Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health
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The Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (also referred to as the Advisory Board or the Board) was established by the President on December 7, 2000. The Advisory Board:
- Contains individuals from the public that represent a balance of scientific, medical, and worker points of view.
- Gives advice to the Department of Health and Human Services on its activities under the Act.
- Includes a balance of perspectives from scientists, physicians, and workers.
The Advisory Board operates under the specific guidelines of public laws. The specific information on how the Advisory Board operates can be found in:
- Charter of the Advisory Board on Radiation Worker and Health [463 KB (4 pages)]
Reestablished March 22, 2016 - Federal Advisory Committee Act–FACA (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2)
Responsibilities
The Advisory Board provides advice to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on:
- The development of the final rules on:
- The methods used for completing radiation dose reconstructions.
- The guidelines used to assess the likelihood that an employee’s cancer was caused by their work at a DOE or AWE facility.
- The procedures for adding additional classes of employees to the SEC.
- The scientific validity and quality of dose reconstruction efforts performed by NIOSH.
- Whether there is a class of employees who should be added to the SEC. The Advisory Board’s recommendation is based on:
- Whether the class of employees was exposed to radiation and it is not feasible to estimate their radiation dose.
- Whether there is reasonable likelihood that such radiation doses may have endangered the health of members of the class.
Members
Chair
- James Malcolm Melius, M.D., Dr. P.H.
Director
New York State Laborers’ Health and Safety Trust Fund
Albany, New YorkDr. Melius has served as Director for the New York State Laborers’ Health and Safety Trust Fund in Albany, New York since 1996. Other current appointments and activities of Dr. Melius include: Director, New York State Laborers’ Employers Cooperation and Education Trust Fund since 1997; and Research Director, Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America since 1995.
Designated Federal Official
- Ted Katz
Program Analyst (Regulatory Impact)
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Atlanta, GA
Members
- Henry A. Anderson, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Madison, WisconsinDr. Henry Anderson received his MD degree from the University of Wisconsin Medical School in 1972. He was certified in 1977 by the American Board of Preventive Medicine with a sub-specialty in occupational and environmental medicine and in 1983 became a fellow of the American College of Epidemiology. In 1980 he joined the Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services as the Wisconsin State Environmental and Occupational Disease Epidemiologist. In 1991 he also assumed the duties of Chief Medical Officer. In July 2008 he was appointed Interim Wisconsin State Health Officer and served in that capacity until January 2009 at which time he returned to his Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist duties. Since 1980 he has held adjunct Professorships at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Department of Population Health Sciences and the UW Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, Center for Human Studies. He has published over 230 scientific articles on a broad spectrum of environmental, occupational and public health topics. He is the past chair of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Board of Scientific Councilors.
- Josie Beach
Nuclear Chemical Operator
Lead Hazardous Waste Trainer
Lead Respiratory Trainer
Ch2M Hill Hanford Group, Inc.
Hanford
Richland, WashingtonMs. Josie Beach is a Nuclear Chemical Operator with 20 years of experience at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. She started her Hanford career in 1987, at the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) as an active participant in the plants final plutonium production campaign. In 1994, Ms. Beach became involved in the worker trainer worker program instructing and developing Health and Safety classes. Ms. Beach currently works for CH2M Hill in the Tank Farms waste operations group and is a member of the United Steel Workers Union Local 12-369.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement [110 KB (2 pages)]
- Bradley P. Clawson
Senior Operator Nuclear Fuel Handling
CMH2H-WG
Idaho National Laboratory
Idaho Falls, IdahoMr. Clawson has been a Senior Operator in the Spent Nuclear fuels program at the Idaho National Laboratory since 1989. He has been involved in the shipping and receiving of the Nuclear Naval fuels, the recovery and storage of the Three Mile Island fuel, and received and stored Foreign Research Reactor fuels, as well as numerous other types of nuclear fuels. He also serves as the Nuclear Material Custodian. Mr. Clawson is involved in the troubleshooting and problem solving of daily problems and resolution of fuel handling as well as the design and fabrication of tools for the ongoing inventory of the fuels. He is a member as well as holding several offices in the United Steelworkers Union Local 8-652. Mr. Clawson was the former Secretary-Treasurer of the Atomic Energy Workers Council.
- R. William Field, Ph.D., M.S.
Professor
College of Public Health
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IowaDr. Bill Field is a Professor at the University of Iowa’s College of Public Health with joint appointments in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and Department of Epidemiology. He also directs NIOSH’s funded Occupational Epidemiology Training Program as well as NIEHS’ funded Environmental Lung Disease Research Cluster, which are both located at the University of Iowa. In addition, he is currently serving as a member of the EPA’s Science Advisory Board, Radiation Advisory Committee. Dr. Field has received numerous honors for his research and service including the EPA’s/ NEHA’s Individual Achievement Award for Excellence in Radon Risk Reduction, the EPA’s Children’s Environmental Health Recognition Award, as well as other honorary society, professional association, and university awards. Previous service includes activities with the National Academy of Sciences, the World Health Organization, scientific journal editorial boards, and numerous national and international organizations. He received his Ph.D. in Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health from the College of Medicine at University of Iowa.
