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Dow Chemical Company (California)

On This Page

Special Exposure Cohort
Advisory Board and NIOSH Discussions
Public Comments

(Site Profile/Docket Number 060)

Location: Walnut Creek, California (also known as Pittsburg, CA)

Special Exposure Cohort Petition Information

The Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) is a unique category of employees established by the Act (42 CFR Part 83). Claims compensated under the SEC do not have to go through the dose reconstruction process. To qualify for compensation under the SEC, a covered employee must meet specific requirements (e.g., must have at least one of 22 “specified cancers,” and have worked for a specified time period at one of the SEC sites). Classes of employees and work sites can be considered for addition to the SEC through a NIOSH petition process. More information about the Special Exposure Cohort can be found on our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Open/Active SEC Petitions

To date, there are no open/active SEC petitions from Dow Chemical Company (California).

Class(es) Added to the SEC

All Atomic Weapons Employer employees who worked for Dow Chemical Company in Pittsburg, California, from October 1, 1947, through June 30, 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

Note: This class was established by Petition 216.

Petitions Qualified for Evaluation

Below is a list of the petitions that qualified for evaluation. Select a petition on the list to view the table for that particular petition.

Petition 216
Steps in Petition Process:	Petition Details:
Date Received	June 12, 2014
Date Qualified for Evaluation	August 5, 2014
Summary of Information in Petition	Location: Walnut Creek, California (also known as Pittsburg, CA) Job Titles and/or Job Duties: All employees who worked in any area Period of Employment: January 1, 1947 through December 31, 1957 Note: The information above is what qualified for evaluation. During our evaluation of whether dose reconstructions can adequately be completed for the above job titles and period of employment, information may cause NIOSH to change some the dates or job titles/duties. Therefore, as this petition proceeds through the SEC petition process and if an SEC class is proposed, the proposed class may not exactly match the above information.
Copy of the Petition Received	June 12, 2014 [84 KB (1 page)] (January 1, 1947 through December 31, 1957)
Federal Register Notice Announcing that a Dow Chemical Company (California) SEC Petition has met the Minimum Qualifications for Review and Evaluation	September 2, 2014 [171 KB (1 page)] (January 1, 1947 through December 31, 1957)
SEC Petition Evaluation Report	January 30, 2015 [335 KB (48 pages)] (January 1, 1947 through December 31, 1957)
Petition Discussed by the Advisory Board	The Advisory Board discussed the Dow Chemical Company (California) petition (1947-1957) during its regular meeting on March 25-26, 2015. Note: Agendas and transcripts for Board meetings will be posted on the Advisory Board and Public Meetings page as soon as they become available.
Advisory Board Recommendation on SEC Petition	April 22, 2015 [119 KB (1 page)] (October 1, 1947 through June 30, 1957)
HHS Letters to Congress Regarding the SEC Petition	May 22, 2015 [73 KB (13 pages)] (October 1, 1947 through June 30, 1957)
HHS Designation/Determination of Additional Members to the SEC	Designation: May 22, 2015 [66 KB (5 pages)] (October 1, 1947 through June 30, 1957) Note: A “designation” means that HHS is recommending a class be added to the SEC. A “determination” means that HHS is recommending a class not be added to the SEC.
Federal Register Notice: Designation/Determination of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort	Designation: June 8, 2015 [93 KB (1 page)] (October 1, 1947 through June 30, 1957) Note: A “designation” will be published if there is a recommendation to add a class to the SEC. A “determination” will be published if there is a recommendation not to add a class to the SEC.
Effective Date for the SEC Class	June 20, 2015 (October 1, 1947 through June 30, 1957) Note: This only applies if the class is added to the SEC.
Federal Register Notice: Final Effect of Designation of a Class of Employees for Addition to the Special Exposure Cohort	July 1, 2015 [79 KB (1 page)] (October 1, 1947 through June 30, 1957) Note: This only applies if the class is added to the SEC.
Letter to DOL Regarding the Addition of a New Class of Employees to the SEC	June 23, 2015 [69 KB (1 page)] (October 1, 1947 through June 30, 1957) Note: This only applies if the class is added to the SEC.

Advisory Board and NIOSH Discussions on Dow Chemical Company (California)

The Dow Chemical Company (California) discussion papers listed below are working documents prepared by NIOSH or its contractor for use in discussions with the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health or its Working Groups or Subcommittees. Draft, preliminary, interim, and white paper documents are not final NIOSH or Advisory Board (or their technical support and review contractors) positions unless specifically marked as such. These documents represent preliminary positions taken on technical issues prepared by NIOSH or its contractor.

The discussion papers have been reviewed to identify and redact any information that is protected by the Privacy Act 5 USC §552a and have been cleared for distribution.

NIOSH/DCAS Presentation: Dow Chemical Company (CA) Special Exposure Cohort (1947-1957) [135 KB (15 pages)]
March 25-26, 2015, Meeting of the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health
NIOSH/ORAU: Dow Chemical Company (CA) Special Exposure Cohort Petition Evaluation Report SEC-00216 [335 KB (48 pages)]
January 30, 2015

Public Comments on Dow Chemical Company (California) Documents

How to Submit Comments

Comments on Dow Chemical Company (California) Documents can be submitted to the NIOSH Docket Officer electronically by email at nioshdocket@cdc.gov or printed comments can be mailed to:

NIOSH Docket Office
Robert A. Taft Laboratories, MS-C34
1090 Tusculum Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45226
Please include the Site Profile/Docket Number (060) on all comments.

Comments Received

Submission from Daniel W. McKeel, Jr., M.D., regarding NIOSH, DOL, and DOE website data for Dow Chemical Corporation (CA and Madison sites) and SEC petition class size (operational and residual periods) for General Steel Industries Special Exposure Cohort Petition SEC-00105 [3 MB (27 pages)]
March 27, 2015