Enc.

ADVISORY BOARD ON RADIATION AND WORKER HEALTH

4676 Columbia Parkway, MS: C-46 

Cincinnati, Ohio 45226

(513) 533-6825

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

Michael H. Gibson

 Franklin, Ohio

Mark A. Griffon

 Salem, New Hampshire

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

Robert W. Presley

 Seymour, Tennessee

David B. Richardson, Ph.D.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Genevieve S. Roessler, Ph.D.

 Elysian, Minnesota

Phillip Schofield

 Bosque Farm, New Mexico

Paul L. Ziemer, Ph.D.

 Lafayette, Indiana

STAFF

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

Theodore M. Katz, MPA

 Atlanta, Georgia

COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT 

Zaida Burgos

 Atlanta, Georgia

September 14, 2011

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 00182 concerning workers at W.R. 

Grace and Company, in Curtis Bay, Maryland, under the statutory requirements 

established by the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation 

Program Act of 2000 (EEOICPA) 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 any building or 

area at the facility owned by W.R. Grace and Company in Curtis 

Bay, Maryland, for the operational period from May 1, 1956 through 

January 31, 1958, 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 working at the W.R. Grace and Company facility in Curtis 

Bay, Maryland during the time period in question worked on the 

processing of monazite ores to produce thorium for use in nuclear 

weapons production and related operations. 

• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

review of available monitoring data, as well as available process and 

source term information for various production activities at the W.R. 

Grace and Company facility in Curtis Bay, Maryland found that NIOSH 

lacked adequate information necessary to complete individual dose 

reconstructions with sufficient accuracy for both external and internal 

doses during the operational time period in question. The Board concurs 

with this determination.

• NIOSH determined that health may have been endangered for these 

W.R. Grace and Company employees during the time period in 
The Secretary September 14, 2011

question. The Board also concurs with this determination.

Based on these considerations and the discussion at the August 23-25, 2011, Board meeting 

held in Richland, Washington, the 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 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]

James M. Melius, M.D., Dr. PH

 Chairman, ABRWH

Enclosure