Epidemiologic Studies

Oak Ridge Institute for Science & Education

OAKRIDGE INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE AND EDUCATION:
A GUIDE TO RECORD SERIES SUPPORTING EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES CONDUCTED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

INTRODUCTION

Overview

This guide describes record series that pertain to epidemiologic and health-related studies at the Center for Epidemiologic Research (CER) of the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). These records document the health and safety monitoring of employees and contract employees of the Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessor organizations, the Manhattan Engineer District (MED), the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), and the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA). History Associates Incorporated (HAI) prepared this guide as part of DOE's Epidemiologic Records Inventory Project.

This introduction briefly describes the Epidemiologic Records Inventory Project, HAI's role in the project, the history of the DOE and its epidemiologic research program, and the history of the Oak Ridge Reservation and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. It also furnishes information on the procedures that HAI used to select, inventory, and describe pertinent records; the methodology used to produce the guide; the arrangement of the record series descriptions; the location of the records; and procedures for accessing records repositories.

Epidemiologic Records Inventory Project

The Epidemiologic Records Inventory Project is indicative of DOE Secretary Hazel 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, each DOE and DOE contractor site was directed to prepare an inventory of all records useful for worker or community health-related studies. The office responsible for the coordination of all health-related activities throughout the DOE complex, the Office of Epidemiology and Health Surveillance (EH-42), provided each site with guidelines that defined epidemiologic records, provided instructions for describing record series, outlined the sites' role in inventorying epidemiologic records, and discussed the relationship of the epidemiologic inventory to DOE's comprehensive records inventory effort. These inventories should be completed in 1995.

Role of HAI

In August of 1993, DOE selected HAI 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 the project includes verifying the accuracy, comprehensiveness, and quality of existing inventories, providing guidance to site records management teams, and, in some cases, performing additional record inventories.

History of the DOE

The DOE is responsible for developing and administering national energy programs and policies. Authorized by Congress in 1977, the history of the department's predecessor agencies and functions dates back to 1942, with the establishment of the Manhattan Engineer District (MED) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The MED spearheaded the development and manufacture of the first atomic weapons during World War II. In 1946, Congress passed the Atomic Energy Act, which reorganized the MED into the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). Although the primary purpose of the AEC was to develop and manage the nation's expanding nuclear weapons production complex, the organization also reflected the nation's interest in developing broader commercial applications of atomic energy. ⁽¹⁾

For nearly three decades, the AEC directed the nation's nuclear program, from the development of nuclear weapons to the production of nuclear power. In 1974, Congress passed the Energy Reorganization Act, which split the AEC into the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). ERDA assumed responsibility for nuclear research and development and oversight of the nuclear weapons program, while the NRC licensed and regulated the industrial and commercial use of radionuclides and nuclear power. ERDA also took charge of the energy research and development programs of other federal agencies, including the Bureau of Mines, the National Science Foundation, and the Interior Department's Office of Coal Research. The creation of ERDA represented the Nixon Administration's interest in establishing a centrally directed national energy policy. Events such as the 1973 Arab oil embargo and the 1973-1974 price increases instituted by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) demonstrated the need to identify immediate energy needs and priorities and establish long range goals as a way to lessen the nation's dependency on foreign sources of energy. ⁽²⁾

A shortage of natural gas during the winter of 1976-1977 further exposed the nation's vulnerability as an energy consumer. In response to the crisis, the Carter Administration urged Congress to reorganize ERDA and establish a cabinet-level organization to direct national energy policy. In August 1977, President Carter signed legislation creating the DOE. During the late 1980s, as Cold War tensions eased, the DOE restructured its priorities around nuclear waste management, environmental restoration, conservation, and the development of new energy sources. ⁽³⁾

