DOE Review 10/27/2015 

Division of Compensation Analysis and 

Support 

Document Number: Battelle-TBD-6000 

Appendix BL 

Effective Date: 10/19/2015 

Revision No. 1 

Site Profiles for Atomic Weapons Employers that Worked 

Uranium Metals 

Appendix BL – Jessop Steel Company 

Page 1 of 9 

Document Owner: David Allen

Approval: Signature on file 

 J.W. Neton, Associate Director for Science 

 Date: 10/19/2015 Supersedes:

 

Appendix BL

 Revision 0 

 

 EFFECTIVE 

DATE 

 

 

 

 

RECORD OF ISSUE/REVISIONS 

ISSUE 

AUTHORIZATION 

DATE 

5/25/2007 

REV. 

NO. 

DESCRIPTION 

Appendix to Battelle-TBD-6000 

describing the use of the TBD for 

claims at Jessop Steel Company 

5/25/2007 0 

3/19/2015 10/19/2015 1 Revision to update appendix based 

on revision to TBD-6000. Also 

updated for a change to the covered 

work by DOL. 
Document No. 

Battelle-TBD-6000; Appendix BL

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Page 2

JESSOP STEEL COMPANY

BL.1 Introduction

This document serves as an appendix to Battelle-TBD-6000, Site Profiles for Atomic 

Weapons Employers that Worked Uranium Metals (Battelle 2011). This Site Profile

presents site-specific information for the Jessop Steel Company located in Washington, 

Pennsylvania. Sufficient information has been found to provide more appropriate 

estimates of worker radiation dose than provided for in the technical basis document 

(TBD). Where specific information is lacking, research into similar facilities described in 

the body of this Site Profile is used. 

BL.2 Site Description

The Jessop Steel Company located in Washington, Pennsylvania, made stainless steel 

piping for the Fernald plant out of uranium contaminated nickel scrap in December 1952 

(Carney 1952). A request to send two tons of nickel scrap was dated December 2, 1952 

and one ton was sent during the week of December 5th, 1952 (Hershman 1952). 

Presumably an additional ton was sent soon after. A monthly AEC report for December 

1952 indicated 3 tons of scrap nickel was shipped to Jessop and one other company to 

manufacture “vitally needed equipment for the Fernald plant” (Hershman 1952a). The 

scrap nickel appears to be in the form of nickel trays from Lake Ontario Storage Area 

(LOSA) (Hershman 1953). The trays likely came from the Harshaw Chemical Company 

since uranium contaminated nickel trays had previously been sent to LOSA from 

Harshaw (Harris 1953). 

In addition, Jessop Steel sheared an unknown number of uranium plates for DuPont on 

March 2, 1954 (Fisher 1954). While the number of plates sheared is unknown, the 

information indicates the work was done on one particular day. Therefore, this estimate 

will assume the work took the entire day. The default work week from Battelle-TBD6000 for 1954 is 44 hours per week on average. This estimate will assume a 5 day work 

week resulting in an average of 8.8 hour work day. However, to account for the 

possibility of more than one shift of work, for the purposes of estimating the 

contamination levels, this estimate will assume one full 24 hour day of work. 

The nickel scrap was intended for stainless steel piping for the Fernald Plant likely 

because of its corrosion resistance. Many types of stainless steel are manufactured, not 

all of which include nickel. However, since the nickel was intended for this piping, it can 

be assumed this was intended for austenitic stainless steel which would normally be at 

least 6% nickel (Stainless Restorations, Stainless Sales Corporation). Assuming a 

minimum of 6% nickel, the 2 tons of nickel scrap would make a maximum of 33 tons of 

stainless steel. This amount of piping could easily be manufactured in one week so this 

estimate will assume the work took a full week in December 1952. 
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BL.3 Occupational Medical Dose

No information regarding occupational medical dose specific to the Jessop Steel site was 

found. Information to be used in dose reconstructions for which no specific information is 

available is provided in ORAUT-OTIB-0006 (ORAU, 2011), the dose reconstruction 

project technical information bulletin covering diagnostic x-ray procedures. 

BL.4 Occupational Internal Dose

No measurements of airborne uranium contamination at Jessop Steel were found. Scrap 

nickel was also processed at the Reduction Pilot Plant. The process there concentrated 

uranium in the residue. While the material is not the same as that used at Jessop, the 

uranium content appears to be similar based on the discussion in the external dose section 

of this document. Uranium content in the residue was less than 1% (NIOSH 2013). 

