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 K


	*  *  *  *  *  *  STAFF MEMORANDUM  *  *  *  *  *  *

TO:	Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments

FROM:	Advisory Committee Staff

DATE:	June 9,1994

RE:	Department of Energy (DOE): Update



This staff memorandum contains the following:

	(1)	an update on the activities undertaken by 
staff and DOE pursuant to the Committee's requests and
direction at the last meeting; and

	(2)	the staff s recommendation for future
DOE-Committee collaboration.


1.	Update on Committee Requests and Recommendations

In the interim since the last meeting, the Committee staff
and DOE staff have been addressing the recommendations
adopted by the Committee at its May meeting. The status of
the recommended options is discussed briefly below, with
some additional updates. At the last meeting, the Advisory
Committee endorsed eight general actions with regard to DOE
and six general actions for the Committee staff. Working
within Committee authorization, the Committee staff has, in
addition, requested many specific actions from DOE.

(A)	Requests Directed to DOE

        (1)	Phase One Inventory of Records

	The Committee recommended that DOE proceed with its
Phase I sweep of field and contractor offices, after
which DOE planned to develop a comprehensive guide to
relevant collections of field and headquarters records.
DOE reports that the "Phase I sweep" of field offices
has been completed, and DOE is assessing the results.
DOE expects that the inventories provided by the field
office will shortly permit it to identify the universe
of locations of potentially relevant field office
collections. The results are being compiled by DOE, and
staff has examined part of the inventory (in draft
form) and discussed the format of these inventories
with DOE.

        (2)	Search for High-level Documents

       The Committee recommended that DOE focus on the
identification and collection of high-level documents that
can be immediately retrieved and made available. DOE has
located, in Oak Ridge and Atlanta records collections, the
records of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Division of
Biology and Medicine within the custody of DOE Headquarters.
(Some additional portions are in 
the National Archives and some may be in other offices). An
example of the AEC Division of Biology and Medicine's plans
for expansion of its research is included as Attachment l.
(This document was provided to `you behind Tab K in the
first mailing.) DOE has culled, and is providing about 150
documents to the Committee. Committee staff and DOE staff
hake met to discuss the best method to approach the
remainder of the collection.

(3)  Access Classified Documents

The Committee recommended that DOE identify and access
classified collections that have not been previously
addressed. DOE's search team is presently undertaking to
identify and access relevant records in the DOE Office of
Nonproliferation and Intelligence, which is the collection
specifically mentioned in the staffs Preliminary Report on
DOE to the Committee. In addition. DOE has declassified and
will make available a box of AEC Advisor Committee on
Biology and Medicine minutes, which was also discussed in
the staff Preliminary Report.

(4)  Locate the AEC Radioisotope Licensing Information

The Committee recommended that DOE focus on locating
documentation of the AEC radioisotope licensing process. DOE
reports that it now understands that files through the early
1970's maintained by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which
had responsibility for distributing isotopes, have been
destroyed. DOE will provide a report which indicates that
the destruction was pursuant to records retention schedules.
DOE has not found the actual licensing and approval files
for the pre-1957 period. It is continuing the search.

(5)  Provide "Work for Others" Study

The Committee requested that DOE provide the Committee with
the "work for others" study performed for former Secretary
of Energy Watkins. DOE is in the process of funding this
study.

(6)  Locate the Documents Related to the 1974 Inspector
General Report

The Committee recommended that DOE locate the approximately
250 documents identified in the 1974 Inspector General
report on the plutonium injections. DOE's search team
reports that it is undertaking a search of the Inspector
General's office for this collection.

(7)  Provide the Helpline Database

The Committee recommended that DOE provide the Helpline
database to the Committee. DOE has provided Committee staff
with requested data from the Helpline, and staff expects to
obtain the database shortly.

(8)  Resolve Access to the National Archives' Collections

The Committee recommended that DOE and staff work with the
National Archives on the most efficient means to identify
and access documents at the Archives (which-are technically
not under DOE's control). DOE and Committee staff (including
staff historians) are discussing the best way to proceed. 

(B)		Requests Directed to Staff

(1)  Access to Universities' Data

The Committee asked the staff to work with DOE to access
relevant data from the universities that conducted or housed
plutonium injection experiments. Staff understands that DOE
is drafting a letter which will invite the universities to
meet to discuss the best ways to access the data.

(2)  Continue Communications With DOE

The Committee recommended that the staff continue
communications with DOE on the search. Staff is in
relatively continuous communication (by phone and periodic
face-to-face meetings) with the DOE search team and
historians.

(3)  Monitor the Field Search

The Committee recommended that the staff provide options on
the means to monitor the relations between DOE's field
effort and the quality and amounts of relevant documents
actually retrieved. The staff is awaiting DOE tabulation of
the resulting data from the Phase l sweep of field offices,
which has recently been completed.

(4)  Develop Alternatives for Data Access at Non-Federal

Entities The Committee recommended that the staff develop
alternatives for accessing data located at non-Federal
entities. This directive is under discussion with DOE.

(5)  Facilitate Information Exchange With Other Agencies

The Committee recommended that the staff facilitate the
exchange of DOE information with other agencies, including
possibilities for enhanced interagency coordination. The
staff is seeking to do this, where appropriate. For example,
the staff has sought to assure that other agencies are aware
of existing DOE (AEC) radioisotope distribution data.

(6)  Develop Options to Organize Data for use by the
Committee and the Public

The Committee recommended that Staff develop options for
organizing DOE-provided data for use by the Committee and
the public. The staff archivist and communications the staff
are working, with staff historians and others, on the best
way to proceed.

II.  Committee Action

(A)   Option One:  The staff recommends that the Committee
endorse the phase two strategy that DOE has proposed. which
involves tracking all data on particular types or groups of 

experiments (e.g., whole body irradiation). DOE seeks the
Committee's advice on this approach, and, if acceptable, the
groups to be tracked.

(B)  Option Two:  The staff recommends that the' Committee
direct the staff to continue action as previously endorsed
by the Committee.