History of the Oak Ridge Sites

Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was one of three sites established by the Manhattan Project during World War II to develop the first atomic weapons. Selected on September 19, 1942, the Clinton Engineer Works (CEW), later called the Oak Ridge Reservation, was the site of three major production facilities which were known by the code-names X-10, Y-12, and K-25. The Clinton Laboratories, which later evolved into the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), 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 and other nuclear fuels could be separated at the X-10 pilot plant. The Y-12 Plant 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. ⁽⁴⁾

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory

The Clinton Laboratories, the first research facilities built as part of the CEW in 1942, housed the graphite reactor and chemical processing facilities. In 1948, the Clinton Laboratories were reorganized and became known as ORNL. Although ORNL continued to process fuel for nuclear weapons and develop new processing technologies, its mission also expanded to include the production of radioisotopes for commercial and medical uses, research into the biomedical effects of radiation, and the operation of other experimental reactors. Currently, the laboratory operates as a multidisciplinary facility, conducting research and development in conjunction with government, private, and academic institutions. In recent years, ORNL has focused its research on magnetic fusion, nuclear fission, biological and environmental research, conservation, renewable and fossil energy, and the physical sciences. ⁽⁵⁾

The Y-12 Plant

Originally, the Y-12 Plant used the electromagnetic process to separate the fissionable uranium isotope, uranium-235, from the more plentiful but stable uranium-238 isotope. After the war, when this process was discontinued, the Y-12 Plant's mission changed to manufacturing and developmental engineering, focusing on nuclear weapons components. The Y-12 Plant developed and fabricated test hardware for weapons, processed source and special nuclear materials, provided fabrication support for other Oak Ridge Reservation Plants, and supported other federal agencies. Currently, the plant's mission is to serve as a key technology center for the development and demonstration of unique materials, components, and services of importance to DOE and the nation. The Y-12 Plant accomplishes its mission through the manufacture, reclamation, and storage of nuclear materials; the construction of components for the nation's defense capabilities; and the support of national security programs. ⁽⁶⁾

The K-25 Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant

The K-25 facility began in May 1943 with the construction of a massive building to house the gaseous diffusion process. The plant reached its full operational capacity by August 1945. The late 1940s and early 1950s witnessed the expansion of the K-25 site in terms of both physical size and breadth of research and production goals. The facility also developed new high-technology enrichment programs, such as the 1960s Gas Centrifuge and the 1988 Advanced Laser Isotope Separations (AVLIS) processes. In 1985, gaseous diffusion operations ceased and 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. ⁽⁷⁾

History of ORISE

After World War II, the University of Tennessee (UT) appointed a committee to investigate the possibility of a closer relationship between the Oak Ridge research facilities and academia. Although a branch of the UT graduate school existed at Clinton Laboratories, the committee hoped to engender a more comprehensive cooperative venture. In December 1945, the University hosted a conference of representatives from Oak Ridge sites, the MED, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and the science departments of several southern universities. Participants formed an interim committee and made plans for a second meeting in Oak Ridge later that month. At that meeting, representatives of several universities and medical schools in the region agreed to form the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies (ORINS). In October 1946, ORINS became an official nonprofit corporation of fourteen associated universities, each agreeing to contribute $5000 a year for three years. ⁽⁸⁾

In 1948, as part of its educational mission, ORINS established the first formalized AEC training program, the Oak Ridge Radioactive Isotope handling course. ORINS also offered courses on isotope technology, radiation biology, radiation training for firefighting personnel, the handling of radioisotopes by physicians, and radiation protection. From the outset, the interests of ORINS extended beyond the areas of research and education in nuclear physics. In 1948, for example, ORINS assumed responsibility for the Oak Ridge clinical research facility at the request of the Oak Ridge Operations Office's Division of Biology and Medicine. With the establishment of the American Museum of Atomic Energy in 1949, ORINS became the national leader in public education for science and technology. In its educational role, ORINS administered the AEC Fellowship Program from 1950 to 1973 and sponsored the nationwide presentation of President Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" program in 1956. By the 1960s, ORINS included forty associated universities. ⁽⁹⁾

