What Is " Project Sunshine "

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Notes concerning basic factors and implications of one possible answer t o the question. There are sever(a1 distinctions to be kept i n mind i n trSing t o answer this question: The name means different things t o (a) Are we including nuclear war o r weapons testing or both? Are we including local fallout or just world-wide fallout ? Is Strontium-90 all that is of interest ? Is Sunshine just (d) Are we thinking of Sunshine primarily as a research effort to 'get information orasa monitoring effort t o keep track of existing fallout or asa study of a (e) Are we thinking of the physical, chemical, and biochemical behavior of fallout in the chain from source t o man, orare we thinking of radiation effect o r b i01 og i c a1 sy s tem s? (f) Does the apparent need f o r a restatement of Project Sunshine's aims mean a need fora major change i n the research program ora need for a different approach t o the use of information resulting,at least i n part, from (1-A) Loosely, A STUDY OF THE HAZARD To MAN OF WELD-WIDE IZADIOACTIVE FALLOUT FIDM BOTH NJCLEBR WEAPONS TESTING ANI WCLEAR WAR (discussed further below) (1-B) More precisely, A STUDY, FmM THE POINT OF VIEW OF IUZARD TO MAN, OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF POSTULATEI) ITILICIES AND ALTERNATIVE COUElsEs OF ACTION WITH !RESPECT TO WEAPONS TEST IE AND WCLEAR WAR

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(2) A WORLD-WIDE MONITORTNG, SANPLTNG, AM) RADIOCHEMICAL (a) TO DETEFNTNE MATERIAL BALANCES (3) MT A RESEARCH PFCGRAM, BUT A l'BUPEII" (as defined below) TO INVESTIGATE MPEFUMENTAEY AM) STUDY THEOHETICALLY THE VAFUOUS MECHANISMS OF INTEREST 4. This re-statement carries with it implications answering, a t least in part,the questions of paragraph #2, as well as new implication. Botk nuclear war and weapons test r ng would be considered, Worl-d-wide fallout would be considered from the point of view of hazard, but of course much infomation gotten from local fallout stud'ies would be applicable Strontium-90 would be studied inthe context of the general goal of Sunshine Sunshine would include monitoring activities but would be inore than this ; but Sunshine would -not of itself be a research program but would need the results of research and would, a s discussed below, have a voice i n the direction of the research effort, Sunshine would studyg and use information relating to, beh,avior of fallout in the chain t o man and radiation effects. For example, calculations as done by population geneticists would be part of Sunshine T t appears possible and practical, as discussed below, to carry out Sunshine a s defined without making any changes other than evolutionary ones tothe existing research and mor,itoring programs. But this implies understanding two assumptions implied inthe reThat it i s possible within the existing administrative framework t o set up a "Project Sunshineft effort those aim isto study a certain hazard, That it is possible for those directly responsible for this effort to f'buylt, that is to say, t o have a voice in direction of, the research effort of the These two assunptions need further discussion, which follows

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5 . Discussion of the question of including nuclear war. The only fallou'b data w e have and hope we ever will have i s from weapons tests. Therefore, t o some extent nuclear war and weapons testing are inseparable from the standpoint of tAm is t o be m,ade between local and world-wide fallout effects and the relationship of each to specific war plans. suggested here that B&M, o r even AEC can properly go into the auestion of war plans or their fallout effects. suggested that certain problems, such a s the setting of an overall "Sunshine limit " (or a t least debating i f this i s possible or feasible or meaningful] may be properly the concern of AEC national understanding of fallout effects problems, it might be wise for specific individuals in EM to be much farther int o DOD circles,in an advisory or planning o r informationexchange o r seminar capac its even if this person could not communicate all of h i s information throughout BW, This auestion is left open at this point, for further consideration and possible working out with DOD. I n the case of nuclear war a deekme-d' st;rva+' ' Furthermore, i n the interests of better over-all 6. Administration of Project SunshineThe first assumption of paragraph Lf es sent iau y says t h a t a person would be charged within the Division with the responsihi3ity of studying the hazard (that is, t o study from a hazard point of view the implications of certain courses of action and policies ] posed by world-wide radioactive fallout, b te that the effort itself i s primarily a scientific study9 not This person could be set ~p i n one of a number of ways tofit i n the Division over-all framework. He could be i n a "no man's land" between the present research effort and the present operabe considered as one of three existing hazard studies in the Division, the other two being local fallout and reactor hazards. (Other hazard areas a r e conceivable P uses of isotopes, transporting weapons ,ect,) An even more far-reaching possibility is discussed He could be regarded a s responsible for what could This person would have responsibilities in one o r two administrative (1) to carry out, a s necessary, under contract or by other means special analytical, computational, o r other studies for which special competence, computing facilities,or additional temp ry manpower are needed monitoring and sampling programs (but not research o r development programs associated) under xn shine It i s conceivable that even this work might r,ot be directly under the control of the Sunshine Project study. (2)to carry out, orat least influence directly,the

