set up the CORRE/UCOR meeting for August 21; the new William J. Wilcox, Jr. Interpretive Center located at the south end of the U-shaped footprint of the K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Building will open on August 23. It is located near the K-25 Atomic History Center which is at 652 Enrichment Street in the East Tennessee Technology Park’s Heritage Center at the site of the previous K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Riggs will get the 2026 K-25 Reunion Meeting date to all.

UT-Battelle – Hightower requests the Contractor HR Representatives contact information to be sent to him for the purpose of CORRE Annual Meeting invitations. Please send these lists to Hightower and McRae.

Committee (and Task Team) Reports

Planning – Gibson stated the ETTP is slated to be turned over to Legacy Management in 2032 when the clean up is expected to be completed. CORRE will continue to recommend to DOE that this is not needed with DOE Programs still residing in Oak Ridge. Gibson will contact Erik Olds regarding the Fleischmann meeting.

Nominations – the 2026 Slate of CORRE Officers and Board Members has been approved by email vote as of 7/28/2025 and was posted on the CORRE Website on 7/29/2025. The Annual Meeting is scheduled for November 7th. Shirley Cox has volunteered to be 2026 Government Relations Advisor to the Government Relations Chair.

Communications – McSpadden spoke to the INEL Retiree Board Secretary about two new softwares, KRISP and NOTTA, whereby a zoom recording can feed into the software(s) the audio file that is created by zoom and it is converted to a text file. Although the audio-to-text transcription is not perfect and needs to be reviewed for accuracy, it can make the secretary’s job much easier – Angelelli will like this.
Website – Birk announced a huge thank you to McSpadden for all his work on the Board.

Other DOE Sites – Nothing new to report. Gibson mentioned some changes to Battelle Pacific Northwest medical for pre-age 65 (pay 100% of premium) and have discontinued post-age 65 company sponsored medical.

Annual Meeting – McRae needs HR contacts for the Annual Meeting. Vanessa Chandler has agreed to be our Web-Ex host to stream the meeting on the internet. It was mentioned that Y-12 retirees recently received letters from VIA, the healthcare exchange provider.

Pension Fund Analysis – Gibson will write latest Congressional Budget Request information and send to Wasilko.

By-Laws – Shelton is working on a proposed amendment stemming from Clayton’s Independent Financial Review and Recommendations and will get this out soon.

Executive Committee – Whitehead is working on a large package to send to Congressionals and State Senators; however, he will not send the updated package until we hear from Fleischmann, Beck and Wasilko.

Other Business
Whitehead has reserved a table for CORRE for the Cold War Patriots event on September 11 at the Oak Ridge Civic Center; Franco and McSpadden have agreed to help; please let Dave know if you can attend (lunch is included).

Adjournment 11:31 a.m.