Enc.

ADVISORY BOARD ON RADIATION AND WORKER HEALTH

1150 Tusculum Ave 

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

David Kotelchuck, Ph.D.

 New York, New York

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 

David B. Richardson, Ph.D.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Genevieve S. Roessler, Ph.D.

 Elysian, Minnesota

Phillip Schofield

 Bosque Farm, New Mexico

Loretta R. Valerio

 Santa Fe, New Mexico

Paul L. Ziemer, Ph.D.

 Lafayette, Indiana

STAFF

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Theodore M. Katz, MPA

 Atlanta, Georgia

COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT 

Zaida Burgos

 Atlanta, Georgia

December 9, 2016

The Honorable Sylvia M. Burwell

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 SEC Petition 00234 concerning workers at the Santa Susana 

Field Laboratory – Area IV in Ventura County, California, under the 

statutory requirements established by EEOICPA and incorporated into 42 

CFR Sec. 83.13.

The Board respectfully recommends that SEC status be accorded to:

“All employees of the Department of Energy, its predecessor 

agencies, and their contractors or subcontractors who worked in 

any area of Area IV of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory in 

Ventura County, California from January 1, 1965, through 

December 31, 1988, 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 other classes of employees included 

in the Special Exposure Cohort”.

This recommendation is based on the following factors: 

• The Santa Susana – Area IV facility was involved in the 

development and testing of nuclear reactors and related 

research. 

• NIOSH found that there were insufficient biological monitoring 

data, air monitoring data or process and radiological source 

information at this facility in order to complete individual dose 

reconstructions involving internal radiation exposures with 

sufficient accuracy for Area IV workers during the time period 

in question. The Board concurs with this conclusion.

 

• NIOSH determined that health may have been endangered for 

the workers exposed to radiation in Area IV during the time 

period in question. The Board also concurs with this 

determination.
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Based on these considerations and the discussions held at our November 30 to December 1, 

2016, Advisory Board meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico, 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 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