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The second assumption of paragraph 4f essentially says that it will be possible for the Sunshine person to state his problems (perhaps fonnallty by memo t o the Director's Office, informally by oral presentations t o the Research Committee), -and that the Director will have placed upon the Research Committee, orthe Director for Research, the responsibility for weighing the needs of Sunshine, as stated, i n arriving at a total B&M program, There would be 110 obligation of the Research group t o accept any o r all suggestions of avenues of research for Sunshine, only the over-riding responsibility to consider the needs of Sunshine i n relation to other needs. No money is transferred, separate, with -the means established for communication and the lines of responsibility pointed out. This i s what i s meant by "buying" research. But the study and research efforts are It i s possible .that certain individuals i n E!&M would wear two hats, administrating :research and participating in the studies. philosophy of this paper implies probably a t least one full-time person on the studies, maybe more, and i n any event t h e "two hat" flexibility would not negate the "separate and distinct " philosophy. There are iood .reasons why it would be desirable t o continue a Project Sunshim steering group, but this proup would be assisting (not directing) the person ( s ) responsible f o r Sunshine. This proup would meet a s required, but the burden would be on those responsible for Sunshine t o use the group, I n general the relationships would be similar t o those between ACBM and Director. The proup would discuss topics of interest and made recommendations t o those responsible for Sunshine, t o follow o r not these recomendations but would be expected to defend their course of action in the light of these recommendations. The assistance from such a group would possibly fall into three main Those responsible would elect (1) assistance i n developing the studies of hazard (2) assistance in guiding the monitoring and sampling program (3) assistance in deciding on areas where data clearly is needed and clearly can only come from a research effort. 7. More far-reaching frameworks f o r Sunshine-type studies. I n paragraph 6 ways of possibly setting up Sunshine were indicated. An extension of one point of view given theEe would be t o recognize that the view of Sunshine as a separate study i s obsolete and that it i s time ,to view related hazards studies (worldwide fallout,local fallout, reactors, waste disposal, etc,) as part of one general effort t o assess the impaot of man made radiation on the environment so as t o determine the implications from a hazards standpoint of various postulate d policies and courses of action. One might i n this case profitably drop the name ' 9 S ~ n ~ hlne "- o r one might do this zinyhow.

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If this point of view i s taken, a &&za&ao ' n is still to be made between a study (of a hazard) and a research program. A study is a different thing: it uses information from many sources and has specific goals i n mind. An administrative set-up f o r an undertaking of the sort mentioned here almost suggests itself and will not be discussed further here. 8. Special problems of Sunshine administration: ACEN, GAC, Commission The keyto what, would be said about the relation of Sunshine t o ACBM, GAC, aqd the Commission itself lies in the definition of here is the distinction between fact,or estimates of fact, and The distinction to be kept i n mind The latter may be based on factor only partly The ACBM would be valuable t o the Sunshine Project (1) f o r advice on the carrying out of the study itself, (2) for advice on the carrying out of the monitoring and sampling program, (31 f o r device on where research can and should help , and (4) f o r guidance on the relationships between facts and jud pent s to be made upon them. The Commission,, and the GAC would of course i n the end make the value judgments - t o the extent they are made atall within AEC - 9 and the responsibility of Sunshine, backed up by B3.M and ACBM, would be t o gike them the results of the Sunshine studies, including the implicatioins of possible actions and policies and even recommendations of actions and policies. The same peneral remarks would apply if "Sunshine" i s dropped i n favor of a broader point Within the Division, research projects would be categorized (for instance) asin the November list prepared by Mr. Stanwood's people. Such alist does not as presently set up set Sunshine apart, nor would it under the discussion here, Categories according t o radia€ion effects, toxicology, civil effects, ect. categorize by subject matter and by Division organizational set-up, and these What happens, then, when it i s time t o go t o Congress for money? There i s very little to prevent the preparation a t budget time of lists of research projects that support Project Sunshine. There i s no obligation t o see that such lists are mutually exclusive with respect to other lists of projects supporting some other goal. There i s no obligation either, and no strong advantage, to say t h a t Project Sunshine (the study) and Project Smshine's supporting research proprams a r e under one roof othEr than the general roof of the B&M Division and its normal organization.

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Thus it i s not apparent that defining Sunshine i n the limiting sense above need imply any difficulties in obtaining money beyond those already encountered. setting up of awell defined project, with goal and responsibility assigned t o someone for working toward them, should i f any-bhing , enhance the value of Sunshine i n t h e eyes of those who control of a broader point of view. On the contrary, the The same remarks apply if "Sunshine" i s dropped i n favor 10. Information policies for Project Sunshine With respect,tcl information within t h e government and its agents, pertairling t o Sunshine, it would be a responsibility of the person directly responsible for Sunshine t o see that information comes t o him and is also available t o others ' working with him o r elsewhere on 3unshine. it would be a responsibility of the Research people i n B&M t o keep the Sunshjne Project informed as to results of relevant As already implied, With respect t o public information, it would again be a responsibility of the person directly responsible for Sunshine to participate to some extent i n AEC planning for public information distribution. be responsible for seeing t o it that information that is in a form that can be correctly interpreted is gotten, through channels, t o the public. How this remark should go istoa great extent dependent upon the individuals involved. Tn particular, he would Apa ale1 remark would apply with respect t o Sunshine information to the JCAE.