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National Bureau of Standards, Van Ness Street

On This Page

Special Exposure Cohort
Public Comments

(Site Profile/Docket Number 171)

Location: Washington, D.C.

Note: The Secretary of Energy is granted authority to designate the covered facilities of EEOICPA. On November 30, 2005, the Department of Energy (DOE) published a Federal Register Notice that de-listed National Bureau of Standards, Van Ness Street as an Atomic Weapons Employer (AWE) facility.

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

Not applicable. Site was de-listed.

Classes Not Added to the SEC

Physicists who worked in Building #2 at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), Van Ness Street, Washington, DC, from 1943 through 1952.Note: This class was established from Petition 34.
Based on the DOE determination that NBS is not a covered facility under EEOICPA, NBS employees do not meet the requirement for addition to the SEC. Therefore, the class of NBS was not added to the SEC. This determination is made notwithstanding the recommendation of the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health to add certain employees of NBS to the SEC, a decision made at the October 2005 Board meeting, prior to the de-listing of NBS as an AWE under EEOICPA.

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 34
Steps in Petition Process:	Petition Details:
Date Received	May 9, 2005
Date Qualified for Evaluation	June 27, 2005
Summary of Information in Petition	Job Titles and/or Job Duties: All physicists that worked in the Radioactivity Lab–East Building–Building #2 Period of Employment: 1943 through 1952 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	National Bureau of Standards, Van Ness Street SEC Petition Pages 1-44 [2.28 MB (44 pages)] Pages 45-89 [2.21 MB (45 pages)] Pages 90-133 [2.92 MB (44 pages)] Pages 134-177 [1.99 MB (44 pages)] Pages 178-221 [1.30 (44 pages)] Pages 222-256 [1.34 (35 pages)]
Federal Register Notice Announcing that a National Bureau of Standards, Van Ness Street SEC Petition has met the Minimum Qualifications for Review and Evaluation	July 14, 2005 [57 KB (2 page)] (1943 through 1952)
SEC Petition Evaluation Report	September 12, 2005 [126 KB (18 pages)] (January 1, 1943 through December 31, 1952)
Evaluation Report Sent to the Advisory Board	September 14, 2005 (January 1, 1943 through December 31, 1952)
Petition Discussed by the Advisory Board	The Advisory Board discussed the NBS petition on October 19, 2005 during its regular meeting. 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	November 8, 2005 [266 KB (2 pages)] (January 1, 1943 through December 31, 1952)
HHS Letters to Congress Regarding the SEC Petition	December 8, 2005 [327 KB (8 pages)] (January 1, 1943 through December 31, 1952)
HHS Designation/Determination of Additional Members to the SEC	Determination: December 8, 2005 [103 KB (3 pages)] (January 1, 1943 through December 31, 1952) 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	Determination: December 27, 2005 [42 KB (1 page)] (January 1, 1943 through December 31, 1952) 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	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	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	Note: This only applies if the class is added to the SEC.

Public Comments on National Bureau of Standards, Van Ness Street Documents

How to Submit Comments

Comments on National Bureau of Standards, Van Ness Street 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 (171) on all comments.

Comments Received

At this time, no comments have been submitted on National Bureau of Standards, Van Ness Street documents.