105TH and 106TH Meeting of the Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine (AEC 156/112)

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Note hy the Secretary The attached letters of December 15, 1964 and from Dr. Fred J. Hodges, Chairman, ACEiM, are circulated for the information of the Commission. . Dir. of Regulation g - 11 Deputy Dir. of Regulation 12 Asst. Gen. Mgr. Adm. 22 Asst. Dir. of Regulation 13 Nuclear Ed. & Training 67 Reactor Dev. & Tech. 76-86

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ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION The 105th meeting of the AEC Advisory Committee for Fi OlOgY and Medicine was held a t Germantown Headquarters and the Street Office September 24-25; 1964. Drs. Bale, Cohen, Green, Hodges, Russell and Sterner met with Dr. Dunham and members of his staff on the 24th. Dr. Moore joined the group on the25th, asdid Commissioner Bunting. The committee was informed about numerous s t a f f changes which have occurred and new Staff appointees were introduced. excellent report covering a wide range of activities of the Division of Biology and Medicine. The committee applauds the start which DBM has made i n Iceland by way of its initial survey in continuation of Its population genetic research. The usefulness of inversions In genetic studies with insects Is well established. The committee has considered Dr. Edingtonls suggestion and is of the opinion that an attempt should be made t o induce and detect inversions geneticists in studies of radiation effects on mannals atthe organism and population level makes this an effort worth undertaking. It i s believed that the growing SNAP Program will and that at Livermore the research group supported by DBs, with the new facilities being provided, can and will be importantly The committee was pleased to learn through Mr. Lowensteinls report that while the regulations relating to the diagnostic use of radioisotopes have been liberalized,the present restrictions covering therapeutic use areto continue. of isotopes Issued for diagnosis is considered t o be a good move in the direction of identifying any possible abuse of isotope UEe. The committee commended Mr. Deal, o f DBM, on his invest i - gat ive work which has led to the retrieval of important information concerning the conditions under which the weapons employed a t Hiroshima and Nagasaki were detonated. The potential value of inversions to the mammalian The suggested inventory The jelnb Atomic Energy Commission-National Institutes of Health cancer. research effort at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has made a propitious start in the estimation of the committee. inits work toward meeting the Commission's request for a n evaluation of procedures and practices followed by the Division of Biology and Medicine inthe handling of research support requests in the offsite program. atthe time of Its January meeting and then presented tothe Atits executive session,the ACBM made considerable progress A final report will be completed

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The ACBM met a t Chalk River on November 13-14, and a report of this meeting will be forwarded t o you when completed. Advisory Committee f o r Biology U.S. Atomic Energy Commission

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ADVISORY COMMI!M?EEFOR BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION meeting atthe Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories on November 13 and 14, 1964, at the invitation of Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd. On the 13th the AECL biomedical program was presented and explained tous by the Director of the Biology and Health Physics Division and the Director of the Medical Division and their The relative d is association of the biomedical 6pe rations of AECL from the research ardteaching activities of Canadian universities seems to contrast sharply with the situation in our country. We are convinced that offsite and on s lte research support as practiced by theU. S. Atomic Energy Commission, through its Division of Biology and Medicine, has greatly stimulated desirable university interest and cooperation which appears t o be lacking i n Canada, opportunities for the accumulation and wide dissemination of radio biological knowledge, extensively encouraged inthe United States,are being lost in Canada. organized program arranged foru8 which included intimate glimpse8 of ongoing research. The compact group of biomedical investigators - 30 professionally trained, technicians - conduct almost all of their activities on the Chalk River reservation. Severe budgetary limitations determine the scope of the program. -Because tritium waste disposal and hazard control are important in the operation of heavy water reactors,biological investigations involving tritium dissemination in living matter are being studied closely. Experiments utilizing cross sections of trees from the area are most ingenious and interesting. Genetic research has been aided by the use of several well chosen and unusual insects, among them a small wasp, Dahlbominus. We were impressed by the many creative monitcring devices which have been developed for use by the health physicists and the biological researchers. The Committee believes that a lesson to be learned from the fatal accident in Rhode Island Is that a need exists for increased responsibility to be demanded by AEC of all industrial concerns dealing with radioactive or potentially fission able materials. It is our recommendation that licensing authorities The Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine held its 106th To usit appears that important Several export able ideas were gleaned from the well

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require,in addition to an adequate program ef health physics covering routine operatic ns, advance plans for hospital procedures in case of accidents. Such plans should include provisi-n for effective radiation protection of all persons involved inthe management of emergency situations. further that a basic plan be developed for wide disse mina tiw outlining the important features of radiation emergency situations The Journal of the American Medical Association might be an appropriate medium For its distribution to physicians and abroed have ledDr, Gertrude Cox to decline proffered ACBM far the E. 0. Lawrence Award and recommendations have been flarwarded tothe Chairman of the General Advisory Committee. A considerable portion of the Committee's time atthe November meeting was devoted tothe review of DBMresearch support procedure and practice requested earlier by the Commission. A full report,together with our recommendations, will be submitted shortly after our January meeting. The Committee has been informed that prior obligations The ACBM reviewed the letters of romination for candidates Advisory Committee f o r Biology