Memo to R L Morgan, Subject: Congressional Inquiry Into Follow-Up Studies on Human Radiation Experimentation

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United States Government Department of Energy Congrsssional Inquiry into Follow-up Studies on Human Radiation Experimentation Savannah River Operations Office Attached are copies of documents that are being distributed from Congressman Markey's office, and a letter from him asking us for follow-up action in identifying persons who served as experimental subjects. Your assistance in this matter is hereby requested. Please use thq committee report to identify the experiments 'that were conducted in your area, and send an indication of the feasibility of obtaining follow-up information to Dr. James S. Robertson, Director, Human Health and Assessments Division, ER-73, U.S. Department of Express, please use the following address: If you wish to send your response via Federal Director, Human Health and Assessnents Division Office of Health a d Environnental Since we have a deadline of November 10, 1986, for preparing the Secretary's initial response to Congressman Markey, whatever information you can send by November 5 will be appreciated. If further details are needed at this time, please contact Dr. J. S. Robertson either by telephone (ETS 233-5355) or by electronic mail (DIALCOM ID DOE1217). Associate Director for Health and Envirormental Research Office of Energy Research

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nous OFFICE WILDING ANNEX NO. 2 SUB COM M ll TEE ON ENERGY CONSERVATION COMMIITEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Raoul Rosenberg or John Abbotts MARKEY RELEASES REPORT ON THREE DECADES OF RADIATION EXPERIMENTS Washington--Congressman Edward J. Markey, Chairman of a House Subcommittee with jurisdiction over nuclear energy programs, today released a staff report titled, 'American Nuclear Guinea Pigs: Three Decades of Radiation Experiments on U.S. Citizens. ' The Subcommittee staff report reviewed documents which the Department of Energy supplied to Markey's Subcommittee on Energy Conservation and Power. In a letter to Secretary of Energy John Herrington, Markey noted that the DOE documents 'revealed the frequent and systematic use of human subjects as guinea pigs.' The experiments were sponsored by the Manhattan Project and the Atomic Energy Commission, predecessors t o DOE, and were carried out from the mid-1940s to the early 1970s. The report described in detail 31 experiments, during which about 695 persons were exposed. I n many experiments, individuals were exposed to radiation that provided little or no medical benefit to the subjects.The purpose of several experiments was actually to cause injury to the subjects. . simply t o measure the effects of radiation on humans. A s Markey noted t o Herrington, "American citizens thus became nuclear calibration devices for experimenters run amok.' human subjects that were captive audiences or populations that some experimenters frighteningly perhaps might have considered from terminal diseases who might not have retained their full Many others sought Harkey also noted t h a t 'TOO many of these experiments used c3 Markey closed his letter by urging the Department of Eenrgy -0 t o make "every practicable effort ' to identify the persons who 0 served a s subjects, t o examine their long-term health histories, - and t o compensate victims of radiation - associated diseases. Xarkey's letter to Herrington describes 'some of the more repugnant or bizarre ' of these human radiation experiments.

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U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES x w * anvun nxu YCWLO OSUT WIO SUBCOMMIITEE ON ENERGY CONSERVATION The Eonorable John S. Herrington Department of Energy As you know, t h e Subcommittee on Energy Conservation and Power has been conducting an investigation into radiation experimentation f o r human subjects. results of that investigation,a Subcommittee staff report titled, 'American Nuclear Guinea Pigsr Three Decades of Radiation I am forwarding t o you the T h i s report reviewed Department of Energy documents, which .revealed the frequent and systematic use of human subjects a s guinea pigs for radiation experiments sponsored by the Department's predecessor agencies, Some of these experiments were conducted in the1940s and 19508, and others were performed during the supposedly more enlightened1960s and 1970s. The report describes in detail 31 experiments during which about 695 persons I n many of these experiments, individuals were exposed t o radiation which provided little or no medical benefit to the subjects. The purpose of several of these experiments was actually to cause injury to the participants. Many others sought simply t o measure the effects of radiation on humans. American citizens thus became nuclear calibration devices for experimenters Ina number of experiments, subjects received doses that exceeded presently recognized limits for occupational radiation arposure. Dosee were a s much as 98 times t h e body burden recognized atthe time the experiments were conducted. Too many of these experiments used human subject6 t h a t were captive audiences or populations that some experimenters frighteningly perhaps might have coneidered mexpendablc:' the elderly, prisoners, hospital patients suffering f tom terminal diseases or who might not have retained their full faculties for

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The Eonorable John S. Herrington Some of the more repugnant or bizarre of these experiments patients believed t o have limited life spans were injected with Technology, 20elderly subjects were injected or fed radium o r --During 1946 and 1947, at the University of Rochester, six patients with good kidney function were injected with uranium salts to determine the concentration which would produce renal --From 1953 t o 1957, a t ~ as s a chu sett sGeneral Hospital, Boston, approximately 12 terminal brain tumor patients were injected with uranium t o determine the dose a t which kidney damage --Prom 1963 t o 1971, 67 inmates a t Oregon State Prison and 64 inmates a t Washington State prison received x-rays to their testes t o examine the effects of radiation on human fertility and National Reactor Testing Station in Idaho, radioactive iodine was purposely released on seven separate occasions. I n one experiment, seven human subjects drank m i l k from cows which had --Prom 1961to 1963, at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory, 102 human subjects were fed real fallout from the Nevada Test Site1 simulated fallout particles containing radioactive material1 or solutions of radioactive cesium and --During the late 19508, a t Columbia University and Xontef iore Hospital, the Bronx, 12terminal cancer patients were injected with radioactive calcium and strontium, These experimtnte, and other8 described Inthe Subcommittee o taff report, shock the conscience and represent a black mark on the hie tory of nuclear medical research, They raise one major horrifying question: did the intense desire t o know the consequences of radioactive exposure after the dawn of the atomic age lead American scientists t o mimic the kind of demented human experiments conducted by the Nazis? Did the Department o r its

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The Honorable John S, Herrington predecessor agencies fund or sponsor programs which 'CrO86ed the line that no scientific research can ever be permitted to. While it is clear that present public and e cie nti fic officials are generally not responsible for these experiments, these circumstances nonetheless represent a historical, institutional failure, To compound the evil,intoo many experiments, no long term follow u p was conducted of subjects. While these experiments cannot be undone, though they m u s t never be repeated, there are potential remedial steps that can be taken to help the victims who served a6 human nuclear guinea pigs. I therefore urge the Department of Energy t o make every practicable effort to identify the persons who served a s experimental subjects,to examine the long term histories of subjects for an increased incidence of radiation - associated diseases, and t o compensate these unfortunate victims for suspected damages. A Defense Department program provides a model f o r such follow up. The Nuclear Test Personnel Review, administered by the Defense Nuclear Agency, is a registry for military personnel exposed to fallout f tom atmO6phetiC nuclear tests. The primary objectives of the Review are to identify the approximately 200,000 Defense Department personnel involved i n such tests,to determine their exposures, to identify incidences of death OK illness, and to assist veterans in claims for If such an effort can be carried out for military personnel acting in the line of duty,surely a similar effort should be possible for the far smaller number of peaceful atomic 8Oldier8 used as unwitting human subjects in radiation experiments. feel that new legislation would be necessary, the Subcommittee will be pleased to work with the Department t o develop it. If you hav'e any questions on the material ' in this letter or the Subcommittee staff report,please contact John Abbotts o r Larry Sidman a t 202-226-2424. I look forward t o receiving by November 15, 1986 a description of the Department's plans for long term follow u p of these experimentally irradiate daub je cte, and your recommendation for what new legislation,if any, might be