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

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

October 31, 2012

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 00189 concerning 

workers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (X-10) in Oak Ridge, 

Tennessee, under the statutory requirements established by the Energy 

Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 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 and subcontractors who worked in 

any area at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (X-10) in Oak 

Ridge, Tennessee, from June 17, 1943, through July 31, 1955, 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:

• Individuals employed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory facility 

in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, during the time period in question 

worked on the development and production of nuclear weapons.

• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

review of available monitoring data, as well as available process 

and source term information for this facility found that NIOSH 

lacked the sufficient information necessary to complete individual 

dose reconstructions with sufficient accuracy for internal 

radiological exposures for all principal sources of internal radiation 

dose during the time period in question. The Board concurs with 

this determination.

• NIOSH determined that health may have been endangered for 

these Oak Ridge National Laboratory employees during the time 

period in question. The Board also concurs with this determination.
The Secretary October 31, 2012

Page 2 

Based on these considerations and the discussion at the September 18 to 20, 2012, Board 

meeting held in Denver, Colorado, 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