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

March 18, 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 00107 concerning workers at the Linde 

Ceramics Plant in Tonawanda, New York, under the statutory requirements 

established by the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Act 

of 2000 (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 (DOE), its predecessor agencies, and its contractors and 

subcontractors who worked at the Linde Ceramics Plant from January 1, 1954

through December 31, 1969 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 SEC.

This recommendation is based on the following factors:

• People working at the Linde Ceramics Plant during the time period in 

question worked the renovation of buildings that previously housed 

uranium processing activities related to nuclear weapons production.

• The Board reviewed available monitoring data, as well as process 

and source term information for various production activities at the 

Linde Ceramics Plant during the time period in question, and 

concluded that National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH) lacked adequate data necessary to complete individual 

dose reconstructions with sufficient accuracy for internal doses 

during the time period in question. 

• The Board determined that health may have been endangered for 

these Linde Ceramics Plant workers during the time period in 

question. 

NIOSH has recommended that dose reconstructions are feasible for workers at 

the Linde Ceramics Plant for the subsequent residual contamination period from 

January 1, 1970 through July 31, 2006. NIOSH found that it has access to 

adequate exposure monitoring and other information necessary to do individual 
The Secretary March 18, 2011

dose reconstructions with sufficient accuracy for members of this group, and therefore a class 

covering this group should not be added to the SEC.

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

held in Augusta, Georgia, the Board recommends that the class covering all employees of 

DOE, its predecessor agencies, and its contractors and subcontractors who worked at the 

Linde Ceramics Plant from January 1, 1954 through December 31, 1969 be added to the SEC.

Enclosed is the documentation from the Board meeting(s) where this Special Exposure Cohort 

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