Also by the mid-1960s, participants in ORINS recognized that the organization's range of activities had expanded well beyond education in nuclear science and technology and its title no longer seemed appropriate. In 1965, ORINS members voted to change their name to the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). In 1992, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) was established for the enhancement of science and mathematics education, basic and applied biomedical research on human health and disease, as well as the evaluation and analysis of policies and regulations affecting energy and environmental issues. Managed by ORAU, ORISE also operates the Radiation Internal Dose Information Center, the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center and Training Site, the Center for Human Reliability Studies, and the Center for Epidemiologic Research (CER). CER also contributes information to the Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource (CEDR). A catalog describing the CEDR program is available from the DOE Office of Epidemiologic Studies. ⁽¹⁰⁾

History of DOE Epidemiologic Research

MED Health Studies

Interest in occupational safety surrounding the handling of fissionable materials predated the Manhattan Project and became a priority during the war years. The MED developed safety protocols, health monitoring procedures, and exposure standards that provided a framework for health physics and industrial hygiene practices. The data collected in the development of these programs furnished a foundation for current epidemiologic research. Among the MED sites and educational institutions that made significant contributions toward understanding the effects of radiation upon humans and establishing acceptable occupational exposure standards were the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Chicago's Metallurgical Laboratory (Met Lab), the University of Rochester, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The University of California

In 1936, Ernest O. Lawrence, a physicist at the University of California, established the Radiation Laboratory, now known as the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. This laboratory centered around the cyclotron, an instrument developed by Lawrence which produced radioactive isotopes by bombarding atomic nuclei with a beam of high-speed particles. Recognizing the potential uses of radioactive substances in biology and medicine, Lawrence established a Health Physics section in the Radiation Laboratory. The laboratory conducted experimental work, both on animal and human subjects, using radiation to develop cancer therapies. Although these experiments continued during World War II, the focus of the Health Physics section of the Radiation Laboratory, now under the administration of the MED, turned to the health issues related to the industrial production and handling of fissionable materials. Areas of concern included the health effects of the inhalation, ingestion, and absorption of these nuclear agents. As the Manhattan Project progressed, the Radiation Laboratory joined the Universities of Chicago and Rochester in studying the biological effects of plutonium, a highly toxic radioactive substance discovered by Glenn Seaborg in the Radiation Laboratory in 1941. ⁽¹¹⁾

The University of Chicago

In 1942, the University of Chicago's Met Lab, now known as the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), conducted the world's first nuclear chain reaction, a crucial step in the development of the first atomic weapons. The Met Lab also led the development of a program to monitor the health of workers exposed routinely to radioactive substances. This concern for worker health resulted in the establishment of a Health Division, which, under Robert S. Stone, strongly influenced health and safety practices throughout the entire MED. Stone, formerly of the University of California Radiation Laboratory, organized the Health Division around areas of medicine, health physics, and radiation biology. Met Lab health physicists developed instruments and laboratory tests for monitoring and measuring radiation exposure and deposition. In this capacity, the Met Lab pioneered the use of pocket dosimeters, film badges, and urinalysis. Monitoring practices established and advised by the Met Lab not only influenced safety at MED sites but also determined the kinds of data collected to determine worker health. ⁽¹²⁾

The University of Rochester

The University of Rochester pursued research under a contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 1943, Stafford L. Warren, Chief of the Division of Radiology in the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, became a consultant to the Manhattan Project and later assumed the position of Chief of the Manhattan Project Medical Section. Under Warren, the University of Rochester advised MED sites on employee health protection issues, developed instrumentation to monitor and measure health hazards, and provided technical support. University of Rochester physicians conducted medical examinations of MED personnel and maintained corresponding records. Moreover, the university conducted an extensive investigation of uranium toxicity within the MED complex. After the war, the University continued its biomedical research through the AEC Atomic Energy Project (AEP). ⁽¹³⁾