Using 1% uranium concentration and the 95th percentile of the airborne nickel 

concentrations measured at the Reduction Pilot Plant (NIOSH 2013), results in a uranium 

concentration of 0.0044 mg of Uranium per cubic meter of air. This concentration is 

assumed to be present at Jessop Steel for the full week of work with nickel scrap. If the 

uranium is assumed to be 2% enriched (NIOSH 2013) an airborne activity of 11.78 

dpm/m3 can be calculated. Based on this concentration being inhaled for a full work 

week (44 hours for 1952), the total activity inhaled during this week is 622 dpm. 

After the nickel work was completed, the potential existed for some uranium 

contamination to be left behind. This is estimated by first calculating the surface 

contamination level based on the technique in Battelle-TBD-6000. Research into that 

technique indicated the settling of airborne contamination reaches a maximum value 

within 30 days (720 hours) of continuous operations. Since this greatly exceeds the total 

work hours attributed to uranium work at Jessop Steel, the total work hours was used in 

the calculation rather than the 720 hours. Settling the airborne concentration for 44 hours 

results in a surface contamination value of 1399 dpm/m2. 

A resuspension factor of 1x10-5 m-1 was applied to this surface contamination value to 

estimate an airborne value of 0.014 dpm/m3. This concentration is assumed to be present 

starting December 1, 1952 until uranium plate shearing took place on March 2, 1954. It 

is also assumed to continue to cause additional airborne activity after the uranium plate 

shearing in 1954.

During the uranium plate shearing on March 2, 1954, the airborne activity will be 

estimating using Battelle-TBD-6000. Table 7.5 provides airborne samples for a variety 

of tasks performed on uranium metal. No listing exists for shearing uranium metal plates 

but a value is listed for cutoff, milling, and slotting uranium metal all of which would be 

expected to produce higher airborne activity than shearing. Therefore, the airborne 

concentration for shearing will be based on this value (45 dpm/m3

) as a favorable 

assumption. This value is the geometric mean of a lognormal distribution that has a 

geometric standard deviation of 5. The 95th percentile of this distribution (635 dpm/m3

) 
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will be used in this estimate. This value is assumed to be present for the entire 8.8 hour 

work day that shearing took place resulting in a total inhalation of 6706 dpm.

After the shearing occurred, the potential for some left over uranium contamination 

exists. As with the contamination after the scrap nickel work, the technique outlined in 

Battelle-TBD-6000 is used. Again, this technique indicates 720 hours is necessary for 

the contamination to reach a maximum value which far exceeds the total time the 

uranium was worked with at Jessop Steel. Therefore, the total work time (24 hours, 

assuming 3 full shifts) will be substituted for the 720 hours. Since the scrap nickel work 

time and the uranium plate work time do not exceed 720 hours, the contamination caused 

from the uranium plate shearing will be added to the contamination left behind by the 

nickel work. The calculation results in a surface contamination of 42547 dpm/m2 (1399 

dpm/m2 from the nickel work plus 41148 dpm/m2 from the uranium plate work).

As with the contamination after the scrap nickel work, a resuspension factor of 1x10-5 m-1

was applied to this surface contamination value. The resulting airborne activity is 0.425

dpm/m3. This concentration is assumed to be present starting March 3, 1954 until the end 

of March 1954.

Table 1 includes inhalation rates from operations with uranium as well as from 

contamination between operations. Since the values (including the surface contamination 

values) are based on the 95th percentile of the airborne distribution, the values are 

considered bounding and doses should be entered into IREP as a constant. It should be 

noted that the inhalation rate in 1954 from contamination is a combination of two 

different inhalation rates (before and after March 2, 1954). The value in Table 1 is the 

time weighted average of those values.

Table 1 – Inhalation Rates

Uranium 

work 

hours

Inhalation 

during U 

work (dpm)

Other

work 

hours

Inhalation 

during Other

periods (dpm)

Total 

inhalation

(dpm)

Inhalation 

rate

(dpm/day)

Dec 1952 44 622 142.8 2.40 624 20.14

1953 0 0 2200 36.9 36.9 0.10

Jan-March

1954

8.8 6706 559 99.4 6805 75.6

It is also possible for operators to ingest some of the uranium surface contamination. 

