Enc.

ADVISORY BOARD ON RADIATION AND WORKER HEALTH

1150 Tusculum Ave 

Cincinnati, Ohio 45226

(513) 533-6825

January 15, 2016

The Honorable Sylvia M. Burwell

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 00229 concerning 

workers at the Battelle Laboratories-King Avenue in Columbus, Ohio, 

under the statutory requirements established by the Energy Employees 

Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 and 

incorporated into 42 CFR Sec. 83.13. 

The Board respectfully recommends that SEC status be accorded to: 

“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 included in the Special 

Exposure Cohort.”

This recommendation is based on the following factors: 

• Individuals employed at this facility in Columbus, Ohio, during 

the time periods in question worked on operations related to 

nuclear weapons production and may have been exposed to 

thorium and uranium.

• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH) review of available monitoring data, as well as 

available process and source term information for this facility 

found that NIOSH lacked the sufficient information necessary 

to complete individual dose reconstructions with sufficient 

accuracy for internal exposures to thorium to which these 

workers may have been subjected during the time periods in 

question. The Board concurs with this determination.

• NIOSH determined that health may have been endangered for 

employees at this facility during the time periods in question. 

The Board also concurs with this determination.

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

David Kotelchuck, Ph.D.

 New York, New York

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

David B. Richardson, Ph.D.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Genevieve S. Roessler, Ph.D.

 Elysian, Minnesota

Phillip Schofield

 Bosque Farm, New Mexico

Loretta R. Valerio

 Santa Fe, New Mexico

Paul L. Ziemer, Ph.D.

 Lafayette, Indiana

STAFF

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Theodore M. Katz, MPA

 Atlanta, Georgia

COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT 

Zaida Burgos

 Atlanta, Georgia
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Based on these considerations and the discussion at the November 18, 2015, Board meeting 

held in Oakland, California, Board recommends that this class be added to the SEC. 

Enclosed is the documentation from the Board meeting(s) where this SEC class was 

discussed. The documentation includes 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