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MINUTES - 78th MEETING OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, JANUARY 8-9, 1960 Amount should read $54.2 million instead of Page 7 - Last line of first paragraph: Change sentence t o read It * * * budget from and be under the administrative control of Second line of third paragraph: Add "AEC" between the words "otherrt and After first sentence, third paragraph; Add the sentence: "The biology program should not be subsidiary to research and routine activities associated with manufacturing .It
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The 78th meeting of t h e Advisory Committee f o r Biology and Medicine, U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, was held on January 8 and 9 , 1960 a t the Hanford Laboratories, Hanford Atomic Products Operation, General Electric Company, Richland, Washington. The meeting was attended by committee members Marine lli, Harland G. Wood, and John C. Bugher, the Vice Chairman, who presided. Dr. Charles L. Dunham, Director, Division of Biology and Medicine, and several senior members of the Division were present atthe various sessions. The Hanford Operations Office was represented by The Minutes of the 77th meeting were accepted without correction. With respect to filling the two vacancies inthe Committee membership and an additional appointment approved by the Commission (bringing the Committee's membership to nine),Dr. Dunham reported that the men considered at the last meeting had agreed to serve and their appointments are The next meeting of ACBM w i l l be held a t AEC HQ on March 11 (Germantown) and March 12 (Washington), 1960. The following meeting is tentatively scheduled t o take place at the Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, on May 20 and 21. The busjness of the 78th meeting fell under three principal headings: 1. Short-lived isotopes and fallout exposure problem. 2. Dr. Dunham's report on miscellaneous matters 3. Review of the programs a t the Hanford Laboratories 1. Short-Lived Isotopes and Fallout Exposure Problem The short statement t o be sent to the Commission (see Minutes of 77th meeting) is t o be prepared by Dr. Dunham, using various material, statement will be circulated to the Committee. The Commission is expected t o approve t h e Report on the National Laboratories that the Committee has already discussed. Hearings on DBM's $ 5.4 million budget for FY 1960-61 will be held
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a t the Bureau of the Budget thism onth. except construction,training, and education. This budget covers a l l items The Federal Radiation Council has appointed a second working committe e whose members are experts i n the various specialties that bear on the assessment of radiation hazards. Dr. Victor Beard will represent the AEC. The committee is t o function full time and will be funded by HEW and AEC for consultant time. The Committee is t o prepare a statement on the current status of radiation hazards inthe United States that will serve later as a basis for promulgating standards of safety. The Rollex watch hazard was detected by Dr. Victor Beard by a chance hour at the surface of the bezel. in getting these watches back from the public. The watches i n question could deliver a dose of 1 rad per The AEC is cooperating with t h e Company The re calculation of the neutron dose delivered-by the Hiroshima weapon i s progressing a t the Los Alamos Laboratory. Mr. Robert Corsbie (DBM) is consulting with DMA i n regard t o speeding up the gema - ray The plans for the Florida State University program i n molecular biology, approved a t the last meeting, are now inthe process of being implemented by the University. 3.Review of the Programs a t the Hanford Laboratories Supported by DBM The Hanford Atomic Products Operation, managed in its entirety by the General Electric Co., began with a plant costing $400 million; the operation is now i n its fourth expansion period, and the eventual cost will be over $1 billion.Originally concerned only with plutonium production, reactor research and development have become increasingly important functions (plutonium recycling program, dual purpose reactors for power, and others). To separate the administration of research from production, the Hanford Laboratories were established in 1956. The total cost of their physical plant,originally $35 million,will eventually reach $75 million. The Laboratory research programs a r e about equally divided between production research and other types. the Biology Program under Dr. Kornberg -- although administratively part of the Hanford Laboratories is physically separated from the parent organization by its location on,anothe$ site, about 15 miles away. A major part of t h e DBM supported program -- The Fhief objective of the 78th meeting wasto review the programs atthe Hanford Laboratories supported by DBM from both the administrative and scientific points of view. As indicated by the discussion atthe 77th meeting, recommendations concerning the Biology Program are needed on the following points : whether the program shall continue a t Hanford and, i f so,
