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

December 8, 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 Petition-00157 concerning workers at the Simonds Saw and Steel facility 

in Lockport, New York, under the statutory requirements established by 

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

recommends Special Exposure Cohort status be accorded to all Atomic 

Weapons Employer employees who worked at Simonds Saw and Steel Co. 

from January 1, 1948 through December 31, 1957, 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 and thorium metal products 

related to nuclear weapons production.

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

source term, personnel monitoring, and air sampling data in order to 

complete individual dose reconstructions with sufficient accuracy for 

internal or external radiation doses for employees exposed to 

thorium and its associated gaseous decay product (thoron) at this 

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

this evaluation. 

• NIOSH determined that health may have been endangered for these 

Simonds Saw and Steel facility workers. The Board also concurs 

with this determination.

Based on these considerations and the discussions held at our November 16 -

18, 2010 Advisory Board meeting held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Board 

recommends that this class be added to the Special Exposure Cohort. 
The Secretary December 8, 2010

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