National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Special Exposure Cohort Petition Status Updates

Charles Nelson, MS

DCAS SEC Team Lead

Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health, 149th Meeting

St. Petersburg, Fl| December 8, 2022
Purpose

 Update to the petitioners, general public, and the Advisory 

Board on Radiation and Worker Health (Advisory Board)

 Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) summary of petitions

– in qualification

– under evaluation

– currently under Advisory Board review

– potential SEC petitions (83.14)
Summary

 Petitions received – 260

a

– In qualification process – 0

– Qualified for evaluation – 153

– New Evaluations in progress – 0

– Evaluations completed – 153

 Reports with the Advisory Board – 10

 Petitions not qualifying for evaluation – 107

a

Includes 5 petitions received prior to the issuance of the SEC regulation.
SEC Petitions under Evaluation

 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 1990-1995

– Livermore, CA

– Petition SEC-0221

– Addendum to address remaining years for all employees

– The NIOSH team performed an on-site data capture in 

September 2022 

• Currently awaiting the completion of classification 

review of data sets from LLNL.
Under Advisory Board Review (1/7)

 Hanford (SEC-0057) – All SEC issues are closed except those 

related to current ongoing co-exposure modeling efforts

 Savannah River Site (SEC-0103) – NIOSH is working to resolve 

issues raised by Sanford Cohen & Associates (SC&A) and the 

Work Group

– NIOSH is responding to five issues raised by SC&A in their 

review of RPRT-0092

• WG meeting is in the works for March 2023
Under Advisory Board Review (2/7)

 Los Alamos National Laboratory (SEC-0109) – NIOSH working 

to resolve issues raised by SC&A and the Work Group

– The LANL WG met on 03/23/22 where NIOSH Presented: 

• ORAUT-RPRT-0102, “Assessment of Los Alamos 

National Laboratory Plutonium Bioassay Programs 

1996 to 2001”

• ORAUT-RPRT-0101, “Bounding Intakes of Exotic 

Radionuclides at Los Alamos National Laboratory”

– SC&A was assigned to review both Report 101 and 

102
Under Advisory Board Review (3/7)

– In Sept 2022, NIOSH submitted RPRT-0103, “Review of 

Potential Exposure to Exotic Radionuclides Using Radiation 

Work Permit Data at Los Alamos National Laboratory” to 

the WG for review

 Idaho National Lab (SEC-0219) - NIOSH is working to resolve 

issues raised by SC&A and the work group. 

– A data capture trip to INL is to be performed the week of 

12/12/22
Under Advisory Board Review (4/7)

 Argonne National Laboratory West (SEC-0224) - NIOSH is 

working to resolve issues raised by SC&A and the work group.

 Area IV Santa Susanna (SEC-0235) - NIOSH is waiting on 

records to be released from the records center and the record 

center to allow visitors 

– The DOE record center EMCBC is open but restricting 

visitor access at this time. 

– In the meantime, EMCBC has been digitizing records and 

sending them to DCAS for review.
Under Advisory Board Review (5/7)

 Metals and Controls (SEC-0236) – With the M&C Work Group 

– SC&A completed a review of the NIOSH proposed dose 

reconstruction approach

– NIOSH responded to the issues in the SC&A review

– NIOSH is preparing a response to a more recent Metals 

and Controls SC&A review

• Expected to go to the WG in January 2023
Under Advisory Board Review (6/7)

 De Soto Avenue Facility (SEC-0246) - NIOSH is working to 

provide clarification on a remaining issues 

– The DOE record center EMCBC is open but restricting 

visitor access at this time. 

– In the meantime, EMCBC has been digitizing records and 

sending them to DCAS for review.
Under Advisory Board Review (7/7)

 Y-12 Plant (SEC-0250) - Addendum to the ER was presented in 

the August 2021 AB meeting

– SC&A was assigned to perform a review of the ER

 Pinellas Plant (SEC-0256) - NIOSH discussed the ER at the 

December 2021 Advisory Board meeting

– SC&A was assigned to perform a review of the ER
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Sites With Evaluation Period Awaiting Action (1/3)

Site (SEC Number) Date

Hanford (SEC-0057) 1984-1990 

(Prime 

Contractors)

Savannah River Site (SEC-0103) 1972-2007 

(Prime 

Contractors)

Savannah River Site (SEC-0103) 1990-2007 

(Subcontractors) 
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Sites With Evaluation Period Awaiting Action (2/3)

Site (SEC Number) Date

Los Alamos National Laboratory (SEC-0109) 1996-2005

Idaho National Laboratory (SEC-0219) 1949-1970

Argonne National Laboratory - West (SEC0224)1958-1979

Area IV Santa Susanna (SEC-0235) 1991-1993
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Sites With Evaluation Period Awaiting Action (3/3)

Site (SEC Number) Date

Metals and Controls (SEC-0236) 1968-1997 

(Residual 

Period) 

De Soto Avenue Facility (SEC-0246) 1965-1995

Y-12 (SEC-0250) 1979-1994

Pinellas (SEC-0256) 1957-1990
Potential SEC Petition 

 West Valley Demonstration Project

– NIOSH evaluating a potential SEC for the Atomic Weapons 

Employer (AWE) period 1966-1968
Questions?
For more information, contact CDC

1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)

TTY: 1-888-232-6348 www.cdc.gov

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the 

official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.