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 D-5

	   þþþ DRAFT þ FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES þþþ               

MEMORANDUM:

TO:       Members of the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation 
	  Experiments

FROM:     Advisory Committee Staff

DATE:     April 28, 1995

RE:       July 1951 Army Conference on Atomic Weapons Tests

______________________________________________________________________

     Attached is a summary of the medical presentations at a three-day 
conference on atomic weapons tests held by the Office of the Chief of 
the Army Field Forces in July 1951.   The conference occurred several 
months before the first three DESERT ROCK exercises, all of which were 
conducted during the BUSTER-JANGLE series of weapons tests at the 
Nevada Test Site.  (DESERT ROCK was a subordinate command of the Army 
Field Forces.)

     Among the speakers were Brig. Gen. James Cooney, Medical Corps, 
U.S. Army (who in the late 1940s headed the Radiological Branch of the 
AEC's Division of Military Applications) and Dr. Everett Evans of the 
Medical College of Virginia.   It is particularly interesting that 
Brig. Gen. Cooney recommended "orientation of radiologic defense 
thinking away from the infinitesimal 'tolerance' doses used in 
industrial and laboratory practice and towards vastly larger military 
acceptable doses."  He, and perhaps other participants, further 
recommended "acceptance of 100 roentgens for a single exposure and 25 
roentgens weekly for eight weeks for repeated exposures."  It is not 
known whether these recommendations ever received serious study or 
consideration outside of this conference.
 
     These levels were far in excess of the then permissible levels 
for persons at weapons 
tests.  For its own personnel, the AEC had previously established an 
average permissible dosage of .3r per week, not to exceed a total of 
3r for any one test.  The Army had adopted these AEC levels for its 
personnel at the earlier weapons tests.

     In June 1952, the Army Chief of Staff ordered a study be done on 
whether troops could be positioned closer to ground zero than 
previously permitted in weapons tests, which involved the review of 
the then acceptable levels of exposure to ionizing radiation, thermal 
radiation, and overpressure.  After the study was done, the Chief of 
Staff in February 1953 directed that regular troops could be exposed

				 1
 
to a maximum of 6r at a single test, of which no more than 3r was 
prompt, whole body radiation; and that special volunteers could be 
exposed to a maximum of 10r at a single test, of which no more than 5r 
was prompt, whole body radiation. 

			

				   2