Page 1 

This working document was prepared by NIOSH’s Division of Compensation Analysis and Support (DCAS) or its contractor for use in discussions 

with the ABRWH oritsWorkingGroups or Subcommittees.Draft,preliminary,interim, andWhitePaperdocuments are not finalNIOSH or ABRWH 

(ortheirtechnical support andreviewcontractors) positions unlessspecificallymarked assuch.This documentrepresents preliminary positionstaken

on technical issues prepared by NIOSH or its contractor. NOTICE: This document has been reviewed to identify and redact any information that

is protected by the Privacy Act 5 USC §552a and has been cleared for distribution.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

 Division of Compensation Analysis and Support 

 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

 

 

 Memorandum 

To: Kansas City Plant (KCP) Working Group

From: Peter Darnell, DCAS Health Physicist

 Jackson Ellis, ORAU Team Health Physicist

Pat McCloskey, ORAU Team Health Physicist

Mutty Sharfi, ORAU Team Principal AWE Dosimetrist

Subject: Revision to KCP Site Profile

Date: March 14, 2016

BACKGROUND 

NIOSH revised the KCP Site profile (TBD) in 2006. Since then, there have been a number of 

data capture efforts in support of the Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) work. The SEC process 

concluded November 19, 2015 with the resolution of the SEC matrix issues and agreement to 

move remaining issues to the TBD Issues Matrix. This memo in conjunction with the Issues 

Matrix describes NIOSH’s plan to incorporate information obtained since 2006 into a revision of 

the KCP TBD. 

1

1 Site Research Database (SRDB) Reference Identification Number (Ref ID) 20217

SEC2 and SEC13, Worker Location, Job Category, and Coworker Model including Mg-Th Alloy 

operations

One of the goals of the KCP Working Group (WG) was to verify sufficient accuracy of existing 

employee exposure information. The WG examined the types of radiological operations

performed, personnel movement throughout the site, monitoring records, and the accuracy and 

 
Page 2 

This working document was prepared by NIOSH’s Division of Compensation Analysis and Support (DCAS) or its contractor for use in discussions 

with the ABRWH oritsWorkingGroups or Subcommittees.Draft,preliminary,interim, andWhitePaperdocuments are not finalNIOSH or ABRWH 

(ortheirtechnical support andreviewcontractors) positions unlessspecificallymarked assuch.This documentrepresents preliminary positionstaken

on technical issues prepared by NIOSH or its contractor. NOTICE: This document has been reviewed to identify and redact any information that

is protected by the Privacy Act 5 USC §552a and has been cleared for distribution.

applicability of the existing coworker model. NIOSH and the WG determined that some of the 

information discovered was not included in the TBD. NIOSH will add the following operations 

and exposure bounding methods to the TBD.

• Natural Uranium Operations from 5/1/50 to 2/28/55, bounded using Battelle TBD-6000 

methodology

• Post Operations Period from 3/1/55 to 8/11/59, bounded using the maximum gross-alpha 

air sample, 49 pCi/m3

• Tritium Water Operations (tritium monitors) bounding scenario uses 400 ml bottle of 

tritiated water spilled over a work year and absorbed by a worker (6.66 mrem/year dose 

applied to all workers), and Nickel 63 Operations (no dose assigned) from 1/1/59 to 

12/31/75 

• Magnesium Thorium Alloy Operations from 8/23/61 to 3/31/63 and from 8/28/70 to 

12/31/77, bounded using administrative airborne limit of 3E-11 μCi/ml and OCAS-TIB009 ingestion rate. TBD-6000 methodology used for worker classes with less exposure 

potential than machine operators. The period from 1963-1970 remain an issue for 

continued follow-up to ensure operations were in fact suspended. 

• Post Operations Period from 1/1/78 to 5/31/84, bounded using maximum surface 

contamination from DU and D&D operations, and ORAUT-OTIB-0070 

• Organically Bound Tritium Operations (hi-lo switch plates) from 1/1/63 to 12/31/68, 

bounded using maximum surface contamination transferred to skin and absorbed; 1.77 

mrem/year dose applied to all workers.

• D&D from 6/1/84 through 9/3/86 bounded using Rockwell dosimetry data

• NIOSH and the WG evaluated operations associated with routine rad waste handling, 

rad-area maintenance, housekeeping and decontamination, and agreed to bound doses to 

all unmonitored personnel performing this work using the TBD’s DU coworker model.

NIOSH determined, and the WG agreed, that KCP accurately transferred dosimetry information 

from raw exposure records into an electronic format. Therefore, the electronic database used by 

NIOSH to develop a coworker model presented in the TBD is sufficiently accurate.

SEC3, Chronic vs. Acute Intakes

NIOSH and the WG examined the potential for accidents/incidents or other causes for acute 

intakes at KCP, and are satisfied to date that a chronic exposure pattern best approximates the 

true exposure conditions for most workers with a potential for intakes. In addition, a chronic 

exposure pattern will approximate a series of acute intakes, making it appropriate for many 

scenarios when there is not specific information for a given individual. NIOSH will add to the 
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This working document was prepared by NIOSH’s Division of Compensation Analysis and Support (DCAS) or its contractor for use in discussions 

with the ABRWH oritsWorkingGroups or Subcommittees.Draft,preliminary,interim, andWhitePaperdocuments are not finalNIOSH or ABRWH 

(ortheirtechnical support andreviewcontractors) positions unlessspecificallymarked assuch.This documentrepresents preliminary positionstaken

on technical issues prepared by NIOSH or its contractor. NOTICE: This document has been reviewed to identify and redact any information that

is protected by the Privacy Act 5 USC §552a and has been cleared for distribution.

TBD this information regarding chronic vs. acute patterns of intake at KCP, to support the 

existing, validated coworker model. 

Reviewed and Concurred by:

[Signature on File]

_____________________________________ 

Peter A. Darnell, CHP, RRPT 

Health Physicist