DISCLAIMER

The following is a staff memorandum or other working document 
prepared for the members of the Advisory Committee on Human
Radiation Experiments.  It should not be construed as representing
the final conclusions of fact or interpretation of the issues. 
All staff memoranda are subject to revision based on further 
information and analysis.  For conclusions and recommendations of
the Advisory Committee, readers are advised to consult the Final
Report to be published in 1995.



                                                          TAB F-1

            þþþDRAFT þ FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLYþþþ

MEMORANDUM

TO:       Members of the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation 
	  Experiments

FROM:     Advisory Committee Staff

DATE:	  05/22/95     

RE:       Human Experimentation at Atomic Bomb Tests/ Army Proposal to 
          Expose Human Volunteers to the Point Needed to Determine the 
          Threshold of Injury



     In prior briefing books we have presented documents relating to 
the overall program of human experimentation in connection with bomb 
tests. These documents show, among other things, that tests in Nevada 
were used to test the psychological and physiological reactions of 
soldiers to the detonations. In general, the prior documentation 
indicate that, from the experimenters' perspective, the safety 
restrictions were such that there little chance of injury (at least 
acute injury) to the participants.

     Documents recently provided by the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA), 
however, show that the Army actually proposed to expose human 
volunteers to the point needed to determine the threshold of injury 
from the blast. This proposal was evidently vetoed by the DNA's 
predecessor (the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project (AFSWP)), which 
urged that laboratory experiments be undertaken instead.

      Attachment l is a November 1955 memorandum to the Army Chief of 
Research and Development on a "Proposed Project Regarding Blast Injury 
Evaluation."
     
     The memorandum explains that "a requirement has been established 
fior a thorough investigation of the mechanisms of blast injury. . ." 
The memorandum notes that "[i]njury criteria established by tests on 
dummies and animals. . .should be validated by human tests to insure 
their reliability."

     The memorandum proposed that:  "Volunteers in foxholes and prone 
on the surface of the ground can be exposed to low levels of blast and 
thermal effects until thresholds of intolerability are ascertained."
				

     Interestingly, the memorandum explained that "[s]uitable choice 
of yields would eliminate excessive nuclear radiation exposure."

					1

     The memorandum noted that the officer volunteers who had 
participated in the Desert Rock VI exercises "concurred in the 
recommendation that this program be continued and that the 
participants be closer to ground zero in the near future."

     The Army recognized that "inherent dangers will necessitate a 
gradual approach to the threshold of intolerability of effects." It 
therefore proposed stretching the experiments out over several tests, 
beginning at the next test (Redwing), which was scheduled for the 
Pacific testing grounds.

     Attachment 2 is a January 20, 1956 Memorandum from AFSWP to the 
Army Chief of Research and Development. AFSWP pointed out that it 
would be infeasible to conduct the tests in the Pacific, that the 
rules governing tests in Nevada "preclude obtaining any more 
information on the subject than is already available," and, therefore, 
recommended laboratory testing instead.

     Interestingly, the AFSWP memorandum distinguished  its comments 
on the proposal from its views on the exercises that had been ongoing 
at Desert Rock:

          The foregoing is in regard to a scientific program and is 
          not related to volunteer participation conducted for the 
          purpose of indoctrination and training, such as was done in 
          Desert Rock V and VI. It must be pointed out, however, that 
          the results of these exercises cannot be expected to produce 
          data of scientific value.

     Attachment 3 is a "Detailed Explanation of AFSWP Comments on 
Feasibility of Human Volunteer Program." The analysis stated, among 
other things:

          a. In order to gain scientific data of value by the use of 
          human volunteers, these volunteers would have to be exposed 
          to successively higher levels of the various effects (blast, 
          thermal radiation, and nuclear radiation) singly and in 
          combination. It is evident that the injury threshold cannot 
          be determined without eventually exceeding it.

          b. In particular, it is significant that the long range 
          effect on the human system of sub-lethal doses of nuclear 
          radiation is an unknown field. Exposure of volunteers to 
          doses higher than those now thought safe may not produce 
          immediate deleterious effects; but may result in numerous 
          complaints from relatives, claims against the Government, 
          and unfavorable public opinion in teh event that deaths and 
          incapacitations occur with the passage of time.

					2


LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT 1	November 15, 1995 memo to the Army Chief of Research
		and Development on a "Proposed Project Regarding Blast
		Injury Evaluations".

ATTACHMENT 2	January 20, 1956 Memorandum from AFSWP to the Army
		Chief of Research and Development.

ATTACHMENT 3	Memorandum titled "Detailed Explanation of AFWSP
		Comments on Fesibility of Human Volunteer Program"
		(undated)