NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Project 

Introductory Meeting on the 

Allied Chemical Site Profile 

Final Minutes 1 of 5 11/23/05 

Meeting Date: 

February 10, 2005 

Meeting with: 

PACE Local 6-669, Metropolis, Illinois 

Attendees: 

Name Affiliation 

Billy Klinghammer President, PACE Local 6-669 

Mike Riley Safety Representative, PACE Local 6-669 

NIOSH and ORAU Team Representatives: 

Peter A. Darnell – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Office of 

Compensation and Analysis Support (OCAS) 

Jay Maisler – Integrated Environmental Management, Inc. 

William Murray – Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) 

Mark Lewis – Advanced Technologies and Laboratories (ATL) International, Inc. 

Dawn Catalano – ATL International, Inc. 

Proceedings 

Mr. Lewis began the discussion at approximately 2:00 p.m. by thanking the union representatives 

for taking the time to speak with the Worker Outreach Team. He explained his function as 

liaison between the government contractors and labor representatives. He said in the position he 

helps enable workers to communicate with the people working on the Site Profile, which helps 

ensure a more accurate document. The Site Profile is a technical tool used to give health 

physicists information about what kind of work was done on the site, and what the potential 

exposures could have been at a particular site. Mr. Lewis explained that the goal of outreach 

meetings is to get union input for the Site Profile since much of the information used to write the 

document has been provided by the government and contractor records. 

Mr. Darnell explained that the Site Profile Team puts the document together based on 

information provided by DOE and contractor records. The draft is then forwarded to NIOSH for 

technical review. Dose reconstructors use the approved Site Profile to perform dose 

reconstructions. 

Mr. Murray said that the Allied Chemical Site Profile is scheduled to be completed in August or 

September 2005. It was lower on the priority list than some other sites because it is smaller and 

has not been around as long as some of the DOE facilities that have already been competed. 

Dose reconstructions can be done now; but if they are more complex, the information in the Site 

Profile would help make the dose reconstructions more accurate. Dose reconstructions that are 

calculated prior to the completion of the Site Profile are based on assumptions and general 
NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Project 

Introductory Meeting on the 

Allied Chemical Site Profile 

Final Minutes 2 of 5 11/23/05 

information. If it is very likely that a claim may have a probability of causation (POC) less than 

50%, the best course of action is to wait for the Site Profile to be completed. 

Mr. Murray explained that the ORAU Team asked for this meeting to discuss the Energy 

Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA). He stated that all 

claims are submitted to the Department of Labor (DOL), but NIOSH receives only those filed for 

radiation-induced cancer under Subtitle B. NIOSH contracted with ORAU and several 

subcontractors due to the large, complex nature of the project. Claims related to radiation are 

forwarded to NIOSH to have a dose reconstruction performed. 

There are four components of dose reconstruction: internal and external doses that have been 

recorded for monitored workers; environmental doses which are calculated and added for 

unmonitored workers; and medical doses, which are also calculated and added to worker’s dose 

as measured by the internal and external dosimetry. For the Metropolis plant, the internal and 

external dose sections are based on what NIOSH knows already about the uranium that was 

present on site. Mr. Murray said NIOSH needs to know if there were any other radioactive 

materials that could have emitted radiation that penetrated the body from the outside (external) or 

that could have been breathed in (internal). The workers’ radiation dose records included results 

of urinalysis and whole body counting. 

Mr. Klinghammer commented that whole body counting was done in the 1980s. 

Mr. Murray stated that workers who were not monitored for radiation exposure benefit from the 

addition of environmental and medical doses to their dose reconstructions to increase their 

probabilities of causation. If a worker was exposed to radioactive releases, waste, or radioactive 

materials stored in the work area, they would still have received a dose even though they were 

not production workers. Some factors that are considered are the kinds of radioactive materials in 

the work environment and how they were measured. Additional dose is also assigned for 

employer-required X-rays based on the frequency and type of equipment used. 

Mr. Murray explained that the Site Description gives an overview of the radioactive materials 

known to be at the site, the processes that were used, and incidents or accidents that may have 

occurred. He said that NIOSH and ORAU are looking for sources of information that will 

contribute to the accuracy and completeness of the document. He asked the union representatives 

to identify any people or records that might be useful. Methods used to bring information to light 

may include small group meetings with site experts. Mr. Murray said the workers’ knowledge 

and experience are very useful in filling gaps, especially since AWE site records are so hard to 

find. There could possibly be a federal records center that has information, but, because the 

company changed from Allied Chemical to Honeywell, it would be even harder to pinpoint them. 

Mr. Murray said that questions and comments should be sent directly to NIOSH, and he provided 

several ways to submit them. 

Discussion Session 

Mark Lewis: 

How many union members are affiliated with the Metropolis plant? 
NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Project 

Introductory Meeting on the 

Allied Chemical Site Profile 

Final Minutes 3 of 5 11/23/05 

Billy Klinghammer: 

There are 250 members in the local. 

