I don't think we want to use what he has been able to do as an excuse to put off that facility. I have assigned both of these projects a very high priority.

Representative PRICE. Where is this other project you are talking

about?

Dr. TOTTER. The Radiobiology and Therapy Research Facility at Los Alamos.

Representative PRICE. Last year in our authorization hearings we discussed with you and Dr. Rowland, and I think you have made some reference to it, the plan for the Center for Human Radiobiology and we believe we were assured that the case studies in the Human Radium Toxicity program would be made available to the center for continuing study. I think you mentioned that.

Dr. TOTTER. Yes, sir, I did.

Representative PRICE. Will you elaborate on the situation there? Dr. TOTTER. Perhaps I could ask either Dr. Rowland or Mr. Cannon to address detail to what I have already said, Mr. Price.

STATEMENT OF DR. ROBERT ROWLAND, DIRECTOR, RADIOLOGICAL PHYSICS DIVISION, ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY

Dr. ROWLAND. I will be glad to speak to that, Mr. Price.

In regard to the transfer of this program to our laboratory we have received as rapidly as one could expect the case histories of all those people studied at MIT under Professor Evans. This transfer of material is still underway, but I think this is primarily due to the fact that there is a large amount of material to be transferred, and prudent management requires that it should be copied first so that the records exist in two different locations.

About 2,090 names of people exposed or potentially exposed to radium have been transferred to our files from MIT. These will have to be carefully studied and filed. It is our responsibility, as I see it, to tackle this job as quickly as possible.

In the Illinois area, under Professor Hasterlik and Dr. Finkel, an additional 485 names are known, and some 293 of these cases have been studied and reported on. Due to a doctor-patient relationship, we have experienced some uncertainty as to the timing and method of transfer of the records of these individuals to our center. We have now reached an agreement so that in the very near future the records will begin to be transferred to our possession from Dr. Finkel. Does that answer your question, sir?

Representative PRICE. Tell me what is the need for additional facilities at Argonne to continue with this program. Why do you need the additional facilities?

Dr. TOTTER. There is a large patient load or subject load, I guess one should say, a large number of body radium and mesothorium measurements to be made. This requires specially designed space and equipment as well as time, because low level whole body counts must be made and analyzed. A large number of histological sections from biopsy and autopsy materials must also be made. Autopsies must be performed when the subjects die and when permission for an autopsy can be secured. This is a very significant and important part of the whole study.

So, one then is forced to have quite a lot of space. Obviously, the operation can proceed much more smoothly and be much better coordinated if the space is contiguous and not scattered all over quite an acreage at Argonne, as it is now.

Representative PRICE. Have you made an effort to get contiguous space at Argonne, tried to get the facilities you need without new facilities being built?

Dr. TOTTER. I would like to ask Dr. Rowland to speak to that.
Dr. ROWLAND. I will be glad to speak to that.

Yes, we have made efforts, sir. We have been somewhat successful in the temporary loan of space, but we have not been able to get nearly the space that will be required to carry on this project.

If I may be allowed to state a few words, I think it is well known that the proper subject for the study of mankind is man himself. If we are concerned about the effect of radiation on people, we have no better group to look at than those who were unfortunately internally contaminated with radioactivity many years ago. They are not going to live forever. One of the reasons we need manpower and we need space is, to carry on the study of these people before they die.

In other words, we would like to get started in an expanded fashion as soon as possible. We have received a good deal of support from the Division of Biology and Medicine in our endeavor but, as you are aware, we are very much space limited; and this precludes our bringing into the study all of the people and applying all of the techniques we would like to use for the study.

Representative PRICE. So that, if you don't have the space to accommodate them, both the patients and the people working in your program, the program is very definitely adversely affected. Is that right? Dr. TOTTER. It certainly is.

Representative PRICE. I think we probably have it in the record already, the types of cases you have under consideration, where the people come from, and so forth. But if we don't, and if you could bring us up to date on that, I think the committee should have it.

Dr. TOTTER. We will submit for the record all the material we have on this. There is quite a variety of sources of contamination and origin of the people contaminated. But we will provide that for you; yes, sir. (The information referred to follows:)

SUMMARY OF CASES IN RADIUM PROJECT (AS OF DEC. 31, 1969)

1 Of cases studied, 50 percent radium, 50 percent Radium-Mesothorium mixture. 2 Essentially all cases studied are radium cases.

