A former worker for the Yucca Mountain project has sued government contractors claiming that he and other employees were deliberately exposed to toxic dust. In January, Yucca Mountain project managers began a lung disease screening program for current and former workers, who may have been exposed to airborne silica, which can lead to the development of lung disease. The companies named in the suit have refused to comment.
See "Suit Claims Toxic Dust Hurt Waste Workers", The New York Times, March 11, 2004