Summary Minutes November 16, 2006 

 NIOSH/CDC Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health 

 Subcommittee for Dose Reconstruction and Site Profile Review

 1

 The Subcommittee for Dose Reconstruction

 And Site Profile Review

 of the

 Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health 

 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

 _________________________________________________________________ 

 Summary Minutes of the 13th Meeting 

 November 16, 2006 

 _________________________________________________________________

The Thirteenth Meeting of the Subcommittee for Dose Reconstruction and 

Site Profile Review (the subcommittee) of the Advisory Board on 

Radiation and Worker Health (ABRWH or the Board) was held in 

Cincinnati, Ohio on November 16, 2006. The meeting was called to order 

by Dr. Lewis Wade, the Designated Federal Official, Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health (NIOSH). These summary minutes, as well as a 

verbatim transcript certified by a court reporter, are available on the 

internet on the web site of the NIOSH/Office of Compensation Analysis 

and Support (OCAS) located at www.cdc.gov/niosh/ocas. Those present 

included the following: 

Subcommittee Members: Mr. Brad Clawson, Mr. Michael Gibson (via 

telephone), Mr. Mark Griffon, Ms. Wanda Munn, and Dr. Genevieve 

Roessler. 

Designated Federal Official: Dr. Lewis Wade, Executive Secretary 

Federal Agency Attendees:

Department of Health and Human Services: Mr. Stuart Hinnefeld, Ms. Liz 

Homoki-Titus (via telephone), Ms. Emily Howell, Mr. Ted Katz (via 

telephone). 

Government Accountability Office: Mr. Bob Sampson (via telephone). 

Contractors:

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU team): Mr. Jack Fix (via 

telephone), Mr. Ed Maher, Mr. Mutty Sharfi, Ms. Susan Winslow (via 

telephone). 

Sanford Cohen & Associates: Dr. Hans Behling, Ms. Kathy Behling (via 
 Summary Minutes November 16, 2006 

 NIOSH/CDC Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health 

 Subcommittee for Dose Reconstruction and Site Profile Review

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telephone), Dr. John Mauro (via telephone). 

Public Attendees: None identified. 

 Opening and Conflict Disclosures 

Dr. Lewis Wade, NIOSH 

Dr. Wade, Designated Federal Official to the Advisory Board on 

Radiation and Worker Compensation and the Subcommittee, opened the 

meeting by announcing it would be considered a meeting of the "old" or 

original Subcommittee on Dose Reconstruction and Site Profile Review. 

The subcommittee is in the process of being rechartered as the 

Subcommittee on Dose Reconstruction. Although the process is not 

complete, it will not affect the business about to be conducted. 

Since the individual dose reconstructions to be reviewed are taken from 

a variety of sites, the following conflicts were disclosed: 

Subcommittee members: 

Mr. Brad Clawson, Idaho 

Mr. Michael Gibson, Mound 

Mr. Mark Griffon, Nevada Test Site, Oak Ridge, Paducah and Portsmouth, 

under certain conditions. 

Ms. Wanda Munn, Hanford 

NIOSH/ORAU: 

Mr. Jack Fix, Hanford and Idaho 

Mr. Stu Hinnefeld, Fernald and Lake Ontario Ordnance Works 

Mr. Mutty Sharfi, Mound 

Ms. Susan Winslow, Hanford 

SC&A: 

Dr. John Mauro, Savannah River Site 

Dr. Wade reminded everyone that the original Subcommittee had been 

comprised of all the Advisory Board members, but the rechartered 

subcommittee will have designated members. Because this meeting has 

been convened specifically to address the individual dose 

reconstruction reviews contained in the fourth set, and because he will 

be Chair of the rechartered Subcommittee on Dose Reconstruction 

Reviews, Mr. Mark Griffon was asked to chair the remainder of the 
 Summary Minutes November 16, 2006 

 NIOSH/CDC Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health 

 Subcommittee for Dose Reconstruction and Site Profile Review

 3

meeting. 

