Epidemiologic Studies

Records Relating to Cesium at The K-25 Plant

INTRODUCTION

This introduction briefly describes the Epidemiologic Records Inventory Project and HAI's role in the project. Specific attention will be given to the history of the DOE-Oak Ridge Reservation, the development of the Y-12 Plant, and the use of mercury in the production of nuclear weapons during the 1950s and early 1960s. This introduction provides background information on the Y-12 Mercury Task Force Files, an assembly of documents resulting from the 1983 investigation of the Mercury Task Force into the effects of mercury toxicity upon workplace hygiene and worker health, the unaccountable loss of mercury, and the impact of those losses upon the environment. This introduction also explains the methodology used in the selection and inventory of these record series. Other topics include the methodology used to produce this guide, the arrangement of the detailed record series descriptions, and information concerning access to the collection.

The Epidemiologic Records Inventory Project
The Epidemiologic Records Inventory Project reflects DOE Secretary Hazel R. O'Leary's efforts to support openness initiatives in the areas of environment, safety, and health. In view of the importance of various administrative, organizational, and operational records to epidemiologic and health-related studies, a moratorium on the destruction of such records has been in effect since 1989.

In May 1992, the DOE Office of Epidemiology and Health Surveillance (EH-42), responsible for coordinating all epidemiologic activities throughout the Energy complex, directed each DOE site and DOE contractor to prepare an inventory of all records pertinent to worker or community health-related studies. EH-42 prepared and furnished each site with guidelines that defined epidemiologic records, provided instruction for describing record series, outlined the site's role in inventorying epidemiologic records, and discussed the relationship of the epidemiologic inventory to DOE's comprehensive records inventory. These inventories should be completed in 1995.

In August 1993, DOE selected History Associates as its support services contractor for the Epidemiologic Records Inventory Project. HAI, a professional records management, archives, and historical research services firm incorporated in 1981, has provided records management, historical research, and technical support for a number of DOE projects. HAI's role in this project includes verifying the accuracy, comprehensiveness, and quality of existing inventories, providing guidance to site records management teams, and, in some cases, conducting additional inventories.

In June and August 1994, HAI began a pilot study at the DOE-Oak Ridge Reservation. The primary purpose of this pilot project was to assist DOE in responding to the information needs identified in a meeting with DOE, the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH), and other stakeholders in March 1994. These groups expressed an interest in the classified mercury collection and records relating to cesium-137, radioactive lanthanum (RaLa), and iodine-131. HAI began this task by inventorying and describing the record series contained in the collection of classified documents related to operations that used large quantities of mercury and, subsequently, produced a guide to the mercury collection. With the production of this cesium guide and a guide to the records of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, DOE will be able to provide valuable assistance to health researchers needing to locate and examine records relating to these hazardous substances and the processes that produced them.

HISTORY OF OAK RIDGE

The Oak Ridge plants produced significant amounts of hazardous waste by-products, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) included Oak Ridge on its National Priorities List of Superfund hazardous waste sites in November 1989. In 1991 DOE signed the Oak Ridge Health Agreement that provides funds to the state of Tennessee for independent health assessment studies of the Oak Ridge operations and the surrounding population.

The Oak Ridge Reservation
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was one of three sites established by the Manhattan Project during World War II for the development of the first atomic weapons. Selected on September 19, 1942, the Clinton Engineering Works (CEW), later called the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), was the site of three major production facilities, which were known by the code-names X-10, Y-12, and K-25. The X-10 site, which later expanded to become the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, housed the country's first full-scale graphite reactor. Known then as the Clinton Pile, the graphite reactor provided irradiated uranium slugs from which plutonium could be separated at the Oak Ridge plants. The Y-12 facility produced enriched uranium-235 by means of electromagnetic separation, and the K-25 plant, also known as the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP), produced enriched uranium-235 by a gaseous diffusion process.

The Oak Ridge facilities produced significant amounts of hazardous waste, leading the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to include Oak Ridge on its National Priorities List of Superfund hazardous waste sites in November 1989. In 1991 DOE signed the Oak Ridge Health Agreement which provides funds to the state of Tennessee for independent health assessment studies of the Oak Ridge operations and surrounding population.

