Medina Modification Cente

Special Exposure Cohort

Petition Evaluation Report

Stuart L. Hinnefeld

Director

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support

June 2012

Santa Fe, NM
Petition Overview

 NIOSH determined it was not feasible to

complete the dose reconstruction for an e

Medina claim

 May 24, 2012: Claimant was notified and

provided with a copy of Special Exposure 

Petition Form A

 May 30, 2012: Petition (83.14) submitted 

NIOSH

 May 31, 2012: NIOSH Evaluation Report is
Background

 EEOICPA covered from 1958‐1966 (DOE)

 Located in San Antonio, TX, SW of Lackland 

 About 3,200 acres in size

 Constructed by AEC as a nuclear weapons

storage and maintenance area

 Operated by AEC, Air Force, Sandia Corp., a

contractor Mason and Hanger

 Sister facility to Clarksville Modification Ce
Operations

 Storage operations began in 1955 Nuclear capsule storage in underground va

structures (A Structures)

 Weapons assembly, modification, and

disassembly in various structures

 AEC transferred operations to Pantex in 196

 Decommissioning not complete until 1966 Workforce—ranged from ~95 workers in 19

a maximum of 669 in 1963
Sources of Available Informat

 ORAU Team Site Profiles and Technical

Information Bulletins (TIBs) and Procedure

 NIOSH Site Research Database

 Existing claimant files Information from Pantex Plant SEC evaluat

 Data captures
Data Capture Efforts

 DOE Opennet (OSTI data base)

 Standard data base search (DDRS, NNSA, CEDR

 Internet search

 Nuclear Regulatory Commission (ADAMS)

 Hanford/PNNL DOE Legacy Management State of Texas

 Various DOE locations, especially Pantex

 Libraries
NOSH/OCAS Claims Tracking Sy

(information as of May 21, 2012)

 Medina claims submitted to NIOSH 

 Claims that meet the recommended class years 

 Dose reconstructions completed for claims 

that meet the class definition

 Claims containing some internal dosimetry 

 Claims containing some external dosimetry 
Potential Radiation Exposure

 Internal

• Airborne uranium oxides (HEU and DU)

• Tritium gases• Radon• Plutonium

 External

• Photon/beta and neutron exposures from

—Uranium—Plutonium—Ir‐192 and Co‐60 radiography sources
Personal Monitoring Data

 Internal monitoring data

• Indications are that baseline tritium analyses w

performed; data has not been found by NIOSH

• No information on uranium or plutonium urina

 External monitoring data

• Individual external and summary records for

monitored workers from 1959‐1966 available

• NTA film was added to badges in 1964, but

discontinued shortly thereafter
Workplace and Source‐Term D

 Workplace data

• Routine air monitoring for tritium and alpha

contamination was done

• NIOSH has been unable to locate the data

 Source‐term data

• Materials include uranium metals, uranium ox

tritium, and plutonium

• Detailed source‐term information is not availa

(some classification issues)
Feasibility of Dose Reconstruct

 Available internal monitoring records, proc

descriptions, and source‐term data are

inadequate to complete dose reconstructio

with sufficient accuracy for the evaluated c

of employees during the period from Janu

1958 through December 31, 1966

 The findings from this SEC evaluation are

consistent with the SEC determinations for

facilities with similar radiological exposure

• Pantex Plant

• Clarksville Modification Center, Ft. Campbell
Feasibility of Dose Reconstructio

 External doses can be reconstructed using

available external monitoring data and ava

dose reconstruction methods:

 Available film badge data likely from highest e

worker group

 Neutron doses are assigned using neutron‐to‐p

ratios of similar operations

 Doses from X‐ray examinations are assigned b

available methodology
Feasibility Summary

Feasibility Findings for Medina Modification Center 

Source of Exposure 

Dose 

Reconstruction 

Feasible 

Dose Recon

NOT Fea

Internal 

X 

External 

- Beta-Gamma X - Neutron X - Occupational 

Medical X-ray 

X 
Health Endangerment

 The evidence reviewed in this evaluation

indicates that some workers in the class m

have accumulated chronic radiation expos

through intakes of radionuclides and direc

exposure to radioactive materials.

 Consequently, NIOSH is specifying that hea

may have been endangered for those work

covered by this evaluation who were empl

for a number of work days aggregating at l

250 work days within the parameters

established for this class or in combination 

work days within the parameters establish

one or more other classes of employees in 

SEC .
Proposed Class

All employees of the Department of Energy, itspredecessor agencies, and DOE contractors orsubcontractors who worked at the Medina

Modification Center in San Antonio, Texas during 

period from January 1, 1958 through December 

1966, for a number of work days aggregating at 

250 work days, occurring either solely under this

employment or in combination with work days w

the parameters established for one or more othe

classes of employees in the Special Exposure Co
Recommendation

 For the period from January 1, 1958 throug

December 31, 1966, NIOSH finds that radia

dose estimates cannot be reconstructed focompensation purposes

Class Feasibility Health Endang

January 1, 1958

–

December 31, 1966 No Yes