BFC

News

Spring / 2013

Bannister Federal Complex

Volume 1,

Vol. 5 Spring/Summer 2014

NIOSH issues final report on GSA portion of Complex By Jason Klumb, Regional Administrator, U.S. General Services Administration

A

nother large piece of the Bannister Federal Complex puzzle is in place.

Four years ago, GSA managers requested a health hazard evaluation from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to investigate employee concerns about health issues related to possible building contamination. After several months of research and years of monitoring, NIOSH has indicated they “did not find evidence that Complex employees had exposure to metals, VOCs, PCBs, or ionizing radiation.” Researchers also said they “do not believe there was a cancer cluster among current and former complex employees.” The report covered the area occupied by GSA and GSA tenant agencies.

Information Hub U.S. Department of Energy Kansas City Field Office 816-488-5476 816-488-5937 www.kcp.com U.S. General Services Administration Public Affairs 816-823-2931 r6.gsa.gov/bannister U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7, Community Involvement 913-551-7433 www.epa.gov/region7/cleanup/ bannister Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Community Involvement 573-751-3553 www.dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/permits/ mo9890010524/information.htm

The final Health Hazard Evaluation report — available online at http://www.gsa.gov/ portal/category/102611 — does include

several recommendations that GSA will take action on. Those recommendations include annual monitoring of physical barriers (walls, doors, etc.) between GSA and the Department of Energy space, ensuring ventilation systems remain independent, and installing more drinking water filtration systems. GSA is now less than one-year away from relocating its regional office out of the Banister Federal Complex, and all remaining Federal agencies are expected to be off the main property by the end of next year. This report and others continue to be positive. More challenges are on the horizon, but there is no challenge we cannot overcome together. If you have a question, please email [email protected]. n

BFC Community Advisory Panel ends work on a positive note

F

or more than three years a group of community representatives met regularly to provide input to federal and state government agency representatives on the myriad of environmental and redevelopment issues associated with the Bannister Federal Complex (BFC). Now, the members of the Bannister Federal Complex Community Advisory Panel (CAP) have concluded that the panel has met its objectives and “run its course.” “We believe that the Bannister CAP process allowed for greater community input into the early stages of the disposal process,” said Gerard Grimaldi and Steve Rinne, CAP Chairman and Vice Chairman, in a formal letter announcing the end of the panel. “It has resulted in a greater overall community awareness of the many complex steps necessary to assure a safe and effective long-term future for the Bannister Federal Complex.” Formed in 2010, the Bannister CAP was an independent, community-oriented advisory panel

whose members were appointed by elected officials and other community organizations. CAP members provided input to the General Services Administration, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources with the long-term objective that the Bannister Federal Complex would continue to be a viable economic asset once the owners and occupants at the BFC vacate the property. The members also served as a communications conduit and forum for the surrounding community. In making the decision to end the CAP, Grimaldi and Rinne asked that the federal and state agencies involved “continue to provide transparency and ample opportunity for public input and participation” into the redevelopment process. Grimaldi told his fellow CAP members that their “work has set the stage for the next level of the disposal/redevelopment process.” He added: “Many hurdles remain, but the pathway chosen presents an excellent opportunity for redevelopment to occur sooner rather than later.” n

Presort Std U.S. Postage

PA I D

P.O. Box 419159 Kansas City, MO 64141-6159

#3657 KCMO

BFC News is published by the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. General Services Administration to provide information to area residents about the environmental and redevelopment activities at the Bannister Federal Complex in Kansas City, Missouri.

NIOSH releases preliminary report on Kansas City Plant

E

arlier this year, the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) published a preliminary report concluding there is sufficient documentation on past radiological operations at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Kansas City Plant to be sure that no employee was inadvertently exposed to radiologic health risks. That means NIOSH representatives found no basis to make a health endangerment determination because sufficient information exists to estimate dose for members of the evaluated class of employees. The report was prepared following a request from a petitioner asking NIOSH to determine whether enough information was available to adequately

determine individual radiological dose reconstructions for employees working at the Kansas City Plant. Several NIOSH representatives have been evaluating operations at the Bannister Federal Complex regarding past radiological materials. This ongoing evaluation includes comprehensive research about the facility, along with employee and retiree interviews, and a review of NIOSH’s historical data archives. In the preliminary report issued in January, NIOSH reviewed many documents describing past operations at the Kansas City Plant, including records involving the machining of natural uranium metal rods in the early 1950s. KCP staff health physicists recently sampled the area associated with that operation at Bannister, which has been used as storage for many years. Those results confirmed there are no radiologic health concerns for workers. In addition, independent third party sampling will be conducted to ensure readiness for disposition. The data collected from all sampling will be shared with other agencies involved with the Bannister Federal Complex, including the Missouri Department of Natural Resources

and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The combination of NIOSH records and the Department of Energy’s own archived search provides a good understanding of historical machining operations including, equipment and materials used. In early May, NIOSH representatives were at the new facility, the National Security Campus, to continue employee interviews. “We will continue to keep you informed on the progress of NIOSH’s evaluation,” said Mark Holecek, Site Manager for the Department of Energy’s Kansas City Field Office. “We take our responsibility to protect the health and safety of our employees and the surrounding community very seriously.” You can review the NIOSH’s recent report at www. cdc.gov/niosh/ocas/pdfs/sec/kcplant/ kcper-210.pdf. ABOUT NIOSH

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the U.S. federal agency that conducts research and makes recommendations to prevent worker injury and illness. You can read more about NIOSH at www.cdc.gov/niosh/ about.html. n