The History of K-25 Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant
Since 1943, three contractors have been involved with the construction and operation of K-25. The US Army Corps of Engineers, which ran the Manhattan Project, selected the Kellex Corporation to construct the large facility, along with the Carbide and Carbon Corporation, later known as the Union Carbide Corporation, to operate the plant. Union Carbide continued operation of the plant after atomic energy activities were turned over to the Atomic Energy Commission. In 1984, Martin Marietta Energy Systems assumed the managing and operating contract for K-25.

The K-25 facility began in May 1943, with the construction of a massive building to house the gaseous diffusion process. The U-shaped building, known as K-25, is four stories tall, a fifth-of-a-mile wide, a half-mile long on each leg, and encompasses nearly two million square feet. In January 1945, K-25 completed its first enrichment run and shipped the product to Y-12 for further processing. The facility reached its full operational capacity by August 1945.

Enrichment of uranium by gaseous diffusion occurs when gaseous uranium hexafluoride (UF6) is passed, under pressure, through a porous membrane shaped into the form of a tube, known as a "barrier." The uranium in the gas is composed of several isotopes, the most common of which are U-235 and U-238. U-235 and U-238 molecules have different atomic sizes and weights, and they travel at different speeds. U-235 will pass through the porous barrier, while the heavier and slower U-238 remains within the membrane and is shunted to a different level in the enrichment process. By passing through many sequences of the barrier, called a "cascade," the percentage of U-235 ultimately present in the gas is significantly higher than in the original UF6 compound. At the end of a run, the desired U-235 is captured from one end of the cascade, while depleted uranium (primarily U-238) is purged from the other end of the system.

The late 1940s and early 1950s witnessed the expansion of the K-25 site in terms of physical size and the breadth of its research and production goals. By 1954, K-27, K-29, K-31, and K-33 had joined K-25 as facilities for the enrichment of uranium through gaseous diffusion. After satisfying the nation's military needs for enriched uranium, K-25 and K-27 ceased operation in 1964. However, the enrichment of uranium fuel for civilian power reactors continued in buildings K-29, K-31, and K-33. The ORGDP also developed new high-technology enrichment programs, such as the 1960s Gas Centrifuge and the 1988 Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separations (AVLIS) processes. In 1985, gaseous diffusion operations ceased and these facilities were placed on standby.

Presently, the mission of K-25 is to spearhead environmental clean-up and restoration, not only at K-25, but throughout the entire Oak Ridge Reservation. Included in this mission is the Environmental Restoration Program, which oversees the identification and remediation of environmental contamination throughout the complex. Another aspect of this mission is the operation of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Incinerator for the destruction of mixed wastes. K-25 began testing the incinerator in 1988 and placed it in full-scale operation in 1990.

Cesium at K-25
Cesium-137 is a radioactive metal that possesses a half-life of approximately 30.17 years. It is one of the main fission by-products of the chemical processes that yield plutonium and other enriched nuclear fuels. From the early 1940s to the 1960s, ORNL produced sizable quantities of the nuclide. Cesium-137 is also a major component of the fallout from a nuclear explosion. It emits a strong gamma ray, 661 keV, during decay, which makes it useful in radiation therapy. The intense gamma radiation also means that it must be properly shielded and handled, because uncontrolled exposure to it is dangerous. At room temperature, cesium is a liquid that reacts violently with other materials. It bonds predominantly with chlorides to create cesium salts that are extremely soluble in water.

Since the 1950s, K-25 received wastes containing cesium-137 from the ORNL and the Hanford site. K-25 stored the waste and used it in waste-processing experiments. Currently, K-25 is concerned with the monitoring and clean-up efforts in areas which were effected by the cesium. However, ORNL discharged much of its liquid waste, which contained cesium-137, into area waterways such as the Clinch River and White Oak Creek. Cesium-137 affects the ecology of these waterways as it settles in riverbed sediments, contaminates aquatic vegetation, and is absorbed in the tissue of fish and other aquatic animals. Cesium-137 makes its way into the human community by consumption of food grown in contaminated soil and fish pulled from contaminated waterways. Chemically similar to potassium and sodium, cesium-137 may deposit in the body in ways similar to these elements, particularly in the tissues of the stomach, large and small intestines, liver, spleen, and muscle.

