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ADVISORY BOARD ON RADIATION AND WORKER HEALTH

1150 Tusculum Ave

Cincinnati, Ohio 45226

(513) 533-6825

December 29, 2017

The Honorable Eric D. Hargan

Acting Secretary 

Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20201

Dear Mr. Acting Secretary:

 

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

evaluated SEC Petition 00245 concerning workers at the Ames 

Laboratory under the statutory requirements established by EEOICPA 

and incorporated into 42 CFR Sec. 83.13.

The Board respectfully recommends that SEC status be accorded to:

“All employees of the Department of Energy, its predecessor 

agencies, and their contractors or subcontractors who worked in 

any area of the Ames Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, during the period 

from January 1, 1971, through December 31, 1989, 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.”

• During this time period, the Ames Laboratory was involved in 

research and development work related to the production of 

nuclear weapons. This work included some remediation work on 

contaminated facilities. 

This recommendation is based on the following factors: 

• NIOSH found that there were insufficient biological monitoring 

data, air monitoring data, or process and radiological source 

information at this facility in order to complete individual dose 

reconstructions involving internal radiation exposures with 

sufficient accuracy for Ames Laboratory workers during the time 

period in question. The Board concurs with this conclusion.

• NIOSH determined that health may have been endangered for the 

workers exposed to radiation at the Ames Laboratory during the 

time period 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
Page 2 

Based on these considerations and the discussions held at our December 13 and 14, 2017, 

Board meeting held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 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 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