 * * * * *

 Review of Fourth Set of 

 Individual Dose Reconstructions

Mr. Mark Griffon, 

Acting Subcommittee Chair

Mr. Griffon began by announcing he had prepared a draft letter to the 

Secretary of Health and Human Services, conceptually approved at the 

last Board meeting, concerning the second and third sets of reviewed 

cases. Presentation to the full Board at their next meeting will close 

out those sets. 

With the focus of this meeting being a formal review of the fourth set, 

Mr. Griffon suggested the procedure follow the previous protocol of a 

review of SC&A's finding on each case, arrival at an understanding of 

NIOSH's response to the findings, and a discussion where necessary. 

There then followed an individual detailed review of cases 61 through 

80, with each SC&A finding explained and each NIOSH response discussed 

in depth. 

Findings included questions or observations related to photon dose, 

neutron dose, missed dose, dose conversion factors, ingestion intake, 

radiological incidents, records inconsistencies, solubility type, 

chronic versus acute intakes, environmental exposures, occupational 

medical exposures, fission products, CATI reports, workbook errors, 

inappropriate methodology and uncertainty errors. Some findings were 

determined to be site profile issues and would be more appropriately 

addressed by the working groups formed for that purpose. 

No case had findings in each category, and some findings were confined 

to certain types of cases. Some findings SC&A agreed were resolved in 

NIOSH's response. Others required further exploration, with additional 

information to be provided by NIOSH, and further discussion between 

SC&A and NIOSH. 

Cases 61 through 65, for example, all had findings related to the use 

of OTIB-04, and were discussed both individually and in relation to use 

of that particular Technical Information Bulletin. 

Cases 67 and 68 had issues raised in the findings that NIOSH agreed 
 Summary Minutes November 16, 2006 

 NIOSH/CDC Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health 

 Subcommittee for Dose Reconstruction and Site Profile Review

 4

were such that a re-evaluation and rework was warranted. 

Cases 75 and 77 had no findings at all. 

Throughout the discussion there were questions raised about how dose 

reconstructors were provided with guidelines for their task, whether 

through written documentation or through weekly meetings. 

There was also discussion related to terminology and a need for 

consistency between review findings, responses and the matrix, as well 

as the ability to track progress via the matrix. 

Following the examination of the 20 cases, Mr. Griffon indicated he 

would update the matrix for the December Board meeting. 

 * * * * *

 Meeting Schedule

Mr. Mark Griffon 

Dr. Lewis Wade

Mr. Griffon announced the morning of December 11, the first day of the 

full Board's meeting, had been set aside for the Subcommittee to meet. 

Dr. Wade explained the plan is to hold an hour aside for the 

Subcommittee to consider the selection of the seventh round of dose 

reconstructions for review. The eighth set could be considered in the 

February meeting. Dr. John Mauro and Ms. Kathy Behling agreed that 

schedule was satisfactory for their purposes. 

 * * * * *

 Update on Fifth and Sixth Review Sets

Ms. Kathy Behling, 

Sanford Cohen & Associates

Ms. Behling indicated the SC&A review of the fifth set is complete, as 

are the conference calls with the assigned Board members and SC&A 

reviewers. She noted review of the sixth set is well underway, with 

the next set of conference calls due to take place toward the end of 

December. 
 Summary Minutes November 16, 2006 

 NIOSH/CDC Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health 

 Subcommittee for Dose Reconstruction and Site Profile Review

 5

 * * * * *

Mr. Griffon observed that he wanted to keep the progress going on the 

reviews, and wanted to ensure the cases selected are the type the 

Subcommittee should be reviewing. Mr. Ed Maher suggested there would 

likely be a greater number of best estimate cases available for 

selection in the future. 

 * * * * *

With no further business to come before the Subcommittee, the 

meeting was adjourned at 4:27 p.m. 

 End of Summary Minutes 

Ë Ë Ë Ë Ë

I hereby confirm these Summary Minutes are 

accurate, to the best of my knowledge. 

_______________________________________ 

Mark Griffon, Acting Chair 

_______________________________________ 

Date