In the 1960s, ORNL deliberately released cesium-137 into fields near the Clinch River to study how the nuclide behaves in the environment after a nuclear explosion. As a result of this surface contamination, cesium-137 contaminated the groundwater and entered the Clinch River through surface water run-off and erosion.

INFORMATION FOR ACCESSING RECORDS

Although access to the K-25 site itself does not require a DOE "L" or "Q" clearance, or a demonstrated need to know, movement throughout the site is restricted according to clearance level, and since several of the document centers are located in the secure area, onsite researchers are strongly advised to have a "Q" clearance. The primary site contact is Sheila Thornton, K-25 TOA Coordinator, P.O. Box 2003, K-303-8, MS-7314 Oak Ridge, TN 37831, (615) 574-9525.

Several of the document centers are located in the "open" area of the plant, which does not require an "L" or "Q" clearance for admittance. These centers include the K-25 Site Document Response Center (K-1200), Health and Safety Division Document Management Center (K-1001-B, Room 131-B), and the Environmental Restoration Program Document Management Center (K-1210). Most of the documents maintained in these centers are unclassified, but some may be restricted to internal use only, with access limited to employees of DOE and DOE-contractors.

The Technical Library (K-1002) is also located in the open area of the plant. The library differs from the document centers in that it maintains general reference publications and reference services for any patron. However, the library also maintains a classified index. Examination of this card file requires a "Q" clearance and a Classified Information Access Control form (UCN 583) on file in the library. Researchers are required to use the classified index and review classified documents in a secure vault within the library. Any notes taken by researchers in the classified area must be reviewed by the Classification and Information Control Office and sanitized, if necessary, before they may be taken off the site.

IThe Site Records Center (K-1034-A), the Environmental Management Division Document Center (K-303-8, Room 13), and the two Waste Management Division Document Centers (K-1400, K-1423) are all located in the "secure" area of the site. Access to this area is controlled through a second security gate. Personnel without clearance must be escorted and supervised at all times by someone with either an "L" or "Q" clearance. Moreover, in the Site Records Center, even cleared personnel may not stay in the vault areas without the presence of center personnel. In addition, notes created by researchers at the Records Center must be reviewed and sanitized, if necessary, by the Classification and Information Control Office before they may be taken offsite.

Records Background
At the K-25 site, most records that contain information on cesium pertain to environmental monitoring and restoration activities. These records are spread among several program document centers onsite, all of which maintain independent databases and methods of arrangement. The centers maintain the collections at the document rather than series level.

IIn general, all of the centers use a combination of file codes and report numbers to arrange the documents in their care. The databases differ from center to center, but are all capable of keyword searches, and provide the same basic information, including one or more of the following: report title, date, author(s), file code or bar code number, report number, keywords, and an abstract. A staff member will conduct a search on the database using any of these data elements provided by a researcher. Researchers are not permitted to browse through either the databases or report collections at will; they must request specific reports from each center for review. Because the databases are updated frequently to incorporate the new records that come into the centers, hard copies of the database indexes are not maintained.

K-25 Site Document Response Center
This center maintains documents from several onsite programs, and is one of the easiest to use. Some of the documents at this center are duplicates of reports held in specific program document centers. These documents have not all been assigned a classification level and, therefore, should be considered for "Internal Use Only," with access limited to DOE and DOE-contractor employees.
Contact:
Larry Waters
P.O. Box 2003, K-1200, MS7262
Oak Ridge, TN 37831
(615) 576-9650

Environmental Management Division Document Center
This center deals primarily with the records created by the Environmental Management Division at K-25. It maintains some records which concern early environmental monitoring for cesium.
Contact:
Pam Crisp
P.O. Box 2003, K-303-8, MS7314
Oak Ridge, TN 37831
(615) 574-9527

Health & Safety Division Document Management Center
This center is one of the newest centers on site, and it contains some of the most recently produced documents reviewed by HAI, generally from the 1990's. These records concern environmental monitoring as it relates to worker health. The number of relevant documents is quite small.
Contact:
Pat Roberts
P.O. Box 2003, K-1001-B, MS7171
Oak Ridge, TN 37831
(615) 574-8513

