Special Exposure Cohort Employees (SEC)

The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act established a Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) for certain classes of employees. These SEC classes include employees of Department of Energy facilities, its contractors, subcontractors and Atomic Weapons Employers who:

• worked at gaseous diffusion plants in Paducah, Kentucky, Portsmouth, Ohio, or Oak Ridge, Tennessee for a total of at least 250 days before February 1, 1992, and were monitored for radiation exposure with dosimetry badges or had jobs with similar exposures to those monitored.

• worked before January 1, 1974, on Amchitka Island, Alaska and were exposed to radiation related to the Long Shot, Milrow or Cannikin underground nuclear tests.

• worked at the Uranium Division of the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, Destrehan during the period from 1942 through 1948 and who were employed for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days either solely under this employment or in combination with work days within the parameters (excluding aggregate work day requirements) established for other classes of employees included in the SEC.

• worked at the Iowa Ordnance Plant (Iowa Army Ammunition Plant), Line 1, during the period from March 1949 through 1974 who were employed for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days either solely under this employment or in combination with work days within the parameters (excluding aggregate work day requirements) established for other classes of employees included in the SEC.

• worked as radiographers from May 1948 to March 1949 in support of Line 1 operations at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant and who were employed for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, occurring under this employment or in combination with work days within the parameters (excluding aggregate work day requirements) established for other classes of employees included in the SEC.

• worked in uranium enrichment operations or other radiological activities at the Y-12 facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee from March 1943 through December 1947 and who were employed for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, either solely under this employment or in combination with work days within the parameters (excluding aggregate work day requirements) established for other classes of employees included in the SEC.

• worked in the Uranium Division of the Destrehan Street Facility of Mallinckrodt Chemical Works from 1949 to 1957 and who were employed for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, either solely under this employment or in combination with work days within the parameters (excluding aggregate work day requirements) established for other classes of employees included in the SEC.

• worked at the Linde Ceramics Plant from October 1, 1942 through October 31, 1947, and who were employed for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, either solely under this employment or in combination with work days within the parameters (excluding aggregate work day requirements) established for other classes of employees included in the SEC.

• worked at the Pacific Proving Grounds (PPG) from 1946 through 1962 for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, either solely under this employment or in combination with work days within the parameters (excluding aggregate work day requirements) established for other classes of employees included in the SEC, and who were monitored or should have been monitored.

• worked at the Nevada Test Site from January 27, 1951 through December 31, 1962 for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, either solely under this employment or in combination with work days within the parameters (excluding aggregate work day requirements) established for other classes of employees included in the SEC, and who were monitored or should have been monitored.

• worked at the Ames Laboratory in one or more of the following facilities/locations: Chemistry Annex 1 (also known as "the old women’s gymnasium" and "Little Ankeny"), Chemistry Annex 2, Chemistry Building (also known as "Gilman Hall"), Research Building, or the Metallurgical Building (also known as "Harley Wilhelm Hall") from January 1, 1942 through December 31, 1954, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, or in combination with work days within the parameters (excluding aggregate workday requirements) established for one or more classes of employees in the SEC, and who were monitored or should have been monitored.

• worked at the Y-12 Plant and were monitored or should have been monitored for:

  thorium exposures while working in Building 9201-3, 9202, 9204-1, 9204-3, 9206, or 9212 at Y-12 for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days from January 1948 through December 1957, or in combination with work days within the parameters (excluding aggregate workday requirements) established for one or more classes of employees in the SEC; or

  radionuclide exposures associated with cyclotron operations in Building 9201-2 at Y-12 for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days from January 1948 through December 1957, or in combination with work days within the parameters (excluding aggregate workday requirements) established for one or more classes of employees in the SEC.

• were monitored or should have been monitored while working at the S-50 Oak Ridge Thermal Diffusion Plant for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days during the period from July 9, 1944, through December 31, 1951, or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.

• were monitored or should have been monitored while working at the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies Cancer Research Hospital from May 15, 1950, through December 31, 1963, and who were employed for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days, or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.

• were monitored or should have been monitored for exposure to ionizing radiation associated with radioactive lanthanum (RaLa) operations at Technical Area 10 (Bayo Canyon Site), Technical Area 35 (Ten Site), and Buildings H, Sigma, and U (located within Technical Area 1) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days during the period from September 1, 1944 through July 18, 1963, or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.

