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

December 8, 2010

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 

SEC Petition-00088 concerning workers at Texas City Chemicals, Inc. under 

the statutory requirements established by EEOICPA and incorporated into 42 

CFR Sec. 83.13. The Board respectfully recommends Special Exposure Cohort 

status be accorded to all Atomic Weapons Employer employees who worked at 

Texas City Chemicals, Inc. from October 5, 1953, through September 30, 1955, 

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:

• People working at this facility during the time period in question 

worked in uranium extraction operations related to nuclear weapons 

production.

• NIOSH’s review of available data found that it lacked adequate 

source term, personnel monitoring, and air sampling data in order to 

complete individual dose reconstructions with sufficient accuracy for 

exposure to radon for employees working at the facility during the 

time period in question. The Board concurs with this evaluation. 

• NIOSH determined that health may have been endangered for these 

Texas City Chemicals, Inc. workers. The Board also concurs with 

this determination.

Based on these considerations and the discussions held at our November 16-

18, 2010 Advisory Board meeting held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Board 

recommends that this class be added to the Special Exposure Cohort. 
The Secretary December 8, 2010

 

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