Technical Library
HAI researchers located cesium-related documents in the Technical Library by searching an extensive classified index. Much of the pertinent information is from the early years of the site, often merely a small section within a plant-wide status report. Status reports, experiment results, testing manuals, and papers describing environmental monitoring activities are typical of the types of records found in the library. Many of the documents are formerly or currently classified items.
Contact:
Scott Carley and John Arrowood
P.O. Box 2003, K-1002, MS7221
Oak Ridge, TN 37831
(615) 574-9694

Site Records Center
HAI visited this facility during both its June and August 1994 trips to Oak Ridge but did not locate any records pertaining to cesium. The center acts primarily as a holding center for records that will eventually be sent to the regional Federal Records Center in East Point, Georgia.
Contact:
Emma McCaskill and Joe Smith
P.O. Box 2003, K-1034A, MS7221
Oak Ridge, TN 37831
(615) 574-8193

Waste Management Division Document Centers
These centers maintain the reports and records produced by the Waste Management Division. The two centers often operate in tandem to provide reference services. The center in K-1400 maintains Division-generated reports that provide program administrative and managerial guidance, project planning and status updates, and project results. The center in K-1423 maintains some reports but focuses primarily on active records such as "Request for Disposal" forms, waste manifests, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act [RCRA] inspection logs, that document ongoing Division activities.
Contacts:

Pat Holliday P.O. Box 2003, K-1400, MS7363 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (615) 241-2838

Debora Newman P.O. Box 2003, K-1423, MS7467 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (615) 574-7551

Environmental Restoration Program Document Management Center (ERDMC) This is one of the oldest and largest document centers on the K-25 site. It is responsible for reports generated by the Environmental Restoration Program throughout the Reservation. Besides its main center in K-1210, the ERDMC also maintains satellite centers at Y-12 and ORNL for documents that pertain solely to those sites. After early investigations revealed that cesium contamination was not an issue at Y-12, HAI focused its research at the main center and the satellite at ORNL. Record copies of all reports created for Environmental Restoration projects, whether at K-25, Y-12, or ORNL, are given a barcode, entered in the center database, and maintained in the main center.
Contact:
Jayne Haynes and Becky Lawson
P.O. Box 2003, K-1310-H, MS7256
Oak Ridge, TN 37831
(615) 241-3761

METHODOLOGY

In preparation for the June and August trips to the Oak Ridge Reservation, HAI researched background information on processes that involved the use of cesium, particularly at K-25. In May, HAI visited the Records Management Department of K-25, toured the Technical Library and other document centers, and asked Records Management to provide photocopies of K-25 organizational charts, record inventory sheets, and other information helpful to the preparation of the inventory project. This information made it possible to focus on specific aspects of cesium disposal and contamination at K-25 and the entire ORR. HAI compiled and sent a list of search terms to K-25 to be used in preliminary database searches in an effort to locate potential records. The sources utilized by the HAI team to formulate a list of terms to use in searches included the ChemRisk Oak Ridge Health Studies: Phase 1 Report, completed in September 1993, the Oak Ridge Federal Facility Agreement document, various reports generated by Oak Ridge divisions, and inventory lists of active records from the K-25 site. A sampling of the key word list includes the following terms, locations, and record categories: cesium, surface water, groundwater, sludge, LLLW (liquid low level waste), K-1070-C/D, K-1417, K-1407-B/C, White Oak Creek/Embayment/Lake/Dam/watershed, CSX Railroad, CERCLA & RCRA activities, waste disposal records, and environmental monitoring. The list of key words was, of necessity, quite broad in the early stages of the project. However, as HAI reviewed documents, new search terms and concepts presented themselves, so HAI researchers were able to narrow and modify their search strategies to reflect those new terms and concepts.

In June 1994, HAI identified, inventoried, and described the record series of the Y-12 Mercury Task Force Files. Because of the sensitivity of this collection (a majority of the documents are classified as being Confidential, or Secret Restricted Data for national security reasons) classification officers at Y-12 reviewed HAI's completed inventory forms. For quality control, a member of HAI senior management reviewed the inventory that was completed by a different HAI employee against the actual records.

Each Document Center searched its database and generated document lists from which HAI identified records to review based on titles, dates, abstracts, and other information. On site, HAI used various terms from the list thought to be most appropriate to search the classified index in the Technical Library to find other relevant documents and sections within larger reports. HAI researchers also interviewed personnel in offices holding active records, including Environmental Management, Environmental Restoration, Industrial Hygiene, and Waste Management. A list of interviewees is provided in Appendix A.

