Minutes, Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine, 25TH Meeting at Handord Operations Office, January 12 and 13, 1951

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Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine The twenty-fifth meeting of the Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine was held on Friday and Saturday, January I 2 and 13 at Hanford Operations Office in Richland, Washington. Members of Committee Dr. Alan Gregg, Chairman . A stimulating and instructive program was presented by the Health Instrument Division Medical Division on Friday, January 12, 1951. excellent presentation of the programs coupled with the group visits to the laboratory sectors where the work under way was discussed and demonstrated received the commendations of the Committee. at the time of the

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meeting i n Hanford i n October 1948 the Cornittee was concerned with the radioactive particle problem. Sand filters were then i n operation and numerous fine particles in the dissolver off gases were passing through these filters.This condition has been corrected toa great extent by the installations of glass fibre filters, There is t o be continued study on this problem. -. The following formal programs were'presented: Health Instrument Development Division - C q Radiological Physics and New Development A n inspection was made of the Biology and Aquatic Laboratories and a tour was made of t h e Experimental The Chairman convened the meeting a t 9:15 a,m. Minutes of Meeting The first order of business presented tothe Committee was a discussion of the minutes of the meeting held a t the AEC on November 10 and 11, 1950.

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The minutes were approved unanimously upon a motion by Dr. Wearn and seconded by Dr. Goodpasture. Report on Support of Research Projects The following projects in biology and medicine and health physics which had been approved as well as the projects that had been declined by the Division of Biology and Medicine since its meeting i n November studies that were being undertaken i n each project. The Committee was interested i n the following excerpt from a letter dated January 6, 1951 t o Mr. Dean from D r . Oppenheimer, Chairman of the General Advisory Committee i n which he expressed his committeers approval of, and recognition of the need f o r , a strong program i n basic research ata time when there is a great temptation t o concentrate on applied work. The letter reads, i n ' part: 9 Jt * "We thoroughly concurred with the draft paper prepared by the Director of Research indicating his conviction that basic research should, insofar aspossible, continue to flourish and receive Cornmission support despite ' the national emergency". I n connection with these discussions it was brought out that during the next twelve months i n making renewals o r grants consideration should be

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given tothe extent t o which military training is going t o deplete certain schools and take away persons who may be directly involved with work on the projects. It was suggested that program should be re-examined periodically to ascertain whether the project is being directed by a qualified investiAtomic Bonb Casualty Commission Machle who had returned from Japan t o report on t h e study now i n progress by the ABCC of the effects upon t h e population of Hiroshima and Nagasaki of radiation emanating from the explosions of atomic bombs i n 1945. . (Written reports on file in the Division of Biology and Medicine). and Dr, &&lets reports were focused primarily on 1. Should the program i n Japan be continued, and i f so, t o what extent? For discussion, this question was broken down into four parts : (a) Shall a broad clinical approach be continued as insisted upon by the Committee on Atomic Casualties,

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leukemia and cataract swveys be considered? (c) How far should research projects i n Japan be supported and how far should we go i n maintaining our good relations with the Japanese? (d) How far should we go with t h e genetics 2. How long should’we continue t h e program and i f it is wise t o continue the program - how many dollars shall be allocated? 3 . What shall the future relationships of the ACBM and Director of Biology and Medicine be with the NRC and the CAC and what is the relation of the whole project to the Japanese situ z tion as a whole and relation to world events as a whole, 4 . Have we specific objectives that we should recommend tothe NRC i f we want to continue .and are those broad objectives essentially the ones that we have been recommending from t h e start, ’ It was the sense of the Committee that as a result of the investigations made by Dr. Goodpasture and Dr. Machle and due tothe unsettled international situation and the difficulty in obtaining qualified personnel, it seemed wise t o recommend that the scope of the work.in Japan during the fiscal year 1952

