Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) – Apollo

(Site Profile/Docket Number 133)

Location: Apollo, Pennsylvania

Also known as: Babcock & Wilcox Company, NUMEC II, N.M.E. Liquidating Corporation

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 Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) – Apollo.

Class(es) Added to the SEC

  • Atomic Weapons Employer (AWE) employees who were monitored or should have been monitored for exposure to ionizing radiation while working at the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation (NUMEC) in Apollo, Pennsylvania from January 1, 1957, through December 31, 1983, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the Special Exposure Cohort.

    Note: This class was established by Petition 80

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.

Advisory Board Work Group on Uranium Refining Atomic Weapons Employers (AWEs)–formerly TBD 6001 Work Group

This Work Group reviews technical documents and Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) petitions for uranium refining AWEs assigned to it by the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health. The Work Group makes recommendations to the Board on SEC petitions, reviews reports developed by the Board’s contractor (SC&A), and assists NIOSH and SC&A in resolving issues that arise through the review process.

Sites currently being considered by the Work Group include: General Atomics, Hooker Electrochemical, Reduction Pilot Plant, Westinghouse Electric Corp. (New Jersey), and W.R. Grace (Erwin, TN).

Meeting information (including agendas and transcripts) for this Work Group can be found on either the individual work site pages or on the Advisory Board and Public Meetings page.

Note: Baker-Perkins Co., Du Pont Deepwater Works, Electro Metallurgical Company, Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) – Apollo, Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) – Parks Township, and United Nuclear Corp. were previously discussed by this Work Group, but are not currently under discussion.

Work Group Members:

  • Henry A. Anderson, M.D. (Chair)

  • David Pompa

Meeting Information:

Technical Documents

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.

Site Profile

  • Site Profile for Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation, Apollo and Parks Township, Pennsylvania, Rev. 4 [5 MB (111 pages)] Revised March 13, 2017

    Revision Includes: Adds Section 5.1.3 for evaluation of internal dose from 238Pu when bioassay data are available based on DCAS-RPT-0005, Alternative Dissolution Models for Insoluble Pu-238. Updated guidance in Section 5.2.5 for evaluation of recycle uranium contaminants referencing current revision of the Feed Materials Production Center – Occupational Internal Dose, Rev 02. Incorporates formal ORAUT and NIOSH review comments. Table 6-2 and Sections 6.3.1 and 6.3.2 were updated in response to SC&A Finding 12 regarding dosimetry inconsistencies.

Advisory Board and NIOSH Comments and Discussion Papers on Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) – Apollo

The Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) – Apollo 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.

Public Comments on Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) – Apollo Documents

How to Submit Comments

Comments on Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) – Apollo 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 (133) on all comments.

Comments Received

At this time, no comments have been submitted on Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) – Apollo documents.

Document Archive for Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. (NUMEC) – Apollo

  • Site Profile for Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation, Apollo and Parks Township, Pennsylvania
    • Revised August 25, 2016 [5.5 MB (109 pages)]

      Revision Includes: Response to the S. Cohen & Associates review. Updated Table 2-3 to revise operating periods for Parks Township activities. Revised Section 5.1 and Table 5-3 to provide additional information on plutonium mixtures and evaluation of internal dose from plutonium mixtures and associated radionuclides. Added Section 5.2.2.4 to provide guidance on evaluation of intakes based on uranium fluorimetric bioassays. Updated Table 5-8 to include a few more MDA values for lung counts of 239Pu and 241Am. Guidance was added to use the maximum MDA values for years when the bioassay records do not provide an MDA value. Revised Section 5.2.4 to eliminate use of ORAUT-OTIB-0054 for evaluation of intake of associated fission and activation products. Only the doses from listed radionuclides are to be evaluated. Revised Section 5.2.5 to indicate recycled uranium contaminants should be included in the evaluation of the material solubility type that gives the highest internal dose. Added Section 6.5.2.4 and Tables 6-8 and 6-9 to provide guidance on estimation of neutron dose before 1969 using neutron-to-photon ratios. Revised Table 7-1 to include whole-body dose and skin dose with guidance to apply the isotropic exposure dose conversion factors. This is consistent with the evaluations performed for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Included exposure to thorium in the table. Added Table 7-2 to provide guidance on assignment of onsite external dose for organs affected by shallow dose. Revised Table 7-3 to use general air sampling data rather than breathing zone data as the basis for intakes of residual uranium. Added Table 7-4 for residual thorium intakes on the same basis. Revised the air concentration for residual air concentrations at Apollo and Parks Township uranium facilities to be based on a resuspension factor of 1×10-5 (rather than 1 × 10-6) and updated Tables 7-3, 7-4, and 7-7. Added Attachment B to provide guidance on evaluation of the various dosimetry reports available in the dosimetry records for NUMEC workers. Incorporates formal internal and NIOSH review comments. Constitutes a total rewrite of the document.

    • Revised November 26, 2012 [1.26 MB (89 pages)]

      Revision Includes: Change in guidance of dose during residual period and change in guidance on assignment of medical X-ray dose. Sections 3.0, 7.4.1, 7.4.2 were revised. Table 7-1 was deleted and Tables 7-2 (now 7-1), 7-3 (now 7-2) and 7-4 (now 7-3) were revised. A glossary was added. Incorporates formal internal and NIOSH review comments. Constitutes a total rewrite of the document.

    • Revised February 26, 2010 [2 MB (89 pages)]

      Revision Includes: Revises minimum detectable concentration for plutonium in urine value based on updated analysis of bioassay data. This resulted in changes to Section 5.2 on pages 44 and 45 and Table 5-4 on page 45. Updated references on pages 43,44, 51, 82-83. Added reference on page 81 and updated other references on pages 82-83 in the Reference Section. No changes occurred as a result of formal internal review. Incorporates formal NIOSH review comments.

    • Revised June 2, 2009 [1.5 MB (89 pages)]

      Revision Includes: Incorporates the Parks Township facility. Incorporates formal internal and NIOSH review comments. Constitutes a total rewrite of the document.

    • Approved September 26, 2008 [1.2 MB (67 pages)]

      Revision Includes: New Technical Basis Document for Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation (NUMEC) in Apollo, Pennsylvania. Incorporates formal internal and NIOSH review comments.