Announcement of Introduction of Legislation Responding to Use of American Citizens as Subjects of Radiation Experiments

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EDWARD J MAR KEY U AT URAL RESOURCES BECOME AN ORIGINAL COSPONSOR OF BILL ON DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HUMAN EXPERIMENTATION In 1986, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy Conservation and Power, I released a Subcommittee staff report, "American Nuclear Guinea Pigs: Three Decades of Radiation Experiments on U.S. Citizens," documenting the frequent and systematic use of Americans as subjects of radiation experiments conducted and/or funded by the federal government. These experiments, recently criticized by DOE Secretary O'Leary,shock the conscience and demand both proper medical follow-up and appropriate compensation. They also signal the need for a comprehensive review of the use of radioactive material in human experiments across the federal government. As a result, I plan on introducing legislation that would accomplish the following 1. Require the Department of Energy to report to Congress within one year the number of radiation experiments that provided little or no benefit to the subject and were funded by the Department or its predecessor agencies; the nature of each experiment; the number of subjects involved in each experiment; and whether the Department has notified each subject of the nature of the experiment and provided necessary medical information. 2. Require the Secretary of Energy, after consulting with the Assistant Secretary for Health, to formulate a plan to conduct proper long-term health effects studies on the subjects and their families. 3. Require the Secretary of Energy, after consulting with the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Attorney General, to recommend within 6 months appropriate compensation for those subjects or their families who suffer or have suffered radiation-related illness, and any other recommendation for appropriate compensation for those who have been wronged. The current leadership of the Department of Energy, especially Secreta.ry O'Leary, should be commended for confronting this issue. Indeed, it appears that the Department is at the crossroads of all experimental activity, since it controlled the flow of radi.oisotopes. Consequently, it is appropriate for the legislation to focus specifically upon the DOE and the information it possesses. I urge you to join me in seeking to close this sorry chapter in American history. If you want to cosponsor this legislation. please call Steve Buttacavoli at Ext. 5-2836. Member of Congress