OCAS-TIB-0009 is normally used to determine the ingestion rate. OCAS-TIB-0009 

relates the airborne contamination during a continuous operation to the surface 

contamination and then to the ingestion rate. Battelle-TBD-6000 analyzed the airborne 

settling parameters and determined that the contamination can build up for as many as 30 

days before it reaches a maximum value. Also, the two separate campaigns at Jessop 

Steel involved very different airborne activities because one involved only uranium 

contaminated nickel scrap while the other involved uranium metal. Since uranium 

operations at Jessop Steel were well less than 30 days and the airborne concentrations 
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during the two campaigns were very different, OCAS-TIB-0009 may not be appropriate 

for estimating ingestion intakes at Jessop Steel.

The ingestion rate at Jessop Steel is therefore, estimated using the calculated surface 

contamination and an ingestion rate factor of 1.1x10-4 m2/hr (NUREG/CR 5512). The 

contamination level caused by the scrap nickel work is assumed to be present starting 

December 1, 1952 at a constant value until the uranium plate work on March 2, 1954. 

Beginning on that date, the contamination level is assumed to increase to account for 

additional contamination from the uranium plate work. 

Table 2 includes ingestion rates from operations with uranium as well as from 

contamination between operations. Since the values for the surface contamination are 

based on the 95th percentile of the airborne distribution, the values are considered 

bounding and doses should be entered into IREP as a constant. It should be noted that the 

ingestion rate in 1954 from contamination is a combination of two different ingestion 

rates (before and after March 2, 1954). The value in Table 2 is the time weighted average 

of those values. 

Table 2 – Ingestion Rates

Uranium work 

hours

Other work 

hours

Total ingestion

(dpm)

Ingestion rate 

(dpm/day)

Dec 1952 44 142.8 28.8 0.928

1953 0 2200 339 0.928

Jan-March

1954

8.8 559

952 10.6

BL.5 Occupational External Dose

No data were found related to occupational external dose from the uranium work at 

Jessop Steel. External dose rates were therefore estimated using values from BattelleTBD-6000. That document is based on uranium metal so those dose rates were adjusted 

to account for the fact that uranium was only a fraction of nickel scrap. The adjustment 

used the assumption that the uranium was 2% enriched (NIOSH 2013) and the material

was 1% uranium by weight. This results in a specific activity for the scrap nickel of 12 

pCi/mg of scrap (using 1200 pCi/mg of uranium for 2% enriched uranium). The uranium 

metal specific activity used in TBD-6000 was 684 pCi/mg (natural uranium) so the ratio 

is 0.0175 (12 pCi/mg divided by 684 pCi/mg). Uranium metal dose rates from TBD-6000 

were reduced by this factor. 

The highest 1 foot photon dose rate from Table 6.1 of TBD-6000 is 2.08 mrem/hr. The 

one foot beta dose rate is assumed to be 10 times this value while the contact beta dose 

rate is 230 mrem/hr. Correcting these dose rates for the lower specific activity of the 

nickel scrap results in dose rates of 0.036 mrem/hr, 0.36 mrem/hr and 4.04 mrem/hr 

respectively. Radiation surveys on the surface of nickel trays at Harshaw (prior to 

decontamination) show 0.06 mrem/hr gamma and 1.94 mrem/hr beta plus gamma 
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(McKelvey 1953). The beta plus gamma dose rate estimate in this document (4.04

mrem/hr) is obviously favorable. Also, since dose rates decrease with distance, the 0.036 

mrem/hr estimate at 1 foot in this document compares well with the 0.06 mrem/hr taken 

on the surface of the tray.

Operators were assumed to be exposed to the estimated dose rates (0.036 mrem/hr 

gamma at 1 foot, 0.36 mrem/hr beta at 1 foot and 4.04 mrem/hr beta surface) for half of 

their work day per the technique in TBD-6000. They are assumed to be exposed in that 

manner for 44 hours in December of 1952.

For the uranium plate shearing, the unadjusted dose rates from Table 6.1 of TBD-6000 

were used. Operators were again assumed to be within one foot of the material for half of 

their work day. Work was assumed to take place during the entire 8.8 hour work day on 

March 2, 1954.

In additional to the dose directly from uranium, operators would be exposed to external 

radiation from any contamination remaining after the work. Dose conversion factors 

from Table 3.10 of TBD-6000 were combined with the surface contamination levels 

calculated earlier to determine the dose rates from contamination. The dose rates from 

the contamination were applied to the work time between uranium operations. 

Tables 3 and 4 list the annual photon and beta doses respectively. Doses are from 

operations with uranium as well as from contamination remaining between operations. 

