Attachment 4



December 5, 1956

Dr. Charles L. Dunham
Division of Biology and Medicine
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
Washington 25, D. C.

Dear Chuck:

Since Wright's return from last week's meeting in Washington we have 
been doing a lot of thinking and talking. You will be seeing Wright 
again next week and I hope that there can be found ample time for 
him to go over with you in detail the various things we have been 
thinking about. In this letter I can only touch on a few generalities.

First of all, let me say that it is our sincere feeling that Operation 
SUNSHINE and its associated problems is probably the most important
 matter for the future consideration of [ILLEGIBLE], as well as 
our own group, that exists. partly as a result of good luck and partly 
because of good management, a considerably amount of the work we have 
done during past years has been aimed generally in this direction. I 
suppose that this has resulted to a considerable extent form our very 
close association with weapons tests and the resulting problems of 
fallout. To [ILLEGIBLE] Charlie, "That is of importance to Los 
Alamos is of importance to the [ILLEGIBLE]." While we certainly 
make no claim for commissions, I do believe that we have certainly 
as strong a realization of the vital importance of operation SUNSHINE
as anyone. I might go even farther and point out that our very close 
association, not only with the weapons program but also with programs 
of atomic and thermonuclear power, to say nothing of rockets, 
[ILLEGIBLE] the picture is extremely sharp focus in front of 
our eyes. One might argu that Los Alamos is the logical focal 
center for Operation SUNSHINE.

Unfortunately, the situation is not quite as simple as it 
appears on the surface. A number of very firm limitations exist to 
determine the extent to which we at Los Alamos can expand our 
activities. The most serious limiting factor which has 
always affected all of LANL is the matter of housing. At the present 
time Los Alamos is in the position where it will be virtually 
impossible to add to the staff any individual who will 
require family-type housing in the community. It is anticipated that 
this situation will continue for perhaps a year before there will be 
any significant relief. In other words, we in X-Division will have to 
make do with what personnel we have go for the foreseeable future.

				1

A second problem which faces us is the limitation of laboratory space. 
Now is the time that we are really finding the pinch resulting from the 
fact that [ILLEGIBLE SECTION].

There is much of our present research and development program which 
is aimed generally in the direction of Operation SUNSHINE but there 
are also unrelated programs. Should these latter be discontinued in 
favor of something else, we would either be neglecting some of our 
responsibilities to LANL or failing to utilize some of our 
opportunities in living in this unusual location.

Some might argue that most of these problems can be cured with dollars 
and this I will not deny. if one wishes to talk in grandiose terms 
one might consider the following possibilities:

1. Obtain approval for additional housing at Los Alamos 
to [ILLEGIBLE] an augmented biological research group. It 
should be remembered that because of problems existing among people 
already here, even this would not permit us immediately to start 
hiring new people.

2. Construct a new building for the exclusive use of the 
Industrial Hygiene Group. This would permit Wright's group to occupy 
the first floor of the Health Research Laboratory.

3. Provide additional animal quarters adjacent to the present building.

We are of course also thinking of what we should and can do right away. 
We are already proceeding to construct the crystal-type whole body 
counter and are hopeful that the necessary funds can be obtained 
locally. Mr. Bradbury has given us the go-ahead and we hope to be 
in business in due course of time. We are also looking at possible 
ways of obtaining additional animal space, perhaps using a vacant 
storeroom in the basement of the hospital. This, of course, will be 
far from ideal because of the distance from the cage cleaning 
facilities but it certainly would be better than nothing. We are 
also planning to start some cesium toxicity studies about 
as soon as we can get the animals. These things when applied to the 
over-all structure of Operation SUNSHINE are extremely small nibbles 
but at least they are the things which we can do now.

Before closing I would like to touch very briefly on the matter of 
the administration of Operation SUNSHINE. When Wright gets to 
Washington he will have for your consideration a general program 
of what we think ought to be done from a research and development 
point of view. Such a program obviously cannot be carried out with 
the complete lack of administration which has characterized 
past efforts. It seems to us that so far it has simply 'growed' 
like Topey. Actually, there are a number of very 
specific questions which must be answered and the experimental work 
to provide these answers must be placed in the laps of those 
institutions best qualified to carry them out. I [ILLEGIBLE SECTION]
not be administered from a desk in Washington. I do agree that the 
primary responsibility should probably lie in one of the various 
national laboratory. The program is broad enough, however, so that 
there should probably be a sort of board of directors or advisory 
committee which will carry considerable authority. Such a committee 
should be composed of a comparatively small number of individuals, 
each one thoroughly familiar with his particular field. The informal
ad hoc committee which planned the Utah plutonium experiment was in my 
opinion as excellent example of what such a committee should consist. 
The extent to which we at Los Alamos are involved in these 
administrative and planning problems actually depends not so much on 
what we would like to do as it does on what we are capable of doing 
and to what extent we are limited by lack of facilities and personnel. 
There is also the fact that Los Alamos may be regarded as a rather
biased institution. Some people may feel that we are interested parties. 
I certainly am only too well aware of the reluctance, particularly by 
the Press, to accept pronouncements and conclusions coming out of the
AEC itself.  Strangely enough, they were quite willing to accept the 
conclusions of the national Academy of Science, completely forgetting 
that the subcommittees were in very large measure composed of AEC or AEC 
contractor representatives. They were the same guys wearing different 
hats.

I have already rambled on far too long. We certainly do not wish to 
appear to be dogs in the manger nor do we wish to indicate any lack 
of interest or concern. We are thoroughly sympathetic with the problem 
as it faces you--or perhaps I should say we are sympathetic with you as 
you face the problem. We certainly don't wish to be counted out and I 
can assure you that we wish to play as big a part in this as is in line 
with our capabilities and facilities.

Very sincerely yours,

THOMAS L. SHIPMAN, M.D.,
Health Division Leader

cc: N. K. Bradbury
W.H. Langham
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