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Safety and Health

Robert A. Taft Laboratories

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Mr. Bryan Walker, DOE K-25 Site Manager
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DODGE i AICS 708006 I

WITHOUT ENCUATTACHMENTS

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY DECLASSIFICATION REVIEW
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Dear Mr. Walker:

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2ND REVIEW:DATE: t

QLASSIFICATION ACHANGED TO:
QRDINATE WITH:
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CUASSIFIED INFO BAA

(¥) "DECLASSIFICATION OF EXPOSURE INFORMATIC
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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

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Oak Ridge K-25 Site

Lockheed Martin Energy Systems
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-7134

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Cincinnati OH 52oe188

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October 19, 1995

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these are the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS).

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The DOEhistorically has conducted studies of community and occupational populations

(Attachment 1 [ MOUtransferred studies]). In 1988, Sec. Watkins convened The Secretarial

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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

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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

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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
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conducted by NIOSH and NCEH underRAE

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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

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Document transmitted herewith contains RESTRICTED DATA.

palin -ashintweserene 7.

eparated1 frpm attachment, handle this letter as

UNCLASS

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