10.04.05

Cantwell Calls for Review of Hanford Worker Benefits

Audit Indicates that Former Hanford Employees may be Automatically Eligible for Workers’ Compensation

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) called for a review of the benefits available to former Hanford workers after reading an audit of available radiation exposure data. In a letter to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Cantwell urged the agency’s Advisory Board to review the status of former Hanford workers in light of an audit suggesting that a deficiency in data on worker radiation exposure between 1944 and 1968 may lead officials to underestimate radiation exposure.

"Underestimating radiation exposure levels could wrongly deny worker’s compensation to thousands of deserving individuals," said Cantwell. "We need to review the situation and make sure we give former Hanford employees the benefits they deserve."

The audit, prepared by S. Cohen & Associates (SC&A, Inc.) for the NIOSH Advisory Board, reviewed the Hanford site profile, a case history of activities at the Hanford nuclear facility, and found several instances where thousands of workers should be granted Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) status. SEC status would make former employees automatically eligible for workers’ compensation. Specifically, the June report found potentially significant exposures of reactor workers to unmeasured neutrons and unplanned airborne releases of radionuclides. The report also noted inconsistencies over time in recording worker radiation exposure, and insufficient measurements taken for internal exposure to recycled uranium. Insufficient or inconsistent data could make it impossible to determine the actual exposure level of former workers through dose reconstruction. Without dose reconstruction, SEC status would be many former workers’ only hope of compensation for their work related injuries or illnesses.

The text of Cantwell’s letter to President Bush follows below: October 3, 2005 Paul L. Ziemer, Ph.D. Advisory Board Chair Office of Compensation Analysis and Support (OCAS) NIOSH John Howard, M.D., M.P.H., J.D., LL.M. Director, NIOSH

Dear Chairman Ziemer and Director Howard:

I am writing with regard to the evaluation of the NIOSH site profile for the Hanford nuclear facility in Richland, Washington, which was prepared by S. Cohen & Associates (SC&A, Inc.) and released on June 10, 2005 for the NIOSH Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health.

It has come to my attention that the preliminary findings from June 10th report express concerns about the Hanford radiation dosimetry data for the cohort of employees between 1944 and 1968, and as such, I believe potentially provides support for a Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) status for these workers. Therefore, I respectfully request that the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health expedite the review of the June 10th Hanford site profile audit at your next meeting of the Advisory Board.

As you know, a key issue determining SEC eligibility under Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) is whether or not there is sufficient information to perform dose reconstruction for workers involved in known hazardous environments. The June 10th audit of the Hanford Site Profile, which describes radiation protection activities, found several instances where thousands of workers should be included into the SEC category.

The following summarizes the salient findings from the June 10th report:

*Potentially significant exposures to reactor workers from unmeasured neutrons

*Insufficient measurements taken for internal exposure to recycled uranium

*Potentially significant and unmeasured environmental exposures from unplanned airborne releases of radionuclides

*Inconsistencies over time in recording values for dosimetry measurements for workers involved in the Manhattan Project

I understand that this information will be used by the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health to inform the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the scientific validity and quality of dose reconstruction efforts performed. I respectfully urge the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health to review the evaluation of the Hanford site profile at its next Board conference. Based on the June 10th audit, it is necessary to give special attention to the potential limitations of these data, and inconsistencies over time, in recording practices and radiation dosimetry methods that could lead to under estimates of occupational radiation dose. The adequacy of the data needs to be assessed by the Advisory Board to delineate the work locations, the time periods and affected workers where the filing of an SEC petition may be appropriate.