- David Kotelchuck, PhD, MPH
Professor Emeritus
Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NYDavid Kotelchuck is Professor Emeritus at Hunter College, where he taught in and directed the graduate program in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. For many years he was also Director of the Industrial Hygiene Program and then Deputy Director of the NY/NJ Education and Research Center. He received his BA in physics from Johns Hopkins University, his PhD in high-energy physics from Cornell University, and his MPH in occupational health and safety from the Harvard School of Public Health.
He is an industrial hygienist with interests in radiation safety, noise control, hazardous waste worker and emergency responder training and occupational epidemiology. He is a founder and served on the Board of Directors of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health for over two decades, where he had an opportunity to work on the health and safety problems facing workers in many different labor unions and industries. He is an active retiree member of the Professional Staff Congress of the City University of New York (AFT), where he served as Co-chairperson of its Health and Safety Committee. In 2008 he received the Alice Hamilton Award from the Occupational Health and Safety Section of the American Public Health Association.
- Richard A. Lemen, Ph.D., M.S.P.H.
Assistant Surgeon General
United States Public Health Service (ret.)Dr. Lemen is a former Assistant Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service. Since retiring from the United States Public Health Service in 1996, has been a private consultant engaged in issues involving the analysis of risks associated with occupational and environmental health. Dr. Lemen was also the Acting Director and the Deputy Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) before his retirement. Since his retirement, he has taught graduate level classes on environmental and occupational health issues at the Rollins School of Public Health at the Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He has also testified in litigation on behalf of persons afflicted with asbestos-induced disease.
He has been a practicing epidemiologist for over forty years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central Methodist University in Zoology and Chemistry; Master’s of Science Degree in Public Health from the University of Missouri in the field of epidemiology; PhD in epidemiology from the University of Cincinnati; and completed the Scholar Program from the Public Health Leadership Institute of the Schools of Public Health, University of California. Dr. Lemen has published widely in the field of occupational health.
From 1967 through 1969, he served in the US. Army; from 1970 through 1996 he served as a Regular Corps Officer of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) where he obtained the rank of Rear Admiral.
During the course of his service with the US Army and the USPHS, he received multiple medals including the Distinguished Service Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal, the two highest honors bestowed by the USPHS on Commissioned Officers in the United States. He also received the Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal and several Commendation Medals from the USPHS and the US Army and the James P. Keogh Award for Outstanding Service in Occupational Safety and Health presented by NIOSH. Dr. Lemen also received the I.W. Abel Award for Courage in Public Service.
Dr. Lemen is Co-Science Director of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, an international organization for which he volunteers much of his time today. Dr. Lemen is also an elected Fellow of the Collegium Ramazzini, an internationally acclaimed Occupational Health Society, a member of the American Public Health Association, The Public Health Leadership Institute, The British Occupational Hygiene Society, the New York Academy of Sciences, and is an Associated Editor of the American Journal of Industrial Health. Dr. Lemen is also a Life member of the both the Retired Officers Association and the Reserve Officers Association.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement [113 KB (2 pages)]
- James E. Lockey, M.D., M.S.
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Professor of Environmental Health and Internal Medicine
Cincinnati, OhioDr. Lockey served as the Director of the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Environmental Health at the University of Cincinnati from 1986 to 2005. Current appointments and activities of Dr. Lockey include Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary Medicine) and Professor Environmental Health (Occupational and Environmental Medicine) University of Cincinnati; Member of the Expert Panel of Fernald II Worker Settlement Fund; Member of United Auto Workers – GM and United Auto Workers – Delphi Occupational Health Advisory Boards.
- Wanda I. Munn
Senior Nuclear Engineer (Retired)
Richland, WashingtonMs. Munn is retired from the Advanced Reactor Development Division of Westinghouse Hanford Company in Richland, Washington. She has 20 years of experience in nuclear engineering disciplines, design, construction, acceptance testing, startup, nuclear safety, and operation of the Fast Flux Test Facility. Ms. Munn has served on the Richland City Council, is a member of her local Health Physics chapter, a life member of the American Nuclear Society, and a Fellow of the Society of Women Engineers.
- John W. Poston, Sr.
