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

March 28, 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 00175 concerning workers at the 

Grand Junction Operations Office in Grand Junction, Colorado, 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 employees of the Department of Energy, its predecessor 

agencies, and its contractors and subcontractors who worked at the Grand 

Junction Operations Office in Grand Junction, Colorado, from March 23, 1943 

through January 31, 1975 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 in the SEC. 

This recommendation is based on the following factors:

• People working at the Grand Junction Operations office during the 

time period in question worked on uranium processing activities 

related to nuclear weapons production.

• 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 Grand 

Junction Operations Office found that NIOSH lacked adequate 

information necessary to complete individual dose reconstructions 

with sufficient accuracy for internal doses from exposures to radon 

during the time period in question and for reconstruction of external 

doses prior to 1960. The Board concurs with this determination. 

• NIOSH determines that health may have been endangered for these 

Grand Junction Operations Office facility workers during the time 

period in question. The Board also concurs with this determination.
The Secretary March 28, 2011

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

held in Augusta, Georgia, the Board recommends that this class be added to the SEC.

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