Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Idaho National Laboratory

SEC Evaluation Report

SEC-00238

Timothy D. Taulbee, PhD, CHP

Research Health Scientist

Division of Compensation Analysis and Support

Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health, 116th meeting

Santa Fe, New Mexico

August 23, 2017
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Background

• At the conclusion of SEC00219, NIOSH cut off the 

evaluation period for CPP at December 1974 due to the 

first indication of site awareness of contamination issues 

and need for bioassay monitoring for alpha 

contaminants.

• NIOSH indicated that we would evaluate the post 

December 1974 time period to determine when the 

recommendations of ACI-167 Preliminary ICPP Health 

Physics Upgrade Program Report was implemented. 
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Background

• NIOSH found that the site did not implement the 

recommendation for several years after.

• Recommend extending the SEC for CPP workers 

through December 31, 1980 
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Proposed SEC Class

All employees of the Department of Energy, its predecessor 

agencies, and their contractors and subcontractors who worked 

at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in Scoville, Idaho, and 

who were monitored for external radiation at the Idaho Chemical 

Processing Plant (CPP) (e.g., at least one film badge or TLD 

dosimeter from CPP) between January 1, 1975 and December 

31, 1980 for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 

work days, occurring solely under this employment, or in 

combination with work days within the parameters established 

for one or more other classes of employees in the Special 

Exposure Cohort. 
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

83.14 Petition History

• Inability to reconstruct dose letter sent March 2, 

2017

• Form A – 83.14 Petition received March 16, 2017

• July 21, 2017 SEC Petition Evaluation Report 

approved
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Site Internal Recommendations

ACI-167 Preliminary ICPP Health Physics Upgrade Program Report (1974)
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Internal Dose Reconstruction at CPP

• Negotiations with Health and Safety Laboratory in 1976-

1977 to implement routine plutonium monitoring of fecal 

and urine samples. 

• A routine monitoring program appears to begin in 1978

• However, monitoring was limited to chemists, analysts, 

operations, decontamination and instrumentation 

personnel.

• Analysis of limited samples indicated that low-level 

plutonium exposures were occurring at CPP
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Plutonium Bioassay 

Monitoring at CPP

Year Urine Fecal

1970*10

1971*00

1972* 860

1973* 550

1974* 290

197570

197600

197700

197838

1979 14 11

1980 361

1981 214 278

1982 180 226

1983 220 357

1984 209 314

1985 369 300

1986 137 324

• Current SEC 1970-1974

• Recommended Extension 1975-1980 • Implementation of routine bioassay monitoring for 

plutonium at CPP 1981-
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

What caused the change in Bioassay 

monitoring?

• Additional intakes of plutonium and uranium were discovered 

via “routine” bioassay for multiple CPP Shift Lab radioanalysts

in 1981.

• At this point plutonium and uranium bioassay analyses were 

fully implemented. 
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Internal Dose Infeasibility

• NIOSH has concluded, based on assessment of the 

available employee monitoring data, that there are 

insufficient internal dosimetry data or air monitoring 

data available to bound intakes of transuranic 

radionuclides for the period from January 1, 1975 

through December 31, 1980. 
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Health Endangerment

• Some workers in the class may have accumulated 

chronic radiation exposures through intakes of 

radionuclides at CPP.

• NIOSH is specifying that health may have been 

endangered for those workers monitored at CPP 

who were employed for a number of work days 

aggregating at least 250 work days.
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Partial Dose Reconstructions

• What about employees not included in the SEC?

• NIOSH intends to use monitoring data to conduct 

partial dose reconstructions for individuals not part 

of the SEC
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Proposed SEC Class

All employees of the Department of Energy, its predecessor 

agencies, and their contractors and subcontractors who worked 

at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in Scoville, Idaho, and 

who were monitored for external radiation at the Idaho Chemical 

Processing Plant (CPP) (e.g., at least one film badge or TLD 

dosimeter from CPP) between January 1, 1975 and December 

31, 1980 for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 

work days, occurring solely under this employment, or in 

combination with work days within the parameters established 

for one or more other classes of employees in the Special 

Exposure Cohort. 
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Site returned to One Badge One Area 

Policy

 In January 1975 the INL site returned to a “one badge, one 

area” policy for external dosimetry

 During multi-area badging, Idaho Nuclear Corporation 

controlled all of the areas concerned. In 1975, the contract was 

split between Aerojet Nuclear Company and Allied Chemical 

Corporation.

 Implementation of As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) 
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

SEC Class Definition - Completeness

• Comparison of dosimetry printouts and monthly reports
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

SEC Class Definition - Completeness

• Comparison of dosimetry printouts and monthly reports
Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Current INL Activities

 Evaluate the Burial Grounds during large retrieval operations in 

the 1970s. If needed add an additional class under the 83.14 

process.

 Respond to ABRWH/SCA Observations and Findings on SEC00219 (INL) and SEC-00224 (ANL-W)

 SC&A - CPP Alpha Evaluation

 SC&A – ANL-W Air Monitoring Evaluation

 SC&A – Burial Ground Evaluation

 SC&A – Mixed Fission Product Evaluation (Reactors)