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a t what level of activity ; whether part or all of the program shall be placed under one of the region ' s universities ; how such policy decisions can be executed fairly and efficiently. The sessions of January 8 were occupied by a visit to the Hanford Laboratories and a review of their biological programs. The Laboratories various departments three organizations that receive DBM funds: ( 2 ) Physics and Instruments Research and Development, described by radiation protection program which involves the entire Hanford Atomic Mr. Parker stated that DBM is supplying $2.2 million in 1959-60 for the biology and medicine budget: Biology Program, $0.5 million to Chemical Research and Development, and $0.5 million to Physics and Instruments Research and Development. addition, Biology receives another $0.2 million from other sources. total personnel consists of 126 persons, including 72 scientifically or technically trained research workers and 13 supervisors. prepared booklet of the presentations was distributed to the Committee.) of this, $1.2 million go tothe The Biology Program that is directed by Dr. Kornberg occupies laboratories that cost $2.2 million, and involve 87 persons of whom 20 hold t h e doctorate and 20 the B.S. o r M.S. degree. The following group radiation damage -- with emphasis on plutonium, ruthenium, strontium, (plant nutrition and microbiology, including strontium and iodine metabolism), i n sheep and the newly developed miniature swine). 1participation in Project Chariot a t Cape Thompson, Alaska), F. P. Hungate It was the opinion of ACBM that the Biology Program under Dr.Ko g berg ' s direction is a productive one, and that its investigations are valuable with respect to the operation of the Hanford plant in particular and the biological and public health problems associated with the atomic energy industry in general. It i s important that such work be continued and that its development be encouraged in its practical aspects and i n its roots in Atthe Executive Session on January 9,attention was focused on the I n assessing the difficulties, ACBM had the benefit of converadministrative and other problems reputedly associated with the Biology s at ions with Mr. H. M e Parker, Manager of Hanford Laboratories and
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Johnson, Vice President, General Electric Co. and Manager of the Hanford Atomic Products Operation. ACBM also had a t its disposal the Minutes of the 66th and 75th meetings and the report made atthe last (77th) ACBM meeting by the special investigating committee that had - visited Hanford and the universities at Pullman and Seattle.Dr. Zelle (DBM) and Mr. Stanwood (DBM) two of the latter corn it tee were present ; also Mr. Travis and Mr. Englund of the Hanford Operations Office. In the discussion with Mr. Parker, he expressed the following of man and biota around the plant and the scientific questions related there to ; that certain parts of this program could only be done -- o r should be done -- a t Hanford; that other parts might be done elsewhere but were conjoined with the former i n order t o keep the scientific background of the program ata high level ; that in the past, workers I n the Biology Program had felt restricted with respect to attendance a t scientific meetings, but a more liberal policy in this was being effected ; that publication in the open literature of scientific work was not a problem; that no insuperable difficulties of prs nci ple stood i n the way of establish - ing closer contacts with universities or other scientific organizations. that the objectives of the DBM-supported work were protection Mr. Parker estimated that about 50 percent of the program was specifically site oriented. I n commenting on the location of the laboratories, he noted that Foster ' s study of the reactor effluents should be located close to the reactors, but that the other projects now in that neighborhood could be better integrated with the Hanford Laboratories i f moved to the vicinity of the latter. p. Parker stated that It would be difficult to get universities to do various studies now being done a t Dr. KoGberg, as a background for his remarks, stated that the Biology Program would continue on its present course until a decision was reached, and that, furthermore, he and his staff would abide by the decisions made. Dr. Kornberg stated that present administrative trends a t Hanford were meant to bring biology in closer contact with the rest of the Hanford Laboratories; he indicated that this might hinder the growth of the Biology Program. With respect t o general policy, he would like to de-emphasize monitoring measurements rather than increase them -- unless they are accompanied by parallel,carefully conceived biological investigations. He pointed out that the growth of monitoring, e.&., a t the Columbia's mouth, will probably cut down the Biology Program. I f DBM made suggestions regarding program orientation, he felt it would carry "some weight, probably". He stressed the need for the Biology Program t o be freed from an administration oriented essentially toward thk production program.