Los Alamos

Another MED facility involved in the development of worker health and safety practices was the Los Alamos site, originally known as Project Y, and later called the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Established by Robert J. Oppenheimer in 1942, Los Alamos contained four research and technical divisions and an administrative division responsible for health surveillance, procurement, and patents. The health group, under Louis H. Hempelmann, initially performed simple monitoring tasks but, as greater quantities of plutonium arrived for weapons development, assumed responsibility for defining occupational and health standards, sponsoring lectures, and codifying safety guidelines. Moreover, the health group attempted to keep complete records of the Los Alamos work force, including hazard studies, exposure logs, accident reports, and medical test results. In 1947, Los Alamos organized a new health division to examine radiological safety, improve health physics and industrial hygiene procedures, and monitor radiation exposures at weapons testing sites. ⁽¹⁴⁾

DOE Health and Mortality Studies

AEC Feasibility Study

The early MED worker health studies set the stage for health monitoring practices and data collection by the AEC and its successor organizations. In 1964, the AEC initiated a feasibility study to evaluate the use of plant personnel and other records as the basis for long-term studies of health and mortality among its work force. The AEC Feasibility Study focused on uranium workers at Mallinckrodt's Chemical Works plants in St. Louis and Weldon Spring, Missouri, and the Feed Materials Production Center (FMPC) at Fernald, Ohio. The University of Colorado conducted the study and concluded in a series of internal reports that the records provided a suitable foundation for epidemiologic research. ⁽¹⁵⁾

AEC Pilot Study

In 1965, the AEC mounted a five-year pilot study that extended its inquiry to the feasibility of using plant records to investigate the health and mortality of workers employed at contractor and former MED facilities (including Mallinckrodt, Fernald, Hanford, Oak Ridge, Harshaw Chemical, and the Met Lab) and determine if any adverse health effects were related to their occupations. The study also questioned the suitability of existing records for use in studies designed to estimate the upper bound of the cancer risk associated with exposure to low-level radiation. The AEC selected Thomas F. Mancuso, M.D., of the University of Pittsburgh as the project director of the AEC Pilot Study. Consequently, the project became known informally as the Mancuso Study. ⁽¹⁶⁾

For the study, Mancuso located and identified original records at the Hanford and Oak Ridge sites and at offsite federal and other record repositories. In addition, through agreements with the Social Security Administration (SSA) and state vital records offices, Mancuso obtained demographic information necessary to determine the vital status of the workers, that is, whether workers were still living at the time of the survey. Death certificates served as the primary source for this determination. As the project progressed, Mancuso found that the data did not meet his initial expectations but required further editing, verification, and other processing to assure the comprehensiveness and epidemiologic validity of his data analyses. During this period, Mancuso also expanded the data set to include AEC facilities at Los Alamos, Rocky Flats, and the Mound Laboratory. ⁽¹⁷⁾

AEC Health and Mortality Study

In 1970, Mancuso, under a contract with the AEC, initiated the AEC Health and Mortality Study. With his colleague, Dr. Barkev S. Sanders, a former statistician and actuary from the SSA and the Public Health Service, Mancuso analyzed the data collected in the pilot study in terms of worker longevity. Beginning in 1971, Mancuso and his colleagues routinely published the results of their analyses in annual progress reports to the AEC, although they did not submit their findings for review and publication in professional or medical journals. ⁽¹⁸⁾

In 1974, Dr. Samuel Milham of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services reported increased mortality within the Hanford work force from several cancer types. His findings were part of a broader examination of occupational mortality throughout Washington state from 1950 to 1971. Milham's study encouraged Mancuso to conduct his own analysis of mortality at Hanford, the results of which were published in 1977. Mancuso's results, in which he purported to show increased risks for several types of cancer with increased radiation doses, received substantial criticism. Other epidemiologists and biostatisticians reanalyzed Mancuso's data set and repudiated many of his conclusions, with the exception of his findings concerning the elevated risk of multiple myeloma in individuals exposed to low-level radiation. ⁽¹⁹⁾

