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Pacific Area Support Office; USLXUl r -0 The above referenced repdrt makes seriow accusations as to my competence, Brookha ven Nat ional Laboratory mdi cal programs . . .”. I am compelled to respond on that basis al~ne taking due note that these accusations have been given wide distribution within the LWE and DOE Contractor community. This reply is unnecessary for you, I know, but this personal attack cannot go unanswered boti because of its flagrant abuse of the truth and because there are serious program considerateions that COU1 d affect the people we are CO* tted to serve. This is not meant to he a counterattack again& Dr. Pratt because as you kncxv, the history of PASO’s involvement with him is replete with documents and meetings detailing ‘who struck John”. More of this cannot be productive. Since the earlieg t of our vessel procurement effort, through this . “ 1as t referenced report, it has become abundantly clear to RE that Dr. Pratt has focused on what have become three major obsessions, namely the inability of the Liktanur II to properly carry out the BNL medical charter, the involvement of C. E. Ot ternnn on voyages and my performance. There is no need to reference the documents which I believe support this view, as you have read them all and tiey ha”vebeen discussed until words I wish now, however, to address those specific al1ega tions and accusations which Dr. Pratt has made in his trip report.. . 1.- On page 3, I allegedly failed to tell Dr. Pratt &hat I had invited exposed and control group persons living on outer islands other than Rongel ap and Utirik to Ma juro and Ebeye for examinations by .BNL, and that the BNL bio-assay team to Kili in May 1979, why they couldn ’t get examined by the BNL doctors. I made an on tie spot decision that these people should not be denied examinations by virtue of their habitat in the Marshalls ahd I told the person that the next time BNL came to Majuro or Ebeye an announcement would be put on tie radio hopefully in time for him . ‘to catch a field trip ship and be examined. I conunitted that his expenses DOE FORM AD-0 (12-77) OFFICIAL FILE COPY
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of travel and subsistence costs would be met. I advised Dr. Pratt of this by letter dated June 6, 1979. This was documented in my June 4, 1979, Trip Report to you with a copy to Dr. Pratt and my Septenber 18 Trip Report, copy to Dr. Pratt. In addition, in a subsequent telephone conversation with Dr. Pratt I advised him of these decisions and he acknowledged them with no particular comment. He was also told of”this in my office in September 1979 although I made no mention of reimbursing the patients. This was something I meant to discus~–with Dr. Pratt. I should have, but forgot to do so._ We did take immediate action when Dr. PrG’ct notified the ~E Coordinator on Kwajalein of the problem, but unfortunately- the Marshalls Government did not give him ‘ur message hpromptly and the funds were sent by #e bank to Guam ins ad of Majuro. In spite of this, the two people were =11 t&en care of on Majuro and did receive expense money. 2. On page 4, Dr. ‘Pratt finds fault that PASO sent his message to the Chief Secretary for transmittal and that PASO sent $2,00(7 instead of the ANSWER : It is routine to send a message to someone who has no permanent address in Majuro and who is U.S. Government affiliated, to the Office of Chief Secretary. I made the decision to send R. Pratt $2,000 and since the charges cow to owr $1,600 the decision needs no 3. On page 6, Dr. Pratt references a message I sent to Enewetak stating that the Vtirik person who wanted to be examined would be paid $10.00 per day, and implies this caused problems because other people were paid $27.00 per day. His transportation from Enewetak tO Ebeye and return plUS normal expenses 4. On page 13, Dr. Pratt notes awng other things that I failed to provide ANSWER : Dr. Pratt wanted a town meeting in Majuro with Rongelap, Utirik, and Bikini people some two and a half weeks after I was to leave Maj uro. I did have his mission and schedtie a~ounced over the radio as he requested. Experience has taught me that meetings of this nature should be announced one day or two ahead of time if reasonable attendance is to be expected. Because of this and because the BNL schedule might have been slightly altered for some reason, I decided not to make an announcement. . Rather, X told Peter Heotis of BNL on Kwajalein of this and suggested #at sine-he and Bill Scott would be going to Majuro a couple of days in . advance of the medical team’s arrival, that they could better make timely .- arrangements for the meeting. To do this would take about 15 minutes of one person’s time. When I explained this to Dr. Pratt on his return, he told me that Scott and Heotis had been too busy to do this.
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5. On page 13 he of msdical policy this decision was again states that my “unique, unilateral field decision has been addressed in my answer number 1. Further, administrative and not “medical policy”. Finally, to say that it was not discussed with him is a total untruth. 6. On page 13 and 14, Dr. Pratt gives evidence that ~h> few patients who were examined as a result of my announcement “ . . .at great expense to the BNL medical program --- will have Ii ttle or no “impac~ on our ANSWER: The background to this is given in answbr ndei one. It is true that I feel strongly that all exposed persons and control persons slmd d be examined if they wish, not to satisfy a BNL percentage < but to reassare &zs&? individuals as to their health status and afford them the same opportuni @ as the others in their “group”. These few persons, it seems to me, should not be excluded just because they live on other outer islands in the Marshalls. As to Dr. Pratt’s I can only ask you to consider the cost of sending the ship and the medical team to another outer island for a few days. I consider the $2,000 some dollars to examine these pople to be a very worthwhile and cost effective endeavor. the arrangements for the use of the boat for our survey”. ANSWER : This is patently false. Tony Greenhouse originally made arrangexmmts for boat transportation. My Trip Report June 4, 1979, COPY support from Ejit to Majuro was not negotiated in advance with a resulting overcharge”. Dr. Pratt did not task PASO with this function for the 8. On page 15, I am credited with &ing an independent arbitrary decision to pay Ejit people $10.00 per day for whole body counting. ANSWER : This is a lie. I call your attention to Mr. Greenhouse’s letter to PASO dated March 23, 1979, ‘A $10 subsistence allowance will be provided to the Bikinians on Ejit who will be monitored again)’. Common sense allows that I could not make a unilateral decision of this nature. 9. On page 15, Dr. Pratt says that my answer to all these problems was “I goofed”. I camot dignify that absurdity.
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In conclusion, if it is noti already abundantly clear, I am deeply disturbed by these allegations and take strong except~on to them. I believe my work history and job performance for the Departznsnt of Energy speaks for itself. I have worked well and productively with my peers and superiors within the Department~ with Micmnesians from all walks of life, with Military officials and the DOE contractors - with~ Of “ course 8 this nms t notable and unfortunate exception. ..— I have expended about as much time and ener~ on these problems as I am able without affecting my job performance. It is difficult, i’fnot impossible, a%this point to see how X can ccntinue to de with this +person in a professional manner consistent with the standa ds I have set for myself and those of PASO. As Dr. Pratt’s report has been widely circulated I4.. this reply to be mad8 available to that same group ask that you allow