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Dr. Kornberg's major objectives included the following: transfer the Biology Program t o another administration (in effect,this implies separation from the Hanford Laboratories managed by Mr. Parker); orient the further evolution and growth of the program toward greater emphasis on (a) fundamental work i n radiobiology and (b) chronic studies comparing the effects of various toxic and stressing agents with that of ionizing radiation in the life span of animals; introduction of graduate students into the laboratories ; leavds of absence for scientific personnel toget higher degrees; university appointments (without pay) for the staff so that the students could take degrees under them; exchange professorships with the universities involving change i n residence; exchange of scientific personnel with other laboratories for periods of a year or so. Mr. Johnson stated that the Company is neutral in a contractual sense, and that it is quite willing to carryout the suggestions of the Commission ath regard tothe Biology Program. Realizing that many of the scientific activities of the Hanford Atomic Products Operations should be administered separately from the production activities,the Hanford Laboratories were established in 1956 under Mr. Parker. His charter stated that not mor9 than 50 percent of the Laboratories' work should be directly concerned with production research. Looking.ahead,,Mr. Johnson's concern for the Biology Program has been twofold. First, the usual GE administrative policies for the transfer and promotion of personnel cannot be applied to the Biology Program, since GE has no other such program: necessary for the continued vitality of any program could not occur, and this would be particularly true here where almost all staff members are therefore, t h e turnover of personnel considered Secondly, he felt that the Hanford staff-and AEC were being placed i n the position of judge, jury and offender with respect to its monitoring activities. It would be better for an outside organization t o be the judge o r jury. Dr. Bugher pointed out that the creation of the Federal Rddiation Council provided the answer t o the second problem. For the future, whatever may b e clone, Mr. Johnson believes it is vital t o study the Columbia estuary and also other neighboring areas, and t o publish statistics relating to their radioactivity periodically ; it will also be important to contribute to the general problem of waste disposal. Mr. Johnson noted the gradual change in nature of the Operation. Originally a. production facility, it is now.also concerned with reactor research and development (plutonium recycling program; dual purpose reactors -- plutonium production or power), and such research activities are likely to increase inthe future. Administerihg the Biology Program a s a research program that includes several broad interests may be psychologically encouraging t o people i n those divisions whose relation to production must inevitably become less.
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Mr. Johnson emphasized his interest in the future of the program. I f i t remained at Hanford, its organization should be such that its quality and vitality would be high. Such a goal requires propek contact with the scientific community outside Hanford. With respect to local management, it could be arranged forDr. Kornberg t o receive his budget through Mr. Johnson's office instead of as now, i f such an arrangement were considered helpful. Atits closed session, ACBM cam!? tothe following conclusions: (1) The value-of the Biology Program is in large measure the result of its orientation to the AEC's problems, particularly as these problems have been illustrated by o r grown out of the Hanford Operation itself. the age of atomic power, such problems developed i n proper scientific fashion lead to results of great general interest. The program is now fruitful ; it commands facilities that are somewhat crowded but adequate; most important, it involves an experienced group of investigators and technicians. ACBM recommends that this program should be kept together, that this is only possible by its continuance a t Hanford, and that its continued productivity be encouraged. (2) With respect to future administration, ACBM suggests that this be along the lines found successful in the national and others cie nti = with the scientific world through library facilities, attendance a t scientific meetings, visiting lecturers, and if feasible, =ticchange of personnel. Contact with the regional universities is, of course, desirable. Leave of absence to get a higher degree i n some circumstances is also Program and the rest of the Hanford Laboratory is a matter that can be Arrangements should be made to in sure adequate communication The precise administrative relationships between the Biology (3) With respect to future program, ACBM wishes t o emphasize that this must be approved by DBM i f it is to be funded by the AEC. ACBM recommends that the orientation of the Biology Program continue, as i n the past, toward studies dealing with the radioactive and other toxic substances associated with reactor operation from several points of view -- toxicology, pharmacology, ecology, public health, and fundamental radioAdvisory …