After identification, HAI reviewed the records for their applicability to cesium. Documents specifically mentioning cesium, concerning burial/waste areas, or relating to environmental monitoring were inventoried and described in this guide.

PRODUCTION AND USE OF THE GUIDE

SCOPE OF THE GUIDE

ARRANGEMENT OF THE GUIDE

I. Policies, Plans, and Procedures
Policy documents detail the administrative activities and controls set in place for the management of various programs onsite. Plan and procedure documents outline the "how-to" of programs; detail the administrative, security, quality assurance, safety, sample gathering, data management, and environmental protocols and guidance set in place; and explain the activities which occur throughout the program's duration.

II. Environmental Monitoring (onsite)
These documents pertain to onsite environmental monitoring activities that occur either on an ongoing or a one-time-only basis. The reports often include discussions of the testing results, the methodology used to collect the samples, and strategies for choosing the test locations. These reports have been further divided into six categories based on the focus of the reports.

--Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program records consist of the annual reports of the activities of this monitoring program. The ORGDP, ORNL sites, and outlying areas are included in these reports.

--K-1407 documents deal solely with monitoring efforts at the K-1407-B Holding Pond and K-1407-C Retention Basin.

--K-1417 reports are concerned with the storage and monitoring activities at the K-1417 Drum Storage Yard and the associated K-1419 Sludge Treatment Facility, where sludge from the K-1407-B&C ponds was taken, treated, and stored.

--White Oak Creek Embayment records are comprised of documents reporting the activities surrounding the background, construction, operation, and environmental monitoring of the White Oak Creek Embayment area, where cesium contamination was found.

--Remaining onsite, ongoing monitoring records which do not pertain to one of the above categories have been placed in the General, ongoing category.

--Records in the General, one-time category are records generated as the result of a one-time investigation, such as an initial investigatory survey, resampling to clarify anomalous readings in a routine survey, or an area characterization study.

III. Environmental Monitoring (offsite)
These documents are similar to those in Chapter II and consist of the same types of information, except the monitoring occurred at offsite locations. The small number of documents in this group makes further subdivision unnecessary.

IV. General
Items in this chapter do not readily fit into one of the above chapters. As such, they have been placed into one of the categories below which most accurately reflects the contents and intent of the report.

--Historical reports provide a broad overview of the waste and environmental activities that have taken place on the Oak Ridge Reservation. They may document operations, locations, waste types, operating years, and environmental monitoring at waste burial areas that span several years.

--Waste Activities documents provide summaries of waste management activities and the waste amounts generated by the various processes in use at K-25 and X-10. Also included in this category are waste characterization reports which detail the types and constituents of wastes that are buried or stored on the K-25 site.

--General documents are those which do not fall into any of the above chapters or chapter sections. Included in this section may be experiment results, pilot-project studies, background investigations, leachability studies, and other information.

Data Items in Record Descriptions
Record descriptions for these four categories contain fifteen major data items, which are listed and further explained below.

Title and Inclusive Dates
Each record description begins with a title that is either the title of the report or one that reflects the nature of the reports in the series. The date of the report or the inclusive dates of the record series is also included.

Location
Information regarding the physical location of the record and an indication of its status, whether active or inactive, is provided here. The records are located almost exclusively in the document centers on the K-25 site. A few of the records are located in the Environmental Restoration Program's satellite Clinch River ERDMC at ORNL.

Access Restrictions
In addition to site access restrictions, other limitations on viewing or obtaining documents may apply to some of the records. Documents that are classified for national security purposes require that an individual have a DOE "Q" clearance and a demonstrated need to know for access. Furthermore, items marked "Internal Use Only" may be restricted to DOE and certain contractor personnel, and in any case, the information may not be released offsite without permission. More information about specific center access restrictions can be found in the Site Access section of the Introduction to this Guide.

Classified Information
To assist researchers and others in understanding the types of classified information and the restrictions that govern access to it, the following excerpts from the DOE's Understanding Classification (June 1987) are provided:

Categories of Classified Information
There are three categories of classified information: Restricted Data; Formerly Restricted Data; and National Security Information.

