Hangar 481

Special Exposure Cohort

Petition Evaluation Report Upd

Samuel E. Glover, PhD

Research Health Scientist

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support

February 2012

Oakland, CA
Hangar 481 Site History

 Located at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquer

New Mexico

 Ross Aviation, with operations based at Hanga

during the covered period, was under contrac

agreement with DOE

• Provided air transportation of personnel and equip

using government owned aircraft at government ofacilities associated with DOE operations at the Sa

National Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico

 Transported equipment—included packages

containing radioactive materials associated w

atomic weapons programs
Petition Overview

 February 27, 2009: 83.13 petition received September 8, 2009: petition qualified for evaluat

 December 18, 2009: Evaluation Report issued

 February 2010: Evaluation Report presented at A

Board meeting

• Delay requested by petitioner until Freedom of Informa

(FOIA) material could be provided

 July 2010: FOIA completed (DOE and NIOSH) September 23, 2010: Revised Evaluation Report i

(updated photo of Hangar 481)
Petition Overview—cont.

 November 2010: Evaluation Report re‐presented 

Advisory Board meeting

 November 3, 2010 Petitioner submits FOIA reque

information which was not in NIOSH’s possession 

time

 January 21, 2011: CDC FOIA office responds to th

November 3 request explaining that materials wil

in our possession for some time as they are being

reviewed by the Department of Energy and that h

should resubmit the request in June 2011
Petition Overview—cont.

 January 2011: NIOSH and petitioners tour Hanga

and provided a list of follow‐up questions to Offic

Secure Transport (OST) (DOE)

 June 2011: Responses provided by OST to NIOSH

 August 2011: Addendum to the Evaluation Repor

for Hangar 481

 August 2011: Evaluation report re‐presented at A

Board meeting

 August 2011: Petitioner requests extension of the

matter from the Board so that a FOIA request cou

submitted
Petition Overview—cont.

 October 2011: Petitioner submits an official F

request

 November 2011: Petitioner withdrew FOIA re

 February 2012: NIOSH provides brief summar

the Advisory Board for their consideration

 NIOSH believes that all concerns expressed by the Advis

Board were addressed
Summary of External Dose Feas

 External dose records exist for many Ross Avia

personnel and the REIRS reported data have b

verified using Eberline data from 1990‐1994

 Data from the 1994 REIRS report was found to 

incorrectly entered into the database (lifetime 

instead of annual dose) and has been correcte

this addendum and DOE has been notified

 The individual results of these records or use 

highest dose received by monitored personne

adequately bounds unmonitored worker exte

dose
Summary of External Dose

Feasibility–cont.

 Data from 1996 was not included in REIRS (

period ends February 29, 1996)

• NIOSH will use the highest annual dose for previ

for this 2‐month period

 NIOSH will use the highest dose received in 

entire year previously to bound any externa

for all employees

 The circumstances and locations related to t

pilots’ lockers and radiographic activities (doduring off hours) provide the only availableexplanation for elevated personnel dosimet

readings as described by the petitioner
Summary of External Dose

Feasibility–cont.

 There is no credible potential for neutron exp

 Potential doses from off‐hour radiographic te

would be included in the reported personal

monitoring data

 Ambient environmental external doses are in

by using the existing personnel external monidata

 X‐ray examinations are not included because

medical X‐rays were not performed on‐site at

Hangar 481
Summary of Internal Dose Feasi

 No radioactivity was stored or handled at t

Hangar 481 facility

 Radioactive materials handled by workers 

Hangar 481 were in sealed DOT‐compliant

containers and monitored in accordance w

DOT regulations to verify radiation and

contamination levels on package exteriors

• Results of available radiological surveys perform

the packages and in the transport aircraft suppopremise
Summary of Internal Dose

Feasibility—cont.

 Based on the available information on th

radiological program and potential for in

exposure sources, NIOSH concludes that 

radiological exposures to Ross Aviation

employees resulting from services rende

the DOE at Hangar 481 are unlikely to ha

occurred

 Sandia National Laboratory, being an adj

facility, was used to provide a bounding e

of the dose from ambient environmental

internal dose during the covered period
Feasibility Summary

Feasibility Findings for SEC‐00139

Source of Exposure

Dose Reconstruction

Feasible

Dose Recons

NOT Fea

Internal

X

External

‐ Beta‐Gamma X

‐ Neutron N/A

‐ Occupational

Medical X‐ray N/A