Battelle Memorial Institute – King Avenue

SEC Petition Evaluation Report

SEC00229 

Timothy D. Taulbee, PhD, CHP

Research Health Scientist

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
ORAU Evaluation Team

 Mike Kubiak

 Chris Miles

 Vince King

 Jason Davis

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Petition Overview

 NIOSH determined it was not feasible to 

complete the dose reconstruction for an 

existing Battelle Memorial Institute – King 

Avenue claim

 October 19, 2015, claimant was notified 

and provided with a copy of the Special 

Exposure Cohort (SEC) Petition Form A

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Petition Overview

 October 27, 2015, Petition (83.14) 

submitted to NIOSH

 November 2, 2015, NIOSH SEC evaluation 

report issued

 Previous SEC class from April 16, 1943 

through June 30, 1956 

• Internal exposures to uranium and thorium

• External exposures prior to February 1951

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Proposed Class

All Atomic Weapons Employees who worked at 

the facility owned by the Battelle Laboratories at 

the King Avenue site in Columbus, Ohio, during 

the period from July 1, 1956 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 other classes of employees in the 

Special Exposure Cohort.

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Background

 EEOICPA covered facility from 1943-1986

 The 58.3-acre site, accommodating 13 

buildings 

 Performed atomic energy research and 

development for AEC, DOE, NRC, DOD, 

commercial entities

 Owned and operated by Battelle Memorial 

Institute (BMI)

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Radiological Buildings

 Building A – Corporate Office (Small Laboratories)

 Building 1 – Foundry

 Building 2 – Metalworking Building

 Building 3 – Materials Building

 Building 4 – Radiochemistry Laboratory

 Building 5 – Machine shop

 Building 6 – Chemistry Building

 Building 7 – Chemistry Building

 Building 9 – Mechanical Engineering

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Battelle – King Avenue Facility

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Data Capture Efforts

 Battelle Memorial Institute, King Avenue 

 August 2014

 National Archives and Records Administration, 

College Park

 March 2014

 Office of Science and Technology information 

(OSTI) 

 February 2013, August 2014

 Idaho National Laboratory

 January 2015

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Thorium Operations

 Research and Development (R&D) on uranium 

and thorium alloys (1955-1959) 

 1961 corrosion resistance testing of thorium 

under atmospheric conditions, and additional 

accelerated thorium and uranium corrosion 

exposure

 1962 experimental coating of small thorium oxide 

spheres

 1966 Preparation of thorium and uranium 

irradiation and calibration samples

 1968-1969 experimental work with thorium 

ceramics

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Radiological Survey Reports

 July 1957 survey of multiple buildings 

indicated widespread uranium and thorium 

contamination

 About every lab surveyed contained U or Th

samples in some form. These were stored on or 

in desks where food is eaten. Little care is 

taken to prevent ingestion. No care is taken to 

prevent material from entering the sewers.

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Radiological Survey Reports

 March 1960 spill resulting in personnel 

contamination occurred when pressure 

built up in a flask containing thorium 

nitrate. 

 NIOSH followed up on this incident and 

requested bioassay records for the individual 

involved, and there was no record of bioassay 

or follow-up from this incident. 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Radiological Survey Reports

 July 1961 air samples were taken in the 

machine shop grinding room (Bldg. 5) 

reported concentration was 2 x 10-10 uCi/cc. 

Worker wore a half face respirator and a note 

on the survey indicated that a request was 

made for the worker to leave a bioassay 

sample. 

 NIOSH also followed up on this incident and 

requested bioassay records for the individual 

involved, and again there was no record of 

bioassay or follow-up from this work. 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Radiological Survey Reports

 February 1963 survey report following clean- up of a spill in Bldg. 5 involving thorium. The 

spill had been cleaned up with a sponge and 

the primary spill area (shelf) had just been 

painted prior to taking the smears, in order to 

fix the contamination in place.

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Radiological Survey Reports

 June 1963 First aid alerted the safety office 

(RadCon) of a melt operation in Bldg. 1 using 

Mg, Li, and Th metals.

 Melting operation started the day before with no 

Health and Safety oversight, and no respiratory 

protection. 

 The melting furnace was hooded, but the pouring 

operation was not. 

 The men involved said that they would report all 

future use of radioactive material. 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Radiological Survey Reports

 1964-1965 Surveys for thorium in Bldg. 3 October 14, 

1964 memo 

Resmears, taken of all locations showing above permissible 

alpha or beta-gamma activity on the routine monthly smear 

survey for September (taken 9/30/64), showed no alpha or 

beta-gamma contamination present with the exceptions of 

floor smear location #25 in the 1st floor bay area, and hood 

smear location #4 in Room 3203. I suggest that the floor smear 

location #25 be smeared weekly in order to keep closer control 

on possible spread of contamination from this area. The hood 

in Room 3203 is higher in alpha activity than should be 

tolerated for a room in which eating areas are involved. I 

suggest here that the hood should be cleaned and resmears

taken until the d/m/cm2 is 0.2 or below.

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Radiological Survey Reports

 1966 -1970 infrequent surveys and air samples for 

thorium, however, these do not correlate well 

with known or identified operations.

 Unknown source term – inventory is incomplete

 Air samples are quite low in the 10-13 to 10-15 uCi/cc

 April 1970 last thorium operation identified in 

surveys was clean-up of a grinder.

 No indication of thorium work from 1971 to 1982 

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Feasibility of Dose Reconstruction

 Available internal monitoring records, process 

descriptions, and source-term data are 

inadequate to complete dose reconstructions 

for thorium exposures with sufficient accuracy 

for the evaluated class of employees during the 

period from July 1, 1956 through December 31, 

1970.

 Uranium bioassay data is available starting in July 

1956 for workers in Bldgs. A,1,2,3,4,5, and 6.

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Health Endangerment

 The evidence reviewed in this evaluation indicates that 

some workers in the class may have accumulated 

chronic radiation exposures through intakes of 

radionuclides and direct exposure to radioactive 

materials.

 Consequently, NIOSH is specifying that health may have 

been endangered for those workers covered by this 

evaluation who were employed for a number of work 

days aggregating at least 250 work days within the 

parameters established for this class or in combination 

with work days within the parameters established for 

one or more other classes of employees in the SEC .

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Proposed Class

All Atomic Weapons Employees who worked at 

the facility owned by the Battelle Laboratories at 

the King Avenue site in Columbus, Ohio, during 

the period from July 1, 1956 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 other classes of employees in the 

Special Exposure Cohort.

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Why all workers?

 Inability to place workers in specific buildings by 

job title or other identifier.

 Apparent free flow of worker movement within 

the facility. Only a few noted areas with 

restricted access. 

 Small size of the site, 

 Approx. 1/2 the size of the Idaho Chemical 

Processing Plant (59 acres vs ≈160 acres)

 Approx. 1/5 the size of H-Area at the Savannah 

River Site (59 acres vs ≈300 acres)

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support
Questions?

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support