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should be reduced, and that the program should be terminated as of January 1, 1953. stated that this action did not preclude them from giving reconsideration tothe problem if the situation should change and conditions s o warrant. Due to the fact that the original Presidential directive to make this study i n Japan had been sent tothe NRC, the Committee was of the opinion that the NRC should contact the State Department t o see i f there would be any objection tothe termination of A careful review was made of t h e AEKC budget. budgeted for the fiscal year 1952 does not supply sufficient funds for continuing research fora year even ata reduced level and the phasing out of the Dr.Mrren indicated that he would promptly ascertain whether the moneys which had been made available for construction i n fisc& year 1951 could now be reallocated for current expenses during the remainder of this year and fiscal year 1952, t o assist inthe phasing out of the project. The cownittee believed everything possible should be done t o enlist the early support of the most

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competent Japanese hman geneticists to continue the genetic work, with'ethe hope that ways may be found i n this country other than through the AISC t o continue certain work i n collaboration with them. The cod tte e expressed the hope that the leukemia study could be completed within t h e next six months and that the problem could be followedly the Japanese scientists after the termination date of the program with the sane interest as,they have shown inthe genetic and ophthalmological studies, It was suggested t h a t it might be possible to select another agency, such as National Institutes of Health, t o take over the research in Japan. further suggested that caution should be displqed in selecting such an agency or go up, Further consideration will be given t o this question at a later date.. Dr. Warren advised the Comraittee that he was planning to invite Mr, Millard Caldwell, Director, Federal Civil Defense Administration, to talk to the Cormnittee a t the meeting t o be held i n March on problems of mutual concern both t o the FCDA and t h e AEC,- Dr, Gregg read t o the Comnittee the letter which set forth the conclusions reached atthe meeting

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held on December 8, 1950 on ionizing rndiation (Copy i n files of Division of Biology FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Dr. Warren explained the plans and status of Greenhouse. Dr.Stam and Dr, Wearn expressed a desire to attend. The committee was interested in a proposal received from D r . James V. Neal, which was summarized by D r . Zelle and concerned human genetics which is aimed a t determining spontaneous mutation rates. Much more information concerning spontaneous mutation rates is necessary before more accurate estimates of the human genetics risks of radiation associated with atomic energy can be mde. The proposal has been approved by the Division. However, Dr. Zelle stated that Dr. Stern had reviewed the proposal i n advance of its acceptance and that the budget would be $19,500 annually for a three year period.. . Research Program inthe Current Emergency. Dr. Warren discussed the problem of orienting

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the research program t o the needs of national defense during the current emergency. research programs were fully discussed including the joint investigation on subhuman primate experiments with the U . 3. Public Health Service and present and proposed dog experiments. , Letter to Contractors re Interest in Their Research Tho general fundamental Dr. Warren advised the committee that with the assistance of Dr. Hastings the following letter was drefted and sent t o each off-site contractor: '(In the present national emergency each scientist i s materially concerned over whether he is making his best contribution for the welf,?re of the nation. The opinidn has been expressed by responsible leaders in science t h a t the emergency mny be of long duration. If this proves t o be truej it is essential that research i n basic problems be continued as well as research i n problems i n immediate utility. The research program in t h e Life Sciences of t h e Atomic Energy Commission includes projects of both immediate and long range importance. Inthe opinion of the Commission, it is essential to maintain both types of research, On behalf of the Division of Biology and Medicine I: wish t o express t o you and your colleagues our appreciation of the work you are undertaking under your contract and t o express our confidence that your future efforts will be of continuing value inthe Military Status Military Status of AEC Research Norkers. Dr. Dunham of AEC Research Workers reviewed the present military status of AEC research workers. Dr. Gregg stated that he believed it would

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be advantageous ifthe A52 hcd a record of all employees whose militzry status is conjecturable and have alist of their ste tus in the AEC at the earl i - est possible date. A statement of their status should be given t o the employee t o present tohis Draft Board ret her than cause the individual t o be dependent on his own representations. Dr. Gregg further was of the opinion that letters should be sent to the Draft Board one or two months in advance of t h e draft of the employee. Letters of long standing carry much more weight with Draft Boards than telegrams received j u s t before time of induction of a draftee. Hanford Operations Office. The Committee expressed their appreciation tothe staff of the Hanford Operations Office for making the meeting such an outstanding success. The next meeting will be held a t t h e AEC in