Since the values for the surface contamination are based on the 95th percentile of the 

airborne distribution, the values are considered bounding and doses should be entered 

into IREP as a constant. It should be noted that the doses in 1954 from contamination are 

a combination of two different dose rates (before and after March 2, 1954). The values in 

Tables 3 and 4 are the time weighted averages of those values.

Table 3 – Annual Photon Dose

Photon dose from 

material (mrem)

Photon dose from 

contamination

(mrem)

Total photon dose

(mrem)

Dec 1952 0.8 0.00008 0.8

1953 0 0.0012 0.0012

Jan-March 1954 9.15 0.0034 9.16
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Table 4 – Annual Beta Dose

Year Beta dose to 

skin from 

material

(mrem)

Beta dose to 

hands and 

forearms 

from 

material

(mrem)

Beta dose 

from 

contamination 

(mrem)

Total beta 

dose to skin 

(mrem)

Total beta 

dose to 

hands and 

forearms

(mrem)

Dec 1952 8.0 88.8 0.0076 8.0 88.8

1953 0 0 0.118 0.118 0.118

Jan-March 

1954

91.5 1012 0.331 91.9 1012

BL.6 Dose from Residual Contamination

Residual contamination potentially existed between operations with uranium at Jessop 

Steel as well as after. However, limited uranium work indicates the potential was low for 

contamination to remain after the operations ended. Therefore, no residual contamination 

period was designated for Jessop after March of 1954. The periods between operations 

are accounted for in a favorable manner in sections BL.4 and BL.5. 
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BL.7 References

Battelle, 2011, Battelle-TBD-6000 Rev 1, Site Profiles for Atomic Weapons Employers 

that Worked Uranium Metals, June 17, 2011. 

Carney 1952, Memo from Carney to Hershman, Subject: Transfer of Nickel Scrap, 

December 2, 1952, SRDB 11035 pg 29. 

DOE web site, Office of Health, Safety and Security, EEOICPA web site. 

https://hsspublic.energy.gov/search/facility/findfacility.aspx 

Fisher 1954, Letter from R.E. Fisher to R.L. Kirk, Distribution of Uranium Plates 

Sheared at Jessop Steel Company March 2, 1954, March 11, 1954, SRDB 11035 pg 27. 

Harris 1953, Memo from W. B. Harris to P. B. Klevin, Visit to Harshaw Chemical 

Company – October 27-28, 1953, November 5, 1953, SRDB 11129 pg 6. 

Hershman 1952, Memo from H. J. Hershman to R. J. Smith, Weekly Progress Report for 

Week 12/1-12/5, December 5, 1952, SRDB 73606. 

Hershman 1952a, Memo from H. J. Hershman to R. J. Smith, Transmittal of Monthly 

Progress Report for December, December 22, 1952, SRDB 11035 pg. 34. 

Hershman 1953, Memo from H. J. Hershman to R. J. Smith, Administrative Review of 

Lake Ontario Storage Area, April 8, 1953, SRDB 61904 pp. 23-25. 

McKelvey 1953, Memo from John McKelvey to A. W. Neumann, Attempted 

Decontamination of Ice Trap Receiver, Nickel Receiver, and Furnace Traps, November 

3, 1953, SRDB 11129 pp. 2-5. 

NIOSH, 2004, Estimation of Ingestion Intakes, Technical Information Bulletin, OCASTIB-009, Revision 0, April 13, 2004 

NIOSH, 2007a, Radiation exposures covered for Dose Reconstructions under Part B of 

the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act Rev. 0, OCASIG-003, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Office of Compensation 

Analysis and Support, Cincinnati, Ohio 

NIOSH, 2013, Technical Basis Document for the Huntington Pilot Plant, Huntington 

West Virginia, DCAS-TKBS-0004, Revision 01, December 12, 2013. 

NUREG/CR 5512 Vol. 1, Residual Radioactive Contamination From Decommissioning, 

Prepared for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, October 1992 
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ORAU, 2011, Dose Reconstruction from Occupational Medical X-Ray Procedures, Oak 

Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), ORAUT-OTIB-0006, Revision 04, June 20, 

2011.

Stainless Restorations, Frequently Asked Questions about Stainless Steel, website, 

http://www.stainlessrestorations.co.nz/what-is-stainless-steel.html

Stainless Sales Corporation, website listing specifications for various grades of stainless 

steel, http://www.stainlesssales.com/stainless-steel-grades.html