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For the 100th tLme since Its Inception, the Advisory Cdt tee for Biology and Medicine gathered with the M vision Director and manbers of Washington on Sept-r 13 and 14, 1963. aembers who had completed their uppainted terms. By t h e i r Individual investigations, a8 well as their rdvfeory service6 t o the Divfslon of Biology and Medicine, E. Bentley Glass (genetlcs), James 6. E or s fall greatly to the advancement of knowledge-An matters related to atomic representing genetics as SUCC ~ SSO ~t o Dr. Glass, watl unable to attend, as vas D r . Robert Loeb. A l l other members were preeent, together WLth Dr. Charles Dunham, DBH Director, and most of t h e members of h i s divisional staff. The committee was greatly pleased t o have you participate for a time in our deliberations and t o be vie it ed, as well, by Commissioners Remey, Tape and Wilson. Dr. Spofford English took part i n the meetings aleo, as didDr. Paul Tompkins, of the Federal Radiation next meeting. In the Interim, Dr. €lodges has been designated as a c t i n g This meetlng was held at the AEC W" Street office In Msshg were three former A new chairman will be selected by the full committee a t its Dr. Dunham described recent personnel changes in his staff and brought t o our attention several matters of interest and importance. on the newly developed Cobalt 60 low level field for the ecology program genesis program a t ORNL, and told UB that a special cormnittee, of which Dr. R. Owen was chairman, reported favorably concernlng the genetics program of DBM. We learned also that, Fn keeping with our suggestions following the 98th meeting, initial steps have been taken toward the gradual reduction of support f o r the New England Deaconess HO6pital project. We learned that t h e r e are prospects of increased freedom of comamication between the USSR and our country concerning the biological and medical aspects of atomic energy, as the result of your recent visit He described the present status of the joint NIH-AISC carcino-*
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Briefly snd effectively variuus members of the DBM staff presented budgetary highlights necessary to an understanding of divisional policies and accorPpllsbe!nts, a resume of the activities of the N U Harbor Summer Study devoted to Civil Defense, the present status of the ABC contractor pereonnel health survey, and the most recent information a veils ble regarding Cesium 137 concentrations i n lsan and animals i n Alaska. Dr. Doran, Division of Operational Safety, outlined the course and the outcome of litigation concerning ORNL vorlcers for whom dosages had been Bought from the Commission and the Union Carbide Company f o r diseases allegedly resulting from occupational exposure to radiation.Dr. Poor, of the Divlsion of Nuclear Education and Training, described the present e t a t e of development of that office. the directness of presentation which we have come t o expect of participants i n programs directed by Dr. Dunham. The Cam it tee appreciated the clarity and The committee believes that the pereonnel health survey is desirable and potentially profitable to the AEC and t o students of industrial health called attention to weakness of medical testimony for the plaintiffs, the absence of a jury, and the j o i n t consideration of three similar diseases, believing that these factors may have had a strong influence on the court chased by AEg under research grants, the connoittee agreed that it would be good policy and i n keeping with the intent of research support, t o transfer title, preferably to the Institution rather 4han the investigator, with some time factor stipulation. The comnittee was pleased t o learn that negotiations leading t o the establishment of the planned radiobotany project at Michigan State University have been moving forward satisfactorily with no seriow obstacles insight. Same of our oaenbers comaeating upon the Federal C o u r t declsioae, Asked for its opinion regarding t h e transfer of apparatus purFrom the committee's viewpoint its briefing concerning the present status and the plane for further development of the Livermore biomedical program was the nost Important matter on the agenda. Following initial outlining of the project by Dr. Gofman, its director, three of his staff associates provided additional meterial related to particular phases. etat ed that there are three major interests within the project:- (1) the source of radioactive substances (weapons and o t h e r nuclear devices), (2) mechanisms by which these nuclides are transported from the devices to other points and into living organisms, and (3) the interaction with the biosphere of radionuclides released from nuclear devices. The committe e is in full agreement with the desirability of instituting and energetically supporting research i n these mtters. It believes that ' i t is of great Smportance t o regulate and control undelsirgble biological effects at the source of radionuclide production, t o understand, certainly, and t o favorably modify their transport if possible, and t o explore i n
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derail biological ef€ecte under field trial conditions. was unfavorably Fmpreased with the over-enthusiastic, over-ambitious and rather uncritical presentation of the biologically-oriented staff member8 who proposed t o create as a aajor endeavor vith in the project an elaborate and boundless inquiry into the essential mechanisms of all living things. We are somewhat fearful that unbridled enthusiasm for the gathering the storage of f a c t s from published works and newly available experimental data may divert attention and needed effort from the overall purpose behind the newly established Livermore project. opportunity t o become acquainted with the experimental plans of the project, it is our feeling that we need t o be further informed and that we are qualified at the merit t o do no more i n our advisory capacity than t o caution against undesirably diffuse planning which may endanger the successful accomplishment of the major objectives. In this regard, the committee indicated that it would like to see a detailed statement describing the program objectives and priorities, and the staff organization. This being our first The ACBM, a t the invitation of the General Advisory Committee, seat the chairman pro tern and its physicist,Dr. William P. Bale, a s representatives t o the recent GAC meeting, where the Conhission's proper role in presently developing civil defense actlvities was a major subject of discussion.