seme eee PubicHeatnservce Public Health Service ame SERVICES. HUMAN NEALTHAND “DEPARTMENT DEPARTME?iT OF HEALTH AND HUMANSERVICES ‘National Institute for Occupabona!l i Safety and Health Robert A. Taft Laboratories When separated from enciosured/ hance this doournent 411408 ant ) (insert proper Mr. Bryan Walker, DOE K-25 Site Manager —_ 7 DODGE i AICS 708006 I WITHOUT ENCUATTACHMENTS “ DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY DECLASSIFICATION REVIEW MeEMS] ReOCASSICATION,RET - =n seeATe: BEE ptt AUTHORITY: J.-CLASSIFICATION RETAINED NAO Dear Mr. Walker: ‘ 2ND REVIEW:DATE: t QLASSIFICATION ACHANGED TO: QRDINATE WITH: ' As SIFICATION whe EU CUASSIFIED INFO BAA (¥) "DECLASSIFICATION OF EXPOSURE INFORMATIC i a " — This letter serves to provide justification for the request from the NationalInstitute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)for declassification of records and other information needed for the conduct of an epidemiologic study of multiple myeloma among workers at the K25 Plant. The United States Government has an interest in matters of occupational safety and health, and has a duty to establish appropriate measures to protect U.S. workers. This is not only to preserve the health of the workforce, but also to minimize the economic impact of debilitative disease. Certain U.S. Government organizations have been charged with establishing appropriate health protective measures including the conduct of research into the causes of disease. Among | Uo Oak Ridge K-25 Site Lockheed Martin Energy Systems Oak Ridge, TN 37831-7134 [ Cincinnati OH 52oe188 €ZS-NN Aqpaziniues October 19, 1995 a4[5/2 7 these are the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). i The DOEhistorically has conducted studies of community and occupational populations (Attachment 1 [ MOUtransferred studies]). In 1988, Sec. Watkins convened The Secretarial a Panel to Evaluate Epidemiologic Research Activities (SPEERA) to examine this research and determine how it should be conducted. One of the recommendations was to transfer this research from DOEto an independenthealth agency, specifically DHHS. In December 1990, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)was signed by DOE and DHHS(Attachment 2 a [MOU}), which transferred responsibility for conducting epidemiologic research related to DOE I [ facilities to DHHS. DHHShas delegated authority for conducting the research program to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Within CDC, NIOSHis responsible for a research involving worker populations. The National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) is responsible for conducting epidemiologic research involving the communities surrounding DOE sites. The investigations being conducted include epidemiologic studies, as well as the development of estimates of past exposures to chemical and physical agents for future use in epidemiologic studies. Funding for activities a conducted by NIOSH and NCEH underRAE a is provided by DOE. BEST COPY AVA Epidemiologic studies of workers often entail the comparison of the health status (usually defined as the presence of certain diseases or death from specific causes) of persons known to be exposed to the hazard understudy (e.g. radiation or certain chemicals) with the health status of individuals not exposed to that hazard. Crucial to the conduct of such a study is the accurate characterization of the exposures experienced byall study participants. It is, of course, also important to have accurate information on other factors that might also be associated with the as Document transmitted herewith contains RESTRICTED DATA. palin -ashintweserene 7. eparated1 frpm attachment, handle this letter as UNCLASS | [