Savannah River Site Health Effects Subcommittee (SRSHES) Meeting

Meeting Minutes
March 14, 2003

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SRSHES Open Discussion.
Dr. Bustos opened the floor for comments on the preceding agenda items. Ms. Kato raised the possibility of SRSHES making a consensus recommendation for CDC to direct ATL to conduct screening rather than the modified scope of work. Dr. Lee did not believe this request would be reasonable, but she was in favor of sending a letter to CDC expressing SRSHES’s concerns about the lack of communication related to ATL’s modified scope of work. SRSHES’s lack of participation in the decision-making process and technical issues that may arise in the future from the revised tasks could also be outlined in the letter.

Dr. Lee noted that some components of the study may be sacrificed if the screening process is eliminated and ATL progresses to a full dose reconstruction. For example, the 50-mile radius for the study locations may exclude two water treatment facilities, Columbia, South Carolina and other communities SRSHES previously identified in Phase I of dose reconstruction. Certain radionuclides, exposure pathways and other important factors may be de-emphasized as well. ATL’s current approach could potentially cause members of the impacted public represented by SRSHES to voice concerns and become skeptical of the study findings. Dr. Lee asked ATL to present methods that will be used to prevent these technical issues from occurring. This information may assure SRSHES that the study will be conducted with the same rigor as outlined in the original scope of work.

Mr. Green was not involved in the technical aspects of revising ATL’s scope of work, but he conveyed to CDC that SRSHES would express concerns with the changes. However, he emphasized that the modified tasks should not be interpreted as an intent to exclude SRSHES from the advisory process. ATL’s activities were presented during the meeting for SRSHES to provide feedback to CDC. Mr. Green was extremely confident of CDC’s strong commitment to the advisory process. Ms. Kato was concerned that SRSHES would be unable to maintain pace with the study based on two meetings per year. She raised the possibility of increasing SRSHES’s annual meetings to three while ATL is conducting the project.

To address this concern, Mr. Wood confirmed that comments on ATL’s ongoing activities submitted by individual members would be considered by CDC. Informal suggestions can be sent to CDC by e-mail without a consensus vote. Dr. Bustos added that based on the review process for the Phase II report, SRSHES will be given ample opportunity to provide input on ATL’s findings. Mr. Devitt suggested that a workgroup be formed to draft a letter and then circulate the document to the full SRSHES for comment and review before submission to CDC. This workgroup could also serve as an SRSHES liaison and point of contact with CDC and ATL for monthly communications.

Dr. Bustos emphasized that the letter should clearly delineate SRSHES’s functions to serve as a vehicle for the impacted community and provide advice to CDC, NIOSH and ATSDR at DOE sites where research is conducted. Mr. Green reminded the members that consensus can only be reached when a quorum of the full SRSHES is convened. As a result, the new workgroup could not submit the letter to CDC as an SRSHES consensus recommendation. However, he clarified that a response to the letter will be provided to SRSHES regardless of the mechanism used for submission.