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Oak Ridge Reservation

Historical Document

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ORRHES Meeting Minutes
February 11, 2002


A RESOLUTION TO ORRHES RECOMMENDING THAT THE MANGANO PAPER NOT BE USED AS A BASIS FOR THE OAK RIDGE RESERVATION (ORR) PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT

WHEREAS, the Oak Ridge Reservation Health Effects Subcommittee (ORRHES) and the Public Health Work Group (PHAWG) have diligently evaluated the quality of the research paper by J. J. Mangano entitled, "Cancer Mortality near Oak Ridge, Tennessee" (Int. J. of Health Services, V. 24 #3, 1994, p. 521), and

WHEREAS, the paper was rated inadequate by the PHAWG in its general characteristics as an epidemiology paper in such matters as but not limited to: 1) failure to measure or estimate actual radiation exposures to the selected population, thus not drawing attention to the fact an exposure increase of one percent above background would have to account for a 30 % increase in cancer mortality, 2) failure to correct for a wide range of confounder effects known to exist, and, 3) failure to discuss that the alleged increases in cancer mortality rates in the ORR vicinity were accompanied by a similar increase in much or the eastern United States (see National Cancer Institute, Atlas of Cancer Mortality in the United States 1950-1994, p. 11), and

WHEREAS, the paper also received an inadequate rating in site specific matters, such as but not limited to: 1) failure to use appropriate wind data, such as, existing ORR wind rose information, 2) failure to reconcile the alleged patterns in mortality rate increases with, not only the absence of a corresponding pattern in the mortality data itself, but also with the opposite pattern i.e., lower rates in Anderson and Roane counties, 3) failure to place the ORR facilities in the proper counties, and, 4) failure to support assumptions of local conditions with data or citations, be it therefore

RESOLVED, that, the ORRHES recommend to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) that the Mangano paper is not an adequate, science-based explanation of any alleged anomalies in cancer mortality rates of the off-site public, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the ORRHES recommend to the ATSDR that the paper fails to establish that radiation exposure from the ORR are the cause of any such alleged anomalies of cancer mortality rates in the general public, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the ORRHES recommend to the ATSDR that the Mangano paper be excluded from consideration in the ORR Public Health Assessment process.


Approved: ____________________________________
Date:__________________

Kowetha A. Davidson, Ph.D., D.A.B.T.
Chair, ORRHES

Epidemiology Study Evaluation Matrix (PDF)

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