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NIOSH Program Area:

Radiation Dose Reconstruction

 

General Activities on Atomic Weapons Employer (AWE) Cases

The Act (EEOICPA) established a compensation program for individuals who, over the past 50 years, have performed duties uniquely related to the nuclear weapons production and testing programs at the Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor agencies. The list of covered employees also includes workers from certain Atomic Weapons Employers (AWEs).

2011 Data Search and Capture Efforts for AWE Cases

DCAS will reconstruct radiation doses by evaluating all appropriate data relevant to which an individual worker or group of workers have been exposed, particularly when radiation monitoring data are unavailable, incomplete, or of poor quality. Early in 2002, DOE indicated that they had provided all data and information they held on AWE sites. DCAS has been able to locate radiation information needed to conduct dose reconstructions.

DCAS along with Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), the contractor hired to support NIOSH's responsibilities under the The Act, have been involved in data search and data capture efforts. These efforts are being conducted at various DOE sites and federal and private records storage locations throughout the United States.

Listed below are the data search and capture efforts for AWE sites that occurred in 2011. When available, we have included the sites for which information was recovered. The most recent efforts are at the top of the list.

To locate a data search and capture effort, click on one of the months below. A list of efforts that occurred during that month will be displayed.

JAN      FEB      MAR      APR      MAY

JUN      JUL      AUG      SEP      OCT



October Data Search and Capture Efforts
  • University of Tennessee
    Knoxville, TN


    During this data capture trip, 27 boxes of information were reviewed and 45 documents were retrieved.

    Information was retrieved for the following AWE work site:

    Work Site
    Information Reviewed
    Metallurgical Laboratory Metabolism of fission products, radiation hazards from X-metal

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September Data Search and Capture Efforts
  • Battelle Laboratories
    Columbus, Ohio


    Information located in various rooms and holing areas were reviewed and 45 documents were retrieved during this data capture effort. The following information was retrieved for the Battelle Laboratories sites (Kings Ave. and West Jefferson): hazard reports for different experiments, assigned personnel listings for different locations, radiological incidents, reactor irradiation requests, brief (non-technical) discussion of thorium precautions, radiological surveys with a couple paired neutron/photon readings, general bioassay program information, and special environmental survey around JN-1 building perimeter.

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August Data Search and Capture Efforts
  • US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Public Document Room
    Rockville, MD


    Reels of microfiche were reviewed and 83 documents were retrieved.

    Information was retrieved for the following AWE work site:

    Work Site
    Information Reviewed
    Blockson Chemical Company Evacuation routes, license material

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  • US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Public Document Room
    Rockville, MD


    Reels of microfiche were reviewed and 186 documents were retrieved during this data capture effort.

    Information was received for the following AWE work sites:

    Work Site
    Information Reviewed
    Battelle Laboratories (King Avenue and West Jefferson) License material, material balance report, radiological status
    United Nuclear Corporation License information, request for allocation of radioactive material, chemical reaction event, ownership transfer, shipment information, decommissioning plan material

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July Data Search and Capture Efforts
  • US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Public Document Room
    Rockville, MD


    Reels of microfiche were reviewed and 107 documents were retrieved during this data capture trip.

    The documents retrieved apply to the following AWE work sites:

    Work Site
    Information Reviewed
    Battelle Laboratories (King Avenue and West Jefferson) License documents, annual environmental reports
    BWX Technologies, Inc. Effluent monitoring report, license documents, non-proprietary meeting notes
    United Nuclear Corp. Shipment of UR6 to Sweden, radiological program audit, license material, decommissioning plan, burial site evaluation, pellet enrichment variation, trip report

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June Data Search and Capture Efforts
  • US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Public Document Room
    Rockville, MD


    Reels of microfiche were reviewed and 141 documents were retrieved.

    The documents retrieved apply to the following AWE work sites:

    Work Site
    Information Reviewed
    Battelle Laboratories (King Avenue and West Jefferson) License authorization, safety evaluation report, amendments to licenses
    United Nuclear Corp. Licenses and license amendments, radiological surveys, safety evaluation reports
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  • US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Public Document Room
    Rockville, MD


    Reels of microfiche were reviewed and 88 documents were retrieved during this data capture effort.

