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Review of the NIOSH Site Profile for the Ames Laboratory

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Review of the NIOSH Site Profile for the Ames Laboratory Draft ADVISORY BOARD ON RADIATION AND WORKER HEALTH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health REVIEW OF THE NIOSH SITE PROFILE FOR THE AMES LABORATORY Contract No. 200-2009-28555 SCA-TR-SP2013-0044, Revision 0 Prepared by U. Hans Behling, PhD, MPH S. Cohen & Associates 1608 Spring Hill Road, Suite 400 Vienna, Virginia 22182 August 2013 DISCLAIMER This is a working document provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) technical support contractor, SC&A for use in discussions with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (ABRWH), including its Working Groups or Subcommittees. Documents produced by SC&A, such as memorandum, white paper, draft or working documents are not final NIOSH or ABRWH products or positions, unless specifically marked as such. This document prepared by SC&A represents its preliminary evaluation on technical issues. NOTICE: This report has been reviewed to identify and redact any information that is protected by the Privacy Act 5 U.S.C. § 552a and has been cleared for distribution. Effective Date: Revision No. Document No. Page No. August 14, 2013 0 (Draft) SCA-TR-SP2013-0044 2 of 159 Document No. S. COHEN & ASSOCIATES: SCA-TR-SP2013-0044 Technical Support for the Advisory Board on Effective Date: Radiation & Worker Health Review of Draft – August 14, 2013 NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Program Revision No. 0 (Draft) REVIEW OF THE NIOSH SITE PROFILE FOR THE Page 2 of 84 AMES LABORATORY Supersedes: Task Manager: N/A _____________________________ Date:____________ U. Hans Behling, PhD, MPH Project Manager: Reviewer(s): John Mauro _____________________________ Date:____________ John Stiver John Stiver, MS, CHP NOTICE: This report has been reviewed to identify and redact any information that is protected by the Privacy Act 5 U.S.C. § 552a and has been cleared for distribution. Effective Date: Revision No. Document No. Page No. August 14, 2013 0 (Draft) SCA-TR-SP2013-0044 3 of 159 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms and Abbreviations ..........................................................................................................7 1.0 Executive Summary ...........................................................................................................10 1.1 Technical Approach and Review Criteria ..............................................................10 1.2 Summary of Issues .................................................................................................11 1.2.1 Occupational Environmental Dose ............................................................11 1.2.2 Occupational Internal Dose ........................................................................12 1.2.3 Occupational External Dose ......................................................................13 1.3 Organization of the Report.....................................................................................13 2.0 Introduction and Scope of Audit ........................................................................................14 2.1 A Summary of Events that Prompted Review of ORAUT-TKBS-0055, Rev. 03 ...................................................................................................................14 2.2 Scope and Objectives of Audit ..............................................................................17 3.0 Relevant Background Information .....................................................................................19 3.1 Site/Facility Descriptions .......................................................................................19 3.1.1 Uranium and Thorium Facilities ................................................................19 3.1.2 Other Facilities ...........................................................................................20 3.2 Major Operations and Processes ............................................................................20 3.2.1 Uranium Metal Production ........................................................................20 3.3 Thorium and Metal Production ..............................................................................26 4.0 Review of Section 4.0 of the Ames Site Profile: Occupational Environmental Dose ......28 4.1 Uranium and Thorium Intakes ...............................................................................29 4.2 Synchrotron Operations .........................................................................................30 4.3 Ames Laboratory Research Reactor Operations (1965–1977) ..............................36 4.1 Environmental Doses from Research and Development Facilities (1942– Present) ..................................................................................................................41 4.2 Significant Environmental Event ...........................................................................46 5.0 Estimates of Occupational Internal Dose ...........................................................................51 5.1 Estimates of Uranium Exposure from Inhalation and Ingestion ............................51 5.2 Resuspension During Period with No Uranium Operations ..................................59 5.3 Thorium Exposure from Thorium Contamination After 1954 ..............................60 5.4 Thorium Exposures During Operational Periods That Were Not Considered by NIOSH ..............................................................................................................65 5.4.1 Thorium Bioassay Data..............................................................................65 5.4.2 AEC Survey Data .......................................................................................66 5.4.3 Thorium Processes and Source Term Data ................................................67 5.5 Tritium Exposures ..................................................................................................68 5.6 Fission Product Intakes ..........................................................................................68 5.6.1 Use of NUREG-1400 for Modeling Intakes at the Hot Lab ......................68 NOTICE: This report has been reviewed to identify and redact any information that is protected by the Privacy Act 5 U.S.C. § 552a and has been cleared for distribution. Effective Date: Revision No. Document No. Page No. August 14, 2013 0 (Draft) SCA-TR-SP2013-0044 4 of 159 5.6.2 Intakes of Fission Products from Decontamination and Decommissioning of the Ames Laboratory Research Reactor ..................69 5.7 Failure to Address Uranium and Thorium Blowouts for the Assessment of Episodic Intakes .....................................................................................................70 5.7.1 Quantities of Uranium and Thorium Metal Produced ...............................70 5.7.2 Estimated Frequency of Blowouts .............................................................71 5.7.3 Assessment of Airborne Contamination Levels Associated with Blowouts ....................................................................................................72 6.0 Occupational External Dose ..............................................................................................75 6.1 Unmonitored External Dose ..................................................................................75 6.2 Coworker Dose Model – 1952 to the Present ........................................................77 7.0 References ..........................................................................................................................80 Appendix A: Interview with Dr. March 12, 2006, by Dr. Arjun Makhijani, SC&A .....................................................................................................................85 Appendix B: AEC Survey Report Findings and Recommendations ............................................89 Appendix C: 2006 Bihl Memo ....................................................................................................120 Appendix D: 1947 Fulmer Report (pages 36–42).......................................................................123 Appendix E: Telephone Interview with Mr. on January 3, 2007 .....................130 Appendix F: Thorium Bioassay Data for Ames Workers ...........................................................134 Appendix G: Discussions Relating to the 250-Workday Requirement for SEC Status .............140 Appendix H: Memorandum from Dr. Skoog to Dr. Spedding ...................................................152 NOTICE: This report has been reviewed to identify and redact any information that is protected by the Privacy Act 5 U.S.C. § 552a and has been cleared for distribution. Effective Date: Revision No. Document No. Page No. August 14, 2013 0 (Draft) SCA-TR-SP2013-0044 5 of 159 LIST OF TABLES Table 2-1. Feasibility Findings for SEC-00038, August 13, 1942 through December 31, 1954 .....................................................................................................16 Table 2-2. Feasibility Findings for SEC-00075, January 1, 1955 through December 31, 1970 .....................................................................................................16 Table 2-3. Feasibility Findings for SEC-00166, January 1, 1955 through December 31, 1960 .....................................................................................................17 Table 3-1. Major Activities Associated with the Ames Project ....................................................27 Table 4-1.
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