In 1975, ERDA decided not to renew Mancuso's status as the prime contractor for the Health and Mortality Study. At the beginning of fiscal year 1978, ERDA transferred specific aspects of the HMS to ORAU, LANL, and the Hanford Environmental Health Foundation (HEHF) and Pacific Northwest Laboratories (PNL) at Hanford. ORAU epidemiologists, with the support of the University of North Carolina School of Public Health, were placed in charge of data analyses for uranium workers at Oak Ridge, Paducah, Portsmouth, Fernald, Mallinckrodt, Niagara Frontier sites, and, later, the Savannah River Plant. In addition, ORAU was assigned responsibility for the management of the DOE/SSA interface for the three sites and for related data collection, especially the retrieval, processing, and storage of death certificates. LANL assumed responsibility for DOE's National Plutonium Workers Study and for other site studies of workers routinely monitored for exposure to plutonium. HEHF/PNL epidemiologists continued to collect, process, and analyze data associated with the health and mortality of workers at the Hanford site. ⁽²⁰⁾

In 1979, DOE authorized ORAU to expand the scope of the HMS to include all active and inactive workers throughout the entire Energy complex. Under this phase of the HMS, approximately 600,000 workers from 76 sites were eligible for eventual inclusion in the study. Of this population, 360,000 workers are the basis for additional studies conducted by ORAU, LANL, and Hanford. Since the expansion of the HMS, ORAU has conducted the Five Rem Study, which examined workers who were exposed to five or more rems of radiation in the course of a single employment year. It also launched the Oak Ridge Facility Comparison (ORFCOM) Project, which analyzed the relationship of occupational, lifestyle, and health variables among specific occupational cohorts. ⁽²¹⁾

In 1990, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DOE and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) transferred responsibility for the management and conduct of energy-related epidemiologic research to HHS's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Under the terms of this MOU, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a part of CDC, is responsible for conducting the major worker health studies for DOE sites. ⁽²²⁾

Records described in this guide are located at the CER at 210 Badger Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37830. Within the CER, most of the records are stored in a secured vault area. In addition to a central storage area, the vault also has separate rooms to store birth certificates, Personnel Security Questionnaire (PSQ) forms, correspondence, electronic records, and other research materials. Electronic records are located in offices on the second floor. CER administrative records and other associated documents of the CER are stored in unsecured rooms throughout the building.

Since this is an access restricted facility, arrangements must be made in advance for permission to enter the building and review the records. Although the records housed at CER are unclassified, many are protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. For permission to access the records, please contact:

Director, Center for Epidemiologic Research

210 Badger Road

Oak Ridge, TN 37830

Telephone Number: (615) 576-3142

In January 1995, HAI made an initial site visit to CER. HAI interviewed CER personnel responsible for the records, toured the records storage facilities, and determined staffing needs for the inventory project. Later that month, HAI returned and inventoried the records identified during the initial site visit. HAI staff inventoried approximately 2,167 cubic feet of records, 200 electronic files, and 708 cartridges of microfilm. After completing the inventory, HAI staff analyzed and organized the inventory forms into record series, wrote record series descriptions, and linked related electronic and paper records.

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 86) 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, and facility characteristics that help describe the major information contained in a record series. The HAI team, as part of its inventory and description of records, determined which data elements were pertinent to each record series for both active and inactive records. A list of the data elements is included in Appendix C. Please note that the list is arranged topically, not numerically.

This guide reflects the status of records as of January 1995, when they were reviewed and inventoried by HAI. It contains series descriptions for all of the records stored in the CER vault, as well as related records stored in offices and smaller storage areas. Included are records collected for studies conducted by ORAU and ORISE for the AEC Health and Mortality Study and for the University of Rochester radiation exposure studies conducted for the MED and AEC Health Division; PSQs and bioassay results; and mortality records collected by the Death Certificate Retrieval Office at ORAU. Electronic records inventoried include databases and raw data, working, and analysis files. HAI did not inventory files that are available through DOE's CEDR database. HAI cross-referenced electronic files and related paper records when appropriate.

