National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) Update

LaVon B. Rutherford, CHP

SEC Health Physics Team Leader

Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health, 132nd Meeting

Oakland, California| December 11, 2019
Purpose

 Update the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health

 Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) summary of petitions

– in qualification

– under evaluation

– currently under Advisory Board review

– potential SEC petitions (83.14)
Summary

 Petitions received – 255*

– Petitions in qualification process – 3

– Petitions qualified for evaluation – 151

– NIOSH evaluation in progress – 1

– NIOSH evaluation completed – 151

 Reports with the Advisory Board – 10

 Petitions not qualifying for evaluation – 101

*NOTE: 255 includes 5 petitions received prior to the federal regulation.
SEC Petitions in Qualification

 Reduction Pilot Plant

– Huntington, West Virginia

– Petition SEC-0253

– 1976-1978

– All Security Guards

– Expected completion: DOL revised covered period in MidNovember. Qualification determination will be completed 

12/2019
SEC Petitions in Qualification (continued)

 ANL-East

– Argonne, Illinois

– Petition SEC-0254

– October 1975 – September 1981

– All Employees

– Expected completion: Qualification determination 

scheduled to be completed January 2020
SEC Petitions in Qualification (continued)

 BWXT

– Lynchburg, Virginia

– Petition SEC-0255

– 1973-1984

– All Employees

– Expected completion: Qualification determination 

scheduled to be completed January 2020
SEC Petitions under Evaluation

 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 1990-2014

– Livermore, CA

– Petition SEC-0221

– Addendum to address remaining years 

– All employees

– Expected completion: April 2020 
SEC Petitions under Evaluation

 Y-12 Plant 1987-1994

– Oak Ridge, TN

– Petition SEC-0250

– Addendum to address remaining years 

– All employees

– Expected completion: June 2020 
Under Advisory Board Review (continued)

 Hanford (SEC-0056) – NIOSH reviewing documentation to 

determine whether prime contractors radiological control 

program were meeting bioassay commitments

 Savannah River Site (SEC-0103) – An update is scheduled for 

this meeting

 Los Alamos National Lab (SEC-0109) – NIOSH working to 

resolve issues raised by SC&A and the work group

 Sandia National Laboratory (SEC-0188) – The work group and 

SC&A are reviewing Addendum 2
Under Advisory Board Review (continued)

 Idaho National Lab (SEC-0219) – NIOSH is working to resolve 

issues raised by SC&A and the work group

 Argonne National Laboratory - West (SEC-0224) – NIOSH is 

working to resolve issues raised by SC&A and the work group

 Area IV Santa Susanna (SEC-0235) – NIOSH is reviewing 

information submitted by the petitioner and preparing a 

detailed summary for the April 2020 Advisory Board meeting

 Metals and Controls (SEC-0236) – Advisory Board work group 

and SC&A are reviewing NIOSH white papers
Under Advisory Board Review (continued)

 De Soto Avenue Facility (SEC-0246) – NIOSH has submitted 

responses to SC&A’s review

 Superior Steel Co. (SEC-0247) – NIOSH is working to resolve 

issues raised by SC&A and the work group
Sites with evaluation period awaiting action

 Hanford (SEC-0057) 1984-1990 

(Primes only)

 Savannah River Site (SEC-0103) 1973-2007

 Los Alamos National Laboratories-A (SEC-0109) 1996-2005

 Sandia National Laboratory (SEC-0188) 1997-2011

 Idaho National Laboratory (SEC-0219) 1949-1970
Sites with evaluation period awaiting action (continued)

 Lawrence Livermore National Lab (SEC-0221) 1990-2014

 Argonne National Laboratory – West (SEC-0224) 1958-1979

 Area IV Santa Susanna (SEC-0235) 1991-1993

 Metals and Controls (SEC-0236) 1968-1997 (Res) 

 De Soto Avenue Facility (SEC-0246) 1965-1995
Potential SEC Petitions (83.14)

 West Valley Demonstration Project

– NIOSH evaluating a potential SEC for the AWE period 1966-

1968