Mark Lewis: 

Are there records of any incidents or accidents that have occurred on the site? Did the union 

have a Health & Safety Officer? 

Billy Klinghammer: 

There has only been a Health & Safety Officer for the past 4 years. The union has been trying 

to get a small group of workers from the plant together to bring out their memories about 

experiences at the site. If we don’t get this documented, NIOSH will never know what really 

happened. We have also discussed trying to get some help filing for Special Exposure Cohort 

(SEC) Status. 

Peter Darnell: 

If members want to apply for SEC status they can do so on their own or as a group. Dose 

reconstructions will continue, but NIOSH will revisit claims if any new information is found 

in the SEC process that applies to the Site Profile. The only claims NIOSH works with are 

those filed for radiation exposure. 

Billy Klinghammer: 

Approximately 100 claims have been filed through the Resource Center. 

Jay Maisler: 

Is there any affiliation between the Kansas City Plant and Honeywell? 

Billy Klinghammer: 

Not to my knowledge. 

Billy Klinghammer: 

If gaseous diffusion plants have SEC status, why are NIOSH and the ORAU Team doing Site 

Profiles for them? 

Mark Lewis: 

Only twenty-two cancers are covered under the SEC. The Site Profile is used for dose 

reconstructions for other cancers. 

Billy Klinghammer: 

When we looked for records, they cut us off at 1964. We argued with DOE that there were 

contracts up until 1976. How can we document this if we can’t get the records? 

Mark Lewis: 

Small groups can have preliminary meetings to get the right team together and narrow down 

the participants to those workers who have the most valuable information to offer. This will 

help bring up memories of specific incidents, and the group can make affidavits if the 

incident was not previously documented. Time is of the essence to get this kind of 

information on paper. 
NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Project 

Introductory Meeting on the 

Allied Chemical Site Profile 

Final Minutes 4 of 5 11/23/05 

Jay Maisler: 

Small groups can help lead us to documents and information that will be easier to locate 

because you are looking for something specific. 

Billy Klinghammer: 

The local union holds regular monthly meetings. We can bring up the issues and get feelers 

out at the next meeting. We usually have about 35 members attend, but we could fill the hall 

if there is an important issue. We have been working with the Resource Center to have 

someone come in to discuss the claim process. We will also contact as many retirees as we 

can. Hopefully a lot of good information will come out of it. 

Mark Lewis: 

The Team will come back for another meeting after the Site Profile is done. It is a “living 

document,” so the workers’ input could be a valuable source of information for revisions to 

the original document. 

Billy Klinghammer: 

How does NIOSH get information for the Site Profile without talking to the workers? 

William Murray: 

The Site Profiles are based primarily on information obtained from AEC, DOE, or contractor 

records. This is all NIOSH has to work with at this point. The person assigned to manage the 

development of this Site Profile will contact you for your input as the document is being 

developed. 

Billy Klinghammer: 

This meeting has been very helpful in giving labor an idea of the kind of information that is 

needed for the Site Profile. It will help to point us toward the best resources. 

Peter Darnell: 

Right now, NIOSH and ORAU can only do general, over-arching dose reconstructions 

without accurate information. 

Mike Riley: 

Should we schedule the small group meeting? When you can be there? 

Mark Lewis: 

It would be best for you to do that on your own and limit it to people who know each other. 

This helps them to be more open and reflective. If security concerns arise, classified meetings 

can be arranged later. 

Jay Maisler: 

Some PACE members kept notebooks at the Mound site. These were not official records, but 

they did help in re-creating incidents. 

Billy Klinghammer: 

100% of the material that was produced at our plant during that time was shipped to Paducah. 

Now they say there was no government contract after 1976, but we sent the same materials. 
NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Project 

Introductory Meeting on the 

Allied Chemical Site Profile 

Final Minutes 5 of 5 11/23/05 

Peter Darnell: 

When government involvement ends, the operations end as far as they’re concerned. There is 

a Residual Contamination Report that details exposure from radioactive contamination that 

was left over after operations ceased. 

Billy Klinghammer: 

Is there a website that gives information about claims? 

William Murray: 

You can find information on the DOL website including how many claims NIOSH has 

received and the number of claims for each site. 

Billy Klinghammer: 

Claimants from our organization believe their dose reconstructions are already being worked 

on, and they think their cases are alive and well. 

Peter Darnell: 

You can get updates of what’s going on in the program. The claims are still in the system, 

even if they are waiting for the Site Profile to be completed. 

Billy Klinghammer: 

One of the claimants received a letter that was particularly confusing. It showed that work 

was being done on the claim. 

Peter Darnell: 

When NIOSH receives your claim, a member of the dose reconstruction team is assigned to 

work on it. The claimant will get the chance to say if he or she does not want the particular 

person who is assigned to work on it. 

Mr. Murray thanked the union representatives for hosting the Worker Outreach Team and 

adjourned the meeting at approximately 3:00 p.m.