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 0152 concerning workers at the 

Hanford site in Richland, Washington, 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 employees of the 

Department of Energy, its predecessor agencies, and its contractors and 

subcontractors who worked at the Hanford site in Richland, Washington, from 

October 1, 1943 through June 30, 1972, 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: 

 The Hanford site is a DOE covered facility from 1942 to present and 

serves as a facility involved with numerous radiological activities. 

 NIOSH found that it lacks sufficient information, which includes 

biological monitoring data, sufficient air monitoring information, or 

sufficient process and radiological source data, to allow it to estimate 

with sufficient accuracy the potential internal exposures to purified 

polonium, thorium, or neptunium during the time period in question from 

October 1, 1943 through June 30, 1972. 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. 

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 

 

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. 

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