Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Health Archives Current as of 10FEB99 Compiled by Captain John R. Stockwell, M.D., M.P.H U.S. Public Health Service 25JAN99 Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Health Archives (ORREHA) Document Number ------- UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 4 ATLANTA FEDERAL CENTER 61 FORSYTH STREET ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303-3960 ŠJAN 25 1999 4WD-FFB Ms. Janet R. Michel 2106 Holderwood Lane Knoxville, Tennessee 37922 Dear Ms. Michel: As a follow-up to my letter datedSeptember 2, 1998,1 want to provide you additional information regarding the various health studies being conducted at the Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) remains very concerned about the serious issues raised in your letter. Although EPA is not directly involved in conducting studies of human health effects at the DOE-ORR, the Agency is very interested in these health studies. They may provide new information relevant to EPA's regulatory responsibility to protect human health by remediating Superfund sites to safe levels,- for current and future use. Since we received your letter, EPA Region 4 has contacted the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the Center for Environmental Health (CEH), and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in an effort to gather information on health studies being conducted at the DOE-ORR. In these consultations, EPA has determined that numerous (more than 30) human health effects studies are being conducted at the DOE- ORR. A few of these studies have been completed and their results are available in the peer reviewed scientific literature. Many others are still underway, and others are planned for the future. EPA Region 4 has now been able to compile a substantial amount of information regarding the human health effect studies and other relevant information regarding the DOE- ORR environmental health matters, and would like to share this information with you. Enclosed are copies of all documents that EPA possesses related to studies of health effects in DOE-ORR workers. In addition you will find enclosed a directory of the documents which briefly describes their contents. I believe one of the documents will be particularly useful; it is tided: ASyjmpsis of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Program of Occupational and Environmental Research Conducted at Oak Ridge, Tennessee DepcrtiM^of Energy (DOE) Facilities with Funding from the DOE. This synopsis of NIOSH's DOE-ORR;" human health effects studies was recently compiled by EPA and summarizes a larger NIOSH source document that is enclosed as well. Although these documents should not be considered to A \ ------- 2 be an exhaustive compendium of all the DOE-ORR environmental health issues, this collection will hopefully be useful. EPA is continuing to work with the DOE, ATSDR, CEH, NIOSH, and others, such as the Tennessee Department of Health, to gain a better understanding of: 1) the status and results of existing human health effects studies and 2) the scope and nature of future human health effects studies at DOE-ORR. As EPA obtains new data and information related to ongoing and planned health effect studies we will share the information with you. I would also like to provide you with contacts at the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the State of Tennessee, that may be useful in obtaining additional information regarding potential health issues related to operations at the DOE-ORR: Mr. David Barnhill Acting Area Director Occupational Safety and Health Administration Department of Labor Suite C-205 Green Hills Office Park 2002 Richard Jones Road Nashville, Tennessee 37243 615/781-5423 Ms. Nancy Menke Commissioner of Health Cordell Hull "Building, 3ri Floor 425 Fifth Avenue North Nashville, Tennessee 37247-0101 615/741-5949 Mr. Milton H. Hamilton, Jr. Commissioner for Environment and Conservation 21* Floor 401 Church Street Nashville, Tennessee 37243 ------- 3 I hope you find this set of materials to be an informative resource and that the above contacts prove to be helpful. If I may be of further assistance in this matter, feel free to contact me. Enclosure cc: Admiral David Satcher, Surgeon General, USPHS Mr. David Barnhill, Acting Area Director, OSHA Ms. Nancy Menke, Commissioner TDH Mr. Milton H. Hamilton, Jr., Commissioner TDEC Mr. Steve Richardson, Acting Site Manager, DOE ORR Mr. Rod Nelson, Assistant Manager, DOE ORR Mr. Jack Hanley, ATSDR Sincwplv John H. Hankinson, Jr. ------- Short Directory of Documents Related to Oak Ridge Reservation Environmental Health Issues Complied by: U.S. EPA Region 4 FFB Effective January 5,1999 Index Title Source Document If (if available) Dale 1 A Synopsis of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Program of Independent Occupational and Environmental Research Conducted at Oak Ridge, Tennessee Department of Energy (DOE) Facilities with Funding from the DOE U.S. EPA, Region 4, Atlanta, C A January 6,1999 2 Report on Historic Uranium Releases from Current DOE, Oak Ridge Operations Office Facilities DOE, ORR, TN June 24, 1985 3 Proposed Mercury Clean-up Level for the East Fork Poplar Creek Flood Plain Soil, U.S. DOE Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, Anderson County, Tennessee U.S. DHHS, Public Health Service, ATSDR, Atlanta, CA February, 1995 4 Occupational Energy Research Program Health-Related Energy Research Branch, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, Cincinnati, OH October, 1998 5 Occupational Energy Research Program Health-Related Energy Research Branch, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, Cincinnati, OH October, 1997 ------- 6 Proceedings of the Oak Ridge Workshop on Energy-Related Public Health Activities held at the Ramada Inn In Oak Ridge, Tennessee on October 30-31,1997 Radiation Studies Branch, Division of Environmental, Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, CDC, Atlanta, CA December 4,1997 7 Compendium of Public Health Activities at the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation ATSDR, With Contributions by: TDEC, ATSDR, National Center Tor Environmental Health and NlOSil ] August, 1998 < Selected Articles from Risk Analysis, an International Journal, Concerning the Bioavailability Project (BPP), of the National Environmental Policy Institute Ktsdr i ------- |