To facilitate research, HAI grouped the record series descriptions into four categories. A brief explanation of each category is provided below:

I. sites/Contractors

This section contains information relating to employees at sites operated by the DOE, its predecessor agencies, and contractors which were collected for use in epidemiologic studies. Record series generally consist of employee rosters, medical files, employment records, exposure histories, injury and accident reports, and correspondence.

II. Studies

This section documents studies conducted or administered by ORISE. Record series include employee work and health history information, interview and questionnaire results, and computer-generated data reports.

III. ORISE

Record series in this section document the administrative and data collection functions of ORISE. It contains series descriptions of correspondence, reading, and subject files; death certificates collected by the Death Certificate Retrieval Office; and PSQ forms collected from several sites.

IV. Electronic Records

This section pertains to CER electronic records maintained online and on tape. Electronic data are organized into raw data, working, or analysis files. Within these categories, the files are grouped alphabetically by site and study name. Files that contain a large variety of data from several sites were placed into a general category.

Raw data files contain data which have not been manipulated by researchers. CER's raw data files contain dosimetry data submitted in electronic format by the site contractors. CER maintains the raw data files on nine-track magnetic tape reels in an EBCDIC file format. Working files are those containing data which have been manipulated and may be a combination of several raw data files. CER's working files contain employment and personal information for workers at DOE facilities. All working files are maintained online in an ORACLE database, using an IBM 9221 mainframe computer. Analysis files contain data on which study results were based. They may contain a combination of personal, employment, morbidity, mortality, and exposure information. Analysis files are maintained by CER in a Statistical Analysis System (SAS) format on nine-track magnetic tapes.

Due to the differences between textual and electronic records, HAI collected different data for each of these record formats. Below are listed the data items, with corresponding explanations, included in textual record series descriptions. A similar list for electronic records series descriptions is also provided.

Textual Record Series Descriptions

Series descriptions for records in sections I-III and the first half of IV contain sixteen major data items. These include series title, inclusive dates, location, active or inactive status, access restrictions, accession or other identification number, volume, and container numbers. Also provided is information concerning the type of media used, suitability of the records for scanning, physical condition of the records, availability of finding aids, record arrangement, the originating office, duplication, and disposition authority.

Data items are listed alphabetically and further explained below.

Access Restrictions

The records described in this guide are not classified for national security reasons. However, medical and other employee records containing personal information are protected under a DOE Privacy Act System of Records and may not be available for public inspection. For information about accessing these records, contact the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Office at Oak Ridge, (615) 576-1216. HAI has indicated which record series may fall under the Privacy Act. ⁽²³⁾

Since access to the ORISE facility is controlled, visitors must receive prior permission to enter the Badger Road facility.

Accession/Other Identification Number

When available, HAI furnished accession or series numbers. However, most of the records did not have identification numbers.

Arrangement

The arrangement of the record series, for example, chronological, alphabetical, or subject, is described when possible.

Condition

HAI judged the physical condition of record series, categorizing them as either good, fair, or poor. Records are rated poor when they contain aged and faded typewritten originals or photocopies, illegible and faded handwritten copies, or badly torn or damaged documents. Records are rated fair when documents are older but are not too damaged or faded to be read or viewed clearly. Records are rated good when they contain current photocopies, well-kept originals on quality paper, and clear, dark print copies.

Container Number

In this field, HAI has provided the location number of records stored in the vault. Location numbers are prefixed with letters denoting steel shelves (SS), filing cabinets (FC), book cases (BC), lateral files (LF), card catalogs (CC), wall shelves (WS), and wall cabinets (WC). HAI recorded the type of shelving, the range of shelves, and the shelf number and has also indicated when records were stacked individually on tables or in boxes on the floor. ORISE has a location guide to the records in the vault, which shows the arrangement of the shelves with location numbers.

Data Elements

The data elements that HAI considered pertinent to the record series are listed in numerical order. The numbers correspond to the data elements list.

