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Background Information on Plutonium Injections Into Humns Office of Energy Research, ER-1 1 The attached Fact Sheet on the injection of 18 patients with plutonium Initiated under the Manhattan Project wa5 prepared by the Atomic Energy Cond s sion in 1974. I n 1974, the AEC's Inspector General (IG) conducted an investigation to deter nine whether or not the patients had been told the nature of the injections and had given their pe miss lon. investigation was issued August 17, 1974, and is classified " Of fl dal The IC's report on this The IG's report found that a pati cnt injected in 1947 had been infonned and had sigried a consent agreement inthe presence of two doctors. Another patient definitely was not informed but the records on the other 16 patients are unclear. As a result of the 1974 investigation,the doctors of the four patients alive at that time were contacted and asked t o tell the patients of the nature of the injections. One was not told because her doctor felt the knowledge would be detrimental to her health. She has since died. The other three patients, all of whon were alive as of February 1976, were Since 1974, scientific papers have been presented by Drs.Patricia Durbin (LBNL) and Robert Rowland (ANL), on the findings of follow-up. studies they have conducted . I n February 1976, i n response to public interest and an inquiry from the Washington Post, EKDA issued a press release containing : in for nation ; the Fact Sheet; and a sunoary report of the investigation. Interest declined rapidly after the release and w e are unaware of any subsequent interest in the matter until recently. W e understand that recently a reporter for an Oakland, California paper Interviewed both Drs. Patricia Durbin and John Gofnan on this investigation ; gave her the telephone nuaber and name of DOE's Inspector General, and 6uggesJed she call Ms. Gail Bradshaw I n DOE's public subject and subsequently, at the suggestion of Dr. Durbin, talked.... the Impression given the reporter by Dr. Durbin that he hitd led the1974.. He Subsequently called Ms. Bradshaw.
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t y e t been contacted by the rc; orter but has infonncd tha :..8'IC's office and t h e Fress Secretary af the rcporter'e intcrest in this The Issrac of in fox ned consent, i f raised. will be difficult to dcnl with in, ' the light of prescnt LOE and rederd poli c ice and procedures regarding humn subjects. These are vastly more codified and explicit than any guidance available a t the ti= the injections ucrc given, and the procedures used at that time would noL acct erandards adopted an3 currently applied by PDE and other Fcderril organizations. Office of tied th atid Cn vi r oxen td