• were monitored or should have been monitored for exposure to ionizing radiation while working at Allied Chemical Corporation Plant in Metropolis, Illinois, from January 1, 1959, through December 31, 1976, and who were employed for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.

• were monitored or should have been monitored while working at the Harshaw Harvard-Denison Plant located at 1000 Harvard Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio from August 14, 1942 through November 30, 1949 and who were employed for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.

• were monitored or should have been monitored for exposure to ionizing radiation while working at the General Atomics facility in La Jolla, California, at the following locations: Science Laboratories A,B, and C (Building 2); Experimental Building (Building 9); Maintenance (Building 10); Service Building (Building 11); Buildings 21 and 22: Hot Cell Facility (Building 23; Waste Yard (Buildings 25 and 26); Experimental Area (Building 27 and 27-1); LINAC Complex (Building 30); HTGR-TCF (Building 31); Fusion Building (Building 33); Fusion Doublet III (Building 34: SV-A (Building 37); SV-B (Building 39); and SV-D (no building number) for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days from January 1, 1960 through December 31, 1969, or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.

• were monitored or should have been monitored for exposure to ionizing radiation while working at Monsanto Chemical Company Units I, III, or IV in Dayton, Ohio, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days during the period from January 1, 1943, through December 31, 1949, or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.

• were monitored or should have been monitored for potential exposure to thorium while working in any of the 100 series buildings or Buildings 220, 230, 233, 234, 301 or 310 at the W.R. Grace site at Erwin, Tennessee for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days from January 1, 1958 through December 31, 1970, or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.

• were monitored or should have been monitored for exposure to thorium radionuclides while working at the Dow Chemical Company in Madison, Illinois for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days from January 1, 1957 through December 31, 1960, or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.

• were monitored or should have been monitored for radiological exposures while working in operational Technical Areas with a history of radioactive material use at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days from March 15, 1943 through December 31, 1975, or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.

• were monitored or should have been monitored for neutron exposures while working at the Rocky Flats Plant in Golden, Colorado, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days from April 1, 1952 through December 31, 1958 (January 1, 1959 through December 31, 1966), or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.

• were monitored or should have been monitored for internal radiological exposures while working at the Hanford Engineer Works in: the 300 Area fuel fabrication and research facilities from October 1, 1943 through August 31, 1946; the 200 Area plutonium separation facilities from November 1, 1944 through August 31, 1946; or the 100 B, D and F reactor areas from September 1, 1944 through August 31, 1946; for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.

• Sheet metal workers, physical plant maintenance and associated support staff (including all maintenance shop personnel), and supervisory staff who were monitored or should have been monitored for potential internal radiation exposures associated with the maintenance and renovation activities of the thorium production areas in Wilhelm Hall (a.k.a. the Metallurgy Building or “Old” Metallurgy Building) at the Ames Laboratory from January 1, 1955 through December 31, 1970, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the Special Exposure Cohort.

• were monitored or should have been monitored for exposure to ionizing radiation while working at the NUMEC in Apollo, Pennsylvania from January 1, 1957, through December 31, 1983, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the SEC.

• worked in any areas at the Mound Plant site from October 1, 1949, through February 28, 1959, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the Special Exposure Cohort.

• were monitored for radiation exposure while working at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from January 1, 1950, through December 31, 1973, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the Special Exposure Cohort.

• worked at the Combustion Engineering site in Windsor, Connecticut from January 1, 1965, through December 31, 1972, for a number of work days aggregating at least 250 work days or in combination with work days within the parameters established for one or more other classes of employees in the Special Exposure Cohort.

The Act also authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to add other classes of employees to the Special Exposure Cohort.

These employees, or their survivors, are eligible for benefits if, after beginning covered employment, they contracted:

• bone cancer;
• renal cancer;
• leukemia (other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia) provided that the onset of the disease was at least two years after first exposure;
• lung cancer (other than in situ lung cancer that is discovered during or after a post-mortem exam);
• One of the following diseases, provided onset was at least five years after the first exposure:

• multiple myeloma
• lymphomas (other than Hodgkin’s disease)
• Primary cancer of the:

• thyroid
• male or female breast
• esophagus
• stomach
• pharynx
• small intestine
• pancreas
• bile ducts
• gall bladder
• salivary gland
• urinary bladder
• brain
• colon
• ovary
• liver (except if cirrhosis or hepatitis B is indicated)