CHAIRMAN: 

Paul L. Ziemer, Ph.D. 

 Lafayette, Indiana 

MEMBERS: 

Josie Beach 

 Richland, Washington 

Bradley P. Clawson 

 Rexburg, Idaho 

Michael H. Gibson 

 Franklin, Ohio 

Mark A. Griffon 

 Salem, New Hampshire 

James E. Lockey, M.D. 

 Cincinnati, Ohio 

James M. Melius, M.D., Ph.D. 

Albany, New York 

Wanda I. Munn

 Richland, Washington 

John W. Poston, Sr., Ph.D. 

 College Station, Texas 

Robert W. Presley

 Clinton, Tennessee 

Genevieve S. Roessler, Ph.D. 

 Elysian, Minnesota 

Phillip Schofield

 Bosque Farm, New Mexico 

STAFF:
 

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY:
 

Christine M. Branch, Ph.D 

 Washington, DC 

COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT : 

Zaida Burgos 

Atlanta, Georgia 

ADVISORY BOARD ON RADIATION AND WORKER HEALTH
 

4676 Columbia Parkway, MS: C-46 

Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
 

(513) 533-6825 

July 12, 2008 

The Honorable Michael O. Leavitt 

Secretary of Health and Human Services 

Department of Health and Human Services 

200 Independence Avenue, S.W. 

Washington, DC 20201 

Dear Mr. Secretary: 

The Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (The Board) has 

evaluated SEC Petition - 00098 under the statutory requirements 

established by EEOICPA and incorporated into 42 CFR Sec. 83.13 (c) 

(1) and 42 CFR Sec. 83.13 (c) (3). The Board respectfully 

recommends Special Exposure Cohort status be accorded to all 

employees of the Department of Energy (DOE), its predecessor 

agencies, and DOE contractors and subcontractors who worked at the 

Y-12 Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee from March 1, 1943 through 

December 31, 1947 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 

other classes of employees in the Special Exposure Cohort. This 

recommendation is based on the following factors: 

•	 The Y-12 facility during this time period was one of the 

earliest sites involved in the production of nuclear weapons and 

was constructed and operated during a time when radiation 

control and monitoring methods were still being developed. 

•	 Monitoring data as well as information on sources of radiation 

exposures and process information are insufficient for adequate 

individual dose reconstruction for the time period involved. In 

particular, information needed for dose reconstruction on the 

calutron operations, an important source of exposure, is 

incomplete. 

•	 A number of other radiological operations occurred at the Y-12 

plant, and NIOSH does not have information that clearly 

describes all the buildings where radiological operations 

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The Honorable Michael O. Leavitt July 12, 2008 

occurred. Consequently, NIOSH is unable to determine if any specific group of 

employees was not potentially exposed to ionizing radiation. 

•	 Only a limited number of individual bioassay samples are available and NIOSH has 

concluded that available data are too limited to support internal dose reconstruction. 

Although some air monitoring data are available, not enough is known about those 

samples to support dose reconstruction. 

•	 NIOSH has not located any individual external monitoring results. In addition, 

NIOSH has not obtained any individual external monitoring data for this period and 

lacks source-term information about non-uranium radiological operations. 

In its evaluation report, NIOSH has concluded that it is likely that radiation doses for this group 

of workers at Y-12 Plant during this time period could have endangered the health of members of 

this class. The Board concurs. The Board also notes that NIOSH is able to reconstruct doses 

from medical x-rays by means of existing project technical documents. 

Based on these considerations, and on the discussions and deliberations at our June 24-26, 2008 

Board meeting, the Board recommends that this Special Exposure Cohort petition be granted. 

Enclosed is supporting documentation from the Advisory Board Meeting held June 24-26 2008 

in St. Louis, Missouri. This documentation includes transcripts of the deliberations, copies of the 

petition and the NIOSH review thereof, and related documents distributed by NIOSH. If any of 

these items are unavailable at this time, they will follow shortly. 

Sincerely, 

SIGNATURE ON FILE 

Paul L. Ziemer, Ph.D. 

Chair 

Enc. 

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