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

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

January 31, 2013

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 00208 concerning 

workers at the Battelle Laboratories King Avenue facility in Columbus, 

Ohio, under the statutory requirements established by the Energy 

Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 and 

incorporated into 42 C.F.R. § 83.13.

The Board respectfully recommends that SEC status be accorded to:

“All Atomic Weapons Employees who worked at the King Avenue 

facility owned by Battelle Laboratories in Columbus, Ohio, during 

the period from April 16, 1943, through June 30, 1956, 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:

• Individuals employed at the King Avenue facility worked on a 

number of projects related to the development of 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 this facility found that NIOSH 

lacked the information necessary to complete individual dose 

reconstructions with sufficient accuracy for internal radiological 

exposures from thorium and/or uranium and their progeny to which 

these workers may have been subjected during the time period in 

question. The Board concurs with this determination.

• NIOSH determined that health may have been endangered for 

these Battelle Laboratory King Avenue facility employees during 

the time period in question. The Board also concurs with this 

determination.
The Secretary January 31, 2013

Page 2

Based on these considerations and the discussion at the December 11 and 12, 2012, Board 

meeting held in Knoxville, Tennessee, 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