Enc.

ADVISORY BOARD ON RADIATION AND WORKER HEALTH

4676 Columbia Parkway, MS: C-46 

Cincinnati, Ohio 45226

(513) 533-6825

CHAIRMAN

James M. Melius, M.D., Dr. PH.

 Albany, New York

MEMBERS

Henry Anderson, M.D.

 Madison, Wisconsin

Josie Beach

 Kennewick, Washington 

Bradley P. Clawson

 Rexburg, Idaho

R. William Field, Ph.D. 

 Iowa City, Iowa

Michael H. Gibson

 Franklin, Ohio

Mark A. Griffon

 Salem, New Hampshire

Richard Lemen, Ph.D.

 Canton, Georgia

James E. Lockey, M.D.

 Cincinnati, Ohio

Wanda I. Munn

 Richland, Washington

John W. Poston, Sr., Ph.D.

 College Station, Texas

Robert W. Presley

 Seymour, Tennessee

David B. Richardson, Ph.D.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Genevieve S. Roessler, Ph.D.

 Elysian, Minnesota

Phillip Schofield

 Bosque Farm, New Mexico

Paul L. Ziemer, Ph.D.

 Lafayette, Indiana

STAFF

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Theodore M. Katz, MPA

 Atlanta, Georgia

COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT 

Zaida Burgos

 Atlanta, Georgia

September 14, 2011

The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius

Secretary 

Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20201

Dear Madam Secretary:

The Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (The Board) has evaluated 

Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) Petition 00185 concerning workers at the Ames 

Laboratory at Iowa State University, in Ames, Iowa, under the statutory 

requirements established by the Energy Employees Occupational Illness 

Compensation Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA) and incorporated into 42 CFR 

Sec. 83.13. 

The Board respectfully recommends that SEC status be accorded to: 

“All Department of Energy employees, its predecessor agencies, 

and its contractors and subcontractors who worked in any area of 

the Ames Laboratory at Iowa State University during the period from 

August 13, 1942 through December 31, 1970, for a number of work 

days aggregating at least 250 work days, occurring either solely 

under this employment or in combination with work days within the 

parameters established for one or more classes of employees 

included in the Special Exposure Cohort." 

This recommendation is based on the following factors:

• Individuals working at the Ames Laboratory at Iowa State University 

during the time period in question worked on the production of materials 

for nuclear weapons. 

• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

review of available monitoring data, as well as available process and 

source term information for various production activities at Ames 

Laboratory found that NIOSH lacked adequate information necessary to 

complete individual dose reconstructions with sufficient accuracy for 

most external exposures and internal radiological exposures due to 

thorium, plutonium, thoron and mixed fission products during the time 

period in question. The Board concurs with this determination.

• NIOSH determined that health may have been endangered for these 

Ames Laboratory employees during the time period in question. The 

Board also concurs with this determination.
The Secretary September 14, 2011

Based on these considerations and the discussion at the August 23-25, 2011 Board meeting 

held in Richland, Washington, the Board recommends that this class be added to the SEC.

Enclosed is the documentation from the Board meeting(s) where this SEC class was 

discussed. The documentation includes transcripts of the deliberations, copies of the petition, 

the NIOSH review thereof, and related materials. If any of these items are unavailable at this 

time, they will follow shortly. 

 Sincerely, 

 [Signature on file]

James M. Melius, M.D., Dr. PH

 Chairman, ABRWH

Enclosure