Enc. 

ADVISORY BOARD ON RADIATION AND WORKER HEALTH

4676 Columbia Parkway, MS: C-46 

Cincinnati, Ohio 45226

(513) 533-6825

November 16, 2009 

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 00149 concerning workers at the 

Metals and Controls Corporation in Attleboro, Massachusetts, under the 

statutory requirements established by the Energy Employees Occupational 

Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) and incorporated into 42 CFR 

Sec. 83.14. The Board respectfully recommends SEC status be accorded to all 

Atomic Weapons Employees (AWE) who worked at Metals and Controls 

Corporation in Attleboro, MA, from January 1, 1952 to December 31, 1967, 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: 

 The Metals and Controls Corporation is an AWE covered facility from 

January 1, 1952 to December 31, 1967, and served as a facility involved 

with numerous radiological activities. 

 NIOSH lacks sufficient information, which includes thorium internal 

monitoring and/or air sampling data, to allow it to estimate with sufficient 

accuracy the potential internal exposures to thorium to which the proposed 

class may have been subjected from January 1, 1952 through December 

31, 1967. The Board concurs with this conclusion. 

 NIOSH determined that health may have been endangered for the workers 

exposed to radiation during the time period in question. The Board concurs 

with this determination. 

 

Based on these considerations and the discussions held at our October 20 to 

22, 2009, Advisory Board meeting in Port Jefferson, New York the Board 

recommends that Special Exposure Cohort status be granted. 

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 

 Seymour, Tennessee 

Genevieve S. Roessler, Ph.D. 

 Elysian, Minnesota 

Phillip Schofield 

 Bosque Farm, New Mexico 

STAFF:

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY:

Theodore M. Katz, MPA 

 Atlanta, Georgia 

COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT :

Zaida Burgos 

 Atlanta, Georgia 
The Secretary November 16, 2009 

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] 

 Paul L. Ziemer, Ph.D. 

 Chairman, ABRWH 

Enclosure