    The documents apply to the following AWE work sites:

    Work Site
    Information Retrieved
    Battelle Laboratories (King Avenue & West Jefferson) License amendments, annual environmental reports
    BWX Technologies, Inc. Licenses revision, radiological contingency plan, material accountability, pool dismantling, environmental report
    General Atomics Semi-annual effluent report
    Lindsay Light and Chemical Co. Procedure for natural thorium contamination, thorium contamination, building contamination levels
    United Nuclear Corp. License revision and inspection, environmental release, site visit and survey plan, safety evaluation report, pond decommissioning plan
    Vitro Manufacturing (Canonsburg) Assessment of inactive uranium mill tailings, radiological assessment/survey, vicinity properties data management system, radium content in soil
    W.R. Grace and Company (Maryland) Shipment and license material

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April Data Search and Capture Efforts
  • Battelle Laboratories
    Columbus, OH


    Documents were reviewed in various rooms and holding areas at Battelle Laboratories and 243 documents were retrieved.

    The documents apply to the following AWE work sites:

    Work Sites
    Information Retrieved
    Battelle Laboratories (King Avenue) Summary of technical reports, neutron flux readings, Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspection report, procedures including: accounting and processing enriched uranium, thorium metal procurement, product inventory (normal uranium , enriched uranium, deplete thorium), monthly/quarterly progress reports, quarterly inspection of criticality units, radiological incidents, radiological surveys including: air, water, external, and smear surveys neutron/gamma dose rates fluorimetric air and dust sample analysis, reactor subcommittee reviews, shielding calculations, studies of fission-gas release, thorium rod rolling, and x-ray generating devices
    Battelle Laboratories (West Jefferson)

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March Data Search and Capture Efforts
  • Hanford
    Richland, WA


    Seventy-one documents from the Records Holding Task Group (RHTG) collection and one query result from the Hanford Radiological Exposure System (REX) were reviewed. Seventy-two documents were retrieved. In addition, a data query result on the REX system was collected.

    Information was retrieved on the following AWE work site:

    Work Sites
    Information Retrieved
    Vitro Manufacturing (Canonsburg) Monthly accountability reports

Select a Different Month

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February Data Search and Capture Efforts
  • Hanford
    Richland, WA


    Seventy-nine documents that were reviewed during a previous data capture trip were retrieved.

    Information was retrieved on the following AWE work sites:

    Work Site
    Information Retrieved
    Norton Co. Trip reports
    Wah Chang Periodic security surveys and postings
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  • Hanford
    Richland, WA


    Pacific Northwest National Laboratory classified documents and one box of records relating to US Testing were reviewed. Interviews were also conducted with former Hanford employees. Several documents that were retrieved were sent to the Hanford Classification Officer for review.

    Information was retrieved on the following AWE work sites:

    Work Sites
    Norton Co.
    Wah Chang

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January Data Search and Capture Efforts
  • Battelle Laboratories
    Columbus, OH


    During this data reconnaissance trip, documents located in the records holding area and in file cabinets in several offices were reviewed. No documents were retrieved during this trip.

    The documents reviewed related to the following AWE work sites:

    Work Sites
    Battelle Laboratories (King Avenue)
    Battelle Laboratories (West Jefferson)

Select a Different Month

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Technical Documents Used in Dose Reconstruction

If the energy employee's personal radiation information is incomplete, NIOSH will use other sources to estimate the radiation dose. This may involve using technical documents called Site Profiles, Technical Basis Documents, and Technical Information Bulletins. General information on these documents and a listing of approved technical documents can be found on the Technical Documents Used in Dose Reconstruction page.

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Report on Residual Radioactive and Beryllium Contamination at Atomic Weapons Employer Facilities and Beryllium Vendor Facilities

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (Pub. L.107-107; Section 3151(b)) required that NIOSH submit, with the cooperation of the Department of Labor and Department of Energy, a report on whether or not significant contamination remained in any atomic weapons employer facility or facility of a beryllium vendor after the facility discontinued nuclear weapon production activities.

NIOSH issued the original report, "Report on Residual Radioactive and Beryllium Contamination at Atomic Weapons Employer Facilities and Beryllium Vendor Facilities," in November 2002 and updated the report in October 2003. The Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (Pub. L. 108-375; Section 3169) required that NIOSH submit an additional update to the report in December 2006. The report was updated again by NIOSH in October 2009 and August 2011.

Previous Versions of the Residual Contamination Report

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Page last updated: December 19, 2011
Page last reviewed: January 4, 2011
Content Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Division of Compensation Analysis and Support