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

August 4, 2010

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 

SEC Petitions-0045 and 0058 concerning workers at the Blockson Chemical 

Company facility in Joliet, Illinois under the statutory requirements established 

by EEOICPA and incorporated into 42 CFR Sec. 83.13. The Board respectfully 

recommends Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) status be accorded to all Atomic 

Weapons Employer employees who worked at the Blockson Chemical 

Company in Joliet, Illinois from March 1, 1951 to June 30, 1960, 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:

• People working at this facility during the time period in question worked 

on the production of uranium for use in nuclear weapons. 

• The Board’s review of available data found that NIOSH lacked adequate 

source term, process, or monitoring data in order to be able to complete 

accurate individual dose reconstructions for internal radiation doses from 

radon for employees at this facility during the time period in question. 

There were no radon monitoring data available for the facility during the 

time period in question, and attempts to model the radon exposures at 

this facility were found not to be adequate. 

• The Board determined that health may have been endangered for these 

Blockson Chemical Company workers.

Based on these considerations and the discussions held at our July 14, 2010, 

Advisory Board teleconference meeting, the Board recommends that this 

Special Exposure Cohort petition be granted. 
The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius Page 2

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]

James M. Melius, M.D., Dr. Ph.

 Chairman, ABRWH

Enclosure