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TO: Members of the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments FROJI: Advison Committee Staff ACH 1.OOOO12.042 RE: Docurnentan- Update on Proposed Human Experimentation Related to Proposal for the Nuclear Energy Propulsion for Airplanes (NEPA) In prior briefing books we have followed the Department of Defense (DOD)/Atomic E n e r g Commission (AEC 1 discussions, often conducted in secret. regarding the proposal for human experimentation in connection with the nuclear powered airplane. The attached are documents basic to the NEPA story. Advison Committee. The Committee included leading radiation researchers from both government and private research institutions. This formal document lays out a set of proposed studies. some of which include human subjects. Interestingly, only one proposal that involved humans was labeled "human The Committee recommends that unclassified research on prisoners be conducted to determine "operational routines and tactical uses of aircraft powered b> nuclear energy." The proposal expressly provides that the principles laid down b), the American Medical Association in 1916 be followed; "all sub-kitsused must be volunteers.. . .hazards of each experiment must be ascertained by previous esperimenrs on animals, and. . .the experiments must be performed under proper medical supenision or management." (pp. 4-6) The Committee suggested that life term prisoners be employed in part because the study would require 20 years to complete. However, other groups that might provide volunteers (b) Incurable cancer patients expected to be free of
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constitutional s! mptoms for several months: The Committee specificall\- sraxd that "[i]ndividuals below 21 years of age must be e s c l u d d as must wonicn belo\\ the nxnopause unless they have incurable disease (cancer)." ..\t tac h men t 2 : .A summar? chronology, prepared by W..4. Selle, Secretan. to t h e SEPA Research Guidance Committee, of the debate on the proposal for human experimentation. As shown there, the proposal apparent]! failed because, while supported by the private research members of the Advisory Committee, a n d by DOD review groups, it could not gain support from Atomic Energy Commission medical officials. The document records. h a t at a December, 1950 meeting "it \\.as recognized that unless . AEC or some other highly influential agency recommends human experimentation, the NEPA Attachment 3 : A February 12,1951 letter from M.C. Leverett, an official of the aircraft corporation that was to build the plane (Fairchild) to Shields Warren. Director of the AEC's Division of Biology and Medicine. In the letter. Leverett laments the faiiure of the efforts to promote I Among the recommended research projects \vas the highly contro\.ersial one of human experimentation which this group strongl!. recommended and gave a position of highest priority. For almost nvo years the \.arious members of this Committee have been making efforts to gain governmental approval of their recommendation regarding human experiments. - .In fact. as has been previously presented, immediately follouing the military's decision to forego the NEPA proposal for "human experimentation", the Defense Department entered into a contract \\-ith the M.D. Anderson Cancer hospital in Texas. to take advantage of data from cancer patients \vho were being subjected to irradiation treatment. This contract would be the first in a series of contracts through which DOD would seek to avail itself of data from whole body irradiation of cancer patients, following the determination that "human experimentation" could