diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/CycleCovariate.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/CycleCovariate.java
index 99a4ad787..3819ce354 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/CycleCovariate.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/CycleCovariate.java
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ public class CycleCovariate implements Covariate {
 
     // Used to get the covariate's value from input csv file in TableRecalibrationWalker
     public final Comparable getValue( final String str ) {
-        return (int)Integer.parseInt( str ); // Cast to primitive int (as opposed to Integer Object) is required so that the return value from the two getValue methods hash to same thing
+        return Integer.parseInt( str );
     }
 
     // Used to estimate the amount space required for the full data HashMap
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/MappingQualityCovariate.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/MappingQualityCovariate.java
index 3ff9a5b8f..9552b7842 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/MappingQualityCovariate.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/MappingQualityCovariate.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public class MappingQualityCovariate implements Covariate {
 
     // Used to get the covariate's value from input csv file in TableRecalibrationWalker
     public final Comparable getValue( final String str ) {
-        return (int)Integer.parseInt( str ); // cast to primitive int (as opposed to Integer Object) is required so that the return value from the two getValue methods hash to same thing
+        return Integer.parseInt( str );
     }
 
     // Used to estimate the amount space required for the full data HashMap
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/MinimumNQSCovariate.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/MinimumNQSCovariate.java
index 7f8f39143..505f6be8d 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/MinimumNQSCovariate.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/MinimumNQSCovariate.java
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public class MinimumNQSCovariate implements Covariate {
 
     // Used to get the covariate's value from input csv file in TableRecalibrationWalker
     public final Comparable getValue( final String str ) {
-        return (int)Integer.parseInt( str ); // cast to primitive int (as opposed to Integer Object) is required so that the return value from the two getValue methods hash to same thing
+        return Integer.parseInt( str );
     }
 
     // Used to estimate the amount space required for the full data HashMap
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/PositionCovariate.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/PositionCovariate.java
index 60f66516e..0742f2a8c 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/PositionCovariate.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/PositionCovariate.java
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public class PositionCovariate implements Covariate {
 
     // Used to get the covariate's value from input csv file in TableRecalibrationWalker
     public final Comparable getValue( final String str ) {
-        return (int)Integer.parseInt( str ); // cast to primitive int (as opposed to Integer Object) is required so that the return value from the two getValue methods hash to same thing
+        return Integer.parseInt( str );
     }
 
     // Used to estimate the amount space required for the full data HashMap
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/PrimerRoundCovariate.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/PrimerRoundCovariate.java
index 78a965cc2..0a668c810 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/PrimerRoundCovariate.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/PrimerRoundCovariate.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public class PrimerRoundCovariate implements Covariate {
 
     // Used to get the covariate's value from input csv file in TableRecalibrationWalker
     public final Comparable getValue( final String str ) {
-        return (int)Integer.parseInt( str ); // cast to primitive int (as opposed to Integer Object) is required so that the return value from the two getValue methods hash to same thing
+        return Integer.parseInt( str );
     }
 
     // Used to estimate the amount space required for the full data HashMap
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/QualityScoreCovariate.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/QualityScoreCovariate.java
index a90458c5d..c9123e4ab 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/QualityScoreCovariate.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/walkers/recalibration/QualityScoreCovariate.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public class QualityScoreCovariate implements Covariate {
 
     // Used to get the covariate's value from input csv file in TableRecalibrationWalker
     public final Comparable getValue( final String str ) {
-        return (int)Integer.parseInt( str ); // cast to primitive int (as opposed to Integer Object) is required so that the return value from the two getValue methods hash to same thing
+        return Integer.parseInt( str );
     }
 
     // Used to estimate the amount space required for the full data HashMap