1. RESTRICTED DATA (RD) is a special category of classification with which the Department of Energy is principally concerned. The Restricted Data category is defined in the Atomic Energy Act as follows:

"The term RESTRICTED DATA means all data concerning (1) design, manufacture, or utilization of atomic weapons; (2) the production of special nuclear materials; or (3) the use of special nuclear material in the production of energy, but shall not include data declassified or removed from the Restricted Data category pursuant to section 142."

2. FORMERLY RESTRICTED DATA (FRD) is information which has been removed from the Restricted Data category after the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense (DOD) have jointly determined that the information related primarily to the military utilization of atomic weapons and can be adequately safeguarded in the same manner as National Security Information in the United States. This is known as transclassification. Such data may not be given to any other nation except under specially approved agreements.

3. NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION (NSI) is information which requires protection against unauthorized disclosure in the interest of the national defense or foreign relations of the United States and has been determined to be classified in accordance with the provisions of Executive Order 12356 or a prior Executive order.

Levels of Classified Information
There are three levels of classified information: Top Secret; Secret; and Confidential.

1. TOP SECRET is the level assigned to information of utmost importance to the national defense and security. Its unauthorized disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to national security.

2. SECRET is the level for information which, in the event of an unauthorized disclosure, could reasonably be expected to cause serious damage to national security.

3. CONFIDENTIAL is the level for information which, in the event of an unauthorized disclosure, could reasonably be expected to cause damage to national security.

For further information, see also DOE Office of Safeguards and Security Headquarters, Security Education Overview Handbook (DOE/SA-0004).

Volume
An estimated volume of the records is given in inches or cubic feet. Items measuring less than a quarter-inch in thickness are designated by 0.25 inch. A sizeable series is measured in cubic feet.

Accession/Other Identification Number
Each document center has a unique filing system that can include the report number assigned by the creating division or program and the center's filing or barcode system. In the series and document descriptions, the report number is provided first, followed by the document center number in parentheses. If no report number is available, the document center number stands alone in parentheses. In cases where multiple document centers and reports are referred to in a description, the report and file numbers are listed chronologically according to the date of the report.

Condition
HAI judged the physical condition of the record series, categorizing them as either good, fair, or poor. If the records were judged to be in poor condition, an explanation is provided.

Container Number
All of the materials described in this guide are located in open shelving or filing cabinets with access restricted to center personnel only; therefore, container numbers are not applicable (N/A).

Medium
The physical nature of the records, such as paper, microfilm, electronic, or audiovisual, is noted.

Scanning Suitability
HAI has provided a statement concerning the suitability of records for electronic scanning purposes. Factors which may effect scanning suitability, including paper size, weight, ink and paper colors, type font, and the presence of handwritten data, graphs, diagrams, and photographs are noted under this heading. Depending on future state-of-the-art scanning technology and equipment, this statement may or may not remain accurate.

Duplication
Reports described in the guide that exist in several K-25 document centers are so noted under this heading. Documents in the Environmental Restoration Program Document Management Center may also exist in a public-release form at the DOE-OR Public Document Reading Room, 55 Jefferson Circle, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, (615) 241-4780. Items with ORNL report numbers should also be available at ORNL, Building 4500N, Room H205 Vault or the library, which the ORNL Technical Information Document Database (TIDD) can confirm.

Arrangement
Arrangement pertains to the document center's filing code number. Each center uses a unique filing system that can include the report number assigned by the originating division as well as the center's numerical filing code.

Originating Office
The originating office that generated the report or record series is noted here. This will include the division and program or department title.

Finding Aids
Each document center database and other applicable finding aids are noted.

Disposition Authority
Disposition authority refers to the NARA General Records Schedules and DOE Records Schedules. The majority of records inventoried have not been assigned a disposition schedule and are cited as not applicable (N/A); however, when a record is scheduled, the information is noted.

Data Elements
In accordance with the guidelines in Information Required by the Department of Energy for Epidemiologic and Health Studies, DOE developed a list of 123 (later revised to 85) data elements to assign to record series descriptions. In general, the data elements consist of terms pertaining to contractor organizations, individual employees, industrial hygiene activities, facility characteristics, and environmental monitoring efforts that help categorize and describe the major information contained each. The data elements assigned to each document or record series are listed as numbers that correspond to the data elements found in Appendix B.