Occupational Energy Research Program

Fernald Feed Materials Production Center

The Feed Materials Production Center was constructed in 1951 in Fernald, Ohio. During the Cold War, the Fernald site processed and purified uranium metal, which was used for the nation’s defense program. Production peaked in the mid-1950’s to early 1960’s, with a decline in production by the late 1980’s in part because the Cold War ended. The decline in production, along with environmental compliance and waste management problems led to shut down of the site in the early 1990’s. Today, a park and visitor center is the only structure found at the site.

Fact sheets

Nuclear workers from the Fernald Feed Materials Production Center have been included in many NIOSH studies. Below are fact sheets that summarize some of the study findings for workers.

Findings from the NIOSH-funded study: Radon exposures to workers at the Fernald Feed Materials Production Center (August 2008) presented a public meeting October 2008.

Questions asked at the Fernald public meeting (October 2008)

Publications from NIOSH studies done at Fernald

Evaluation of data for DOE site remediation workers. (2000)

Study of the mortality among female nuclear weapons workers. (2000)

Publications from grant-funded studies done at Fernald

Estimation of radon exposures to workers at the Fernald Feed Materials Production Center 1952-1988. (2008)

Retrospective smoking history data collection for deceased workers: completeness and accuracy of surrogate reports.(2002)

Mortality among a cohort of white male workers at a uranium processing plant: Fernald Feed Materials Production Center, 1951 – 1989. (1995)

Dupree EA, Watkins JP, Ingle JN, Wallace PW, West CM, Tankersly WG (1995). Uranium dust exposure and lung cancer risk in four uranium processing operations. Epidemiology 6(4): 370-375.

Wiggs LD, Cox-DeVore CA, Wilkinson GS, Reyes M (1991). Mortality among workers exposed to external ionizing radiation at a nuclear facility in Ohio. J Occup Med 33(5): 632-637.

Related websites

Fernald Closure Project
External link: http://www.lm.doe.gov/land/sites/oh/fernald_orig/AboutFernald/about.htm

Ohio EPA Office of Federal Facilities Oversight
External link: http://www.epa.ohio.gov/derr/ACRE/FFS/ffs.aspx

Medical screening programs available to workers

Fernald Worker Medical Monitoring Program (FWMMP)
To learn more, call 513-870-0900

Building Trades National Medical Screening Program
External link: http://www.btmed.org
To learn more, call 1-800-866-9663

Worker Health Protection Program (WHPP)
External link: http://www.worker-health.org
To learn more, call 513-367-1333