Professor and Graduate Coordinator
Department of Nuclear Engineering
Texas A&M University
College Station, TXDr. Poston has served on the faculty of Texas A&M University in the Department of Nuclear Engineering for 21 years, including 10 years as Head of the Department. His service on various advisory committees and activities also include the Radiation Advisory Committee, Science Advisory Board, Environmental Protection Agency; the National Academies Committee on Transportation of Nuclear Waste to Yucca Mountain; and the National Academies Committee on Controlling International Radiological Terrorism. He is a Fellow of the Health Physics Society, the American Nuclear Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and is an Honorary Member of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. Dr. Poston is also an Associate Editor of the Health Physics Journal.
- David B. Richardson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Epidemiology,
School of Public Health,
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North CarolinaDavid B. Richardson is Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research investigates occupational and environmental causes of disease, with a particular focus on ionizing radiation. He has served in various capacities at the University of North Carolina since 1996 when he began as a post-doctoral researcher. In addition to his time at UNC, he has led a number of studies of workers at US Department of Energy facilities focused on occupational health and radiation exposure issues. Previously, he has spent time working at the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France and at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima, Japan. He received his B.A. in political science from Duke University and a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Genevieve S. Roessler, Ph.D.
Radiation Consultant
Professor Emeritus
University of Florida
Elysian, MinnesotaDr. Roessler was on the faculty, Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Florida for 22 years as Head of Health Physics and Medical Physics. Various advisory committees include the Radiation Advisory Committee, Science Advisory Board, Environmental Protection Agency, 1997-2004; Technical Steering Panel, Hanford Environmental Dose Reconstruction Project, 1988-1996; and Bi-national Advisory Group, Chernobyl Health Effects Study, National Cancer Institute, 2001-present. Dr. Roessler is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Health Physics Society’s Website “Ask the Experts” feature.
- Phillip Schofield
Bosque Farm, New MexicoMr. Schofield worked for Los Alamos National Laboratory for twenty one years. He has extensive experience in handling and processing of plutonium and americium. Some of the areas of actinide chemistry and processing include: 1) making fuel and fuel pins for the FFTF program using plutonium, uranium, and thorium, 2) hydrogen fluoride reduction of Pu O2, direct oxide reduction, americium extraction, and recovery of Pu metal. Mr. Schofield spent the last five years as an Operations Center Specialist , running and monitoring all systems at the (TA-55) plutonium facility. He has been on medical disability since 1996. He has since worked as a volunteer with the Los Alamos Project on Worker Safety.
- Loretta R. Valerio
Ombudsman
New MexicoMs. Valerio has served as an Ombudsman assisting New Mexico claimants under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) since 2007. Appointed by Governor Bill Richardson, Ms. Valerio has intervened to expedite and improve the claims adjudication for hundreds of EEOICPA claimants. Ms. Valerio was appointed to this position after seven years of contractor work as a local caseworker and outreach staff for the U.S. Department of Labor administering EEOICPA. Earlier in her career, Ms. Valerio was a contractor employee at Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of the major Department of Energy nuclear weapons sites, where she was involved in the administration of safety related operations, training and communications at the site.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement [112 KB (2 pages)]
- Paul L. Ziemer, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
School of Health Sciences
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IndianaDr. Paul Ziemer is Professor Emeritus and former Head of the School of Health Sciences at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. From 1990 to 1993, Dr. Ziemer served as the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environment, Safety, and Health during the Bush Administration. From 1995-2001, Dr. Ziemer was a consultant for the Advanced Technologies and Laboratories, Inc., and served as Chairman of the Board from 1999-2001. He earlier served as a Health Physicist at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a Radiological Physics Fellow at Vanderbilt University, and a physicist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. He is a Certified Health Physicist and has been President of the Health Physics Society and of the American Academy of Health Physics. He has also served a term as a member of the American Board of Health Physics. Dr. Ziemer currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (Hiroshima, Japan) and as a member of the Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board of the National Academy of Sciences.
Previous Board Members
- Henry Anderson (January 2002 through January 2006)
- Antonio Andrade (January 2002 through February 2005)
- Roy DeHart (January 2002 through August 2006)
- Richard Espinosa (January 2002 through January 2006)
- Sally Gadola (January 2002 through November 2002)
- Michael H. Gibson (October 2002 through December 2012)
- Mark Griffon (February 2002 through January 2015)
- Charles Leon Owens (October 2002 through September 2006)
- Robert W. Presley (2001 through September 2011)
Previous Designated Federal Officials
- Larry Elliott (January 2002 through February 2005)
- Lew Wade (February 2005 through April 2008)
- Christine Branch (April 2008 through July 2008)
Contact
The Advisory Board welcomes written comments from claimants, advocates, energy employees, Congressional offices, and the general public. Comments can be faxed to the attention of the Advisory Board at 513-533-6826 or submitted by e-mail to dcas@cdc.gov.
- Page last reviewed: September 28, 2015
- Page last updated: November 14, 2016
- Content source:
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Division of Compensation Analysis and Support