Disposition Authority

None of the records inventoried for this guide have been scheduled according to the standard record schedules, including the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) General Records Schedules (GRS) or the DOE Records Schedules (DOERS); therefore, HAI described the records as "unscheduled." A moratorium on the destruction of records relevant to epidemiologic and health-related studies has been in effect since 1989.

Duplication

Some records may exist elsewhere in a duplicate form, such as on magnetic tape or a database file. If the exact location of the duplication is known, HAI has provided this information. For all other cases, "unknown" has been used.

Finding Aids

HAI has provided information as to whether an index or other reference guide, called a "finding aid," exists for each record series. The Vault Inventory Database is the principal finding aid for inactive records in the CER vault. The CER Program Databases serve as finding aids for CER reference collections and reading files.

Location

Information on the physical location of the record series and an indication of the records' status (as active or inactive) are found here. Active records are necessary for conducting the current business of an office and, as such, must be maintained in office space. Inactive records may be housed in temporary storage facilities until they are either destroyed or sent to NARA for permanent retention. HAI has indicated the custodial office abbreviation and room number where records are currently being stored.

Medium

The physical nature of the records, such as paper, microfiche, or microfilm, is noted.

Originating Office

HAI has provided the originating office of the organization (e.g., ORISE or specific AEC contractors) under this heading. Researchers should be aware that the office or organization which created the records may not be the entity that controls access to them. Access to the records is controlled by the office in whose custody the records reside.

Scanning Suitability

HAI has indicated when records are suitable or not suitable for scanning. In instances where records are not clearly suitable, HAI has provided descriptions of the materials that may prove problematic for some scanners. This statement may not be accurate in the future as the state-of-the-art in scanning technology continues to evolve.

Series Description

The series description provides, in a narrative format, essential information concerning the content of the records, the reasons for their creation, and the manner in which they were used. In some cases, the series descriptions contain cross-references to related textual and electronic records described elsewhere in the guide.

Title and Inclusive Dates

Each record series description begins with a title that reflects the broad content of the record series as well as the inclusive dates. HAI used the descriptive titles given by their creators. When descriptive or accurate titles were not provided, HAI assigned appropriate titles.

Volume

The approximate volume of the record series is provided in cubic feet or number of microfilm cassettes.

Electronic File Descriptions

Descriptions for electronic records are found in the second half of Section IV. The electronic record series descriptions contain ten major data items, some of which are the same as, or similar to, those in the textual records series descriptions. These include file type, file name, location, tape number, access restriction, name of the originating office, and disposition authority. Also included are data items pertaining to characteristics unique to electronic record format, including file type, hardware/software used to support the file, and name of office/program supported.

Data items are listed alphabetically and further explained below.

Access Restrictions

Please refer to the information provided under this heading for textual records.

Data Elements

The data elements that HAI considered pertinent to the record series are listed in numerical order. The numbers correspond to the data elements list.

Disposition Authority

None of the records in this guide have been scheduled according to the GRS or DOERS; HAI has described these records as "unscheduled." A moratorium on the destruction of records relevant to epidemiologic and health-related studies has been in effect since 1989.

File Description

The file description provides, in a narrative format, essential informational concerning the content of electronic files. Other data includes the number of records, variables in the files, and purpose of the files. In some cases, the file descriptions contain cross-references to related textual records described elsewhere in the guide.

File Name

This is the name given to the file at the time it was created.

File Type

Each entry indicates whether the files are raw data, working, or analysis files.

Hardware/Software

HAI has provided names of the hardware and software used to support the electronic files. All files at CER are accessed using an IBM 9221 mainframe computer.

Location

Information on the physical location of the files and an indication of their status, active or inactive, are found here. Records are listed by custodial office abbreviation, then by room number.

Office/Program Supported

This is the office or program which used the files for epidemiologic studies or other purposes.

Originating Office

This is the name of the office which created the files.

NOTES