3 Industrial exposures other than radium-dial industry

Representative PRICE. It has been recently reported that member agencies of the Federal Radiation Council, including AEC, have responded to the Senate Public Works Committee request for com

ments on the Gofman-Tamplin testimony presented to that committee in November of last year.

Will you bring us up to date on this situation?

Dr. TOTTER. Yes, sir. We were asked by Senator Muskie for comments on the Gofman testimony, and we responded with a review which was the one submitted to this committee in its Phase 1 hearings on the environmental effects of producing electric power. We have not submitted for the Senate Public Works Committee any other comments than those, but the FRC has been asked by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to look into the Gofman-Tamplin testimony and assess it. (See p. 965 for related correspondence.)

And in doing so, of course, to assess whether there needs to be any change in the FRC method of arriving at suitable standards for radioactivity exposure. They are in fact meeting today, the working committee of the FRC is meeting today on this problem.

Representative PRICE. Could this committee have a copy of any response you have made?

Dr. TOTTER. Yes, it already has. We submitted the same material which we submitted to this committee.

Representative PRICE. Do you have any later information on the subject of exposure of uranium miners? We have discussed it at various times in the past.

Dr. TOTTER. A little more than a year ago, I believe, there were arrangements made to restudy the record of the miners and restudy the pathological material which is available. This was not in our hands, but in the hands of another agency. My understanding is that that has not been so successful yet. That is, the study is not completed. So that we cannot at this time suggest any changes in the original epidemiologic findings.

Representative PRICE. I notice in your statement referring to the fiscal 1972 request for funds for the facility, you increase that from the $1,830,000 estimate for fiscal year 1971 to $2 million. What is the difference there?

Dr. TOTTER. I would like to ask Dr. Rowland also to speak to that.

Dr. ROWLAND. I assume, Mr. Price, that the change in cost from $1,830,000 to $2 million represents engineering analysis of the effect of the cost of living, and increased cost of construction materials resulting from a 1-year's delay.

Dr. TOTTER. If you would like to, Mr. Price, I have a little bit more on the uranium miners.

Representative PRICE. Yes, I would like to have it.

Dr. TOTTER. We have established an epidemiological study. It was started in 1968 with Dr. Eugene Saccommano, at Grand Junction, Colo., who was primarily concerned with the studies of development of lung cancer in working miners. This study continues to address itself to: (1) Identifying and following the clinical course of exposed uranium miners by means of a registry; (2) seeking a reliable and practical biological indicator, such as sputum cell changes, which would predict serious diseases at a time when applied countermeasures would be reasonably expected to be effective; and (3) evaluating the influence of other mine pollutants and smoking on the incidence of lung cancer in uranium miners.

That study is underway.

Representative PRICE. Thank you very much, Dr. Totter.

The committee would like to express its appreciation to Dr. Cannon, vice president of the University of Chicago, for his effort to improve the organization of the laboratory to do reactor work.

We have been very much interested in that. We hope that you can continue your efforts to get adequate staff, a good staff, particularly by bringing more people into the laboratory who are highly qualified in the area of reactor work.

STATEMENT OF DR. WILLIAM B. CANNON, VICE PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, CHICAGO, ILL.

Dr. CANNON. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

I should point out that the work has really been done by the director of the laboratory, Robert Duffield.

Representative PRICE. The appreciation also goes to him, because we are very much interested in building up the reactor work at the laboratory.

I would like to say that the chairman of the committee, Mr. Holifield, is tied up in another conference at the present time. He was hoping to be here for your testimony, Dr. Totter. I think we have elicited the replies to the questions the committee was interested in. We are very appreciative of your cooperation.

Dr. TOTTER. Thank you, sir.

Representative PRICE. We have a number of other questions on the biology and medicine program which we will submit to you in writing. The committee will recess until Thursday afternoon, when we will consider the Plowshare program, at 2 o'clock.

(Statement of Dr. Totter follows:)

STATEMENT OF DR. JOHN R. TOTTER, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE, TO THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON ATOMIC ENERGY IN SUPPORT OF THE FISCAL YEAR 1971 AUTHORIZATION REQUEST

The proposed budget for the biology and medicine program reflects the emphasis that is being placed upon problems relating to the effects of radiation on man and his environment, thus contributing to the accomplishment of important national objectives such as the achievement of nuclear power production at the lowest possible cost with the minimum adverse effect on the environment, the use of radiation and radioisotopes for medical research which will improve human health, and the maintenance of national security.

Because the operating budget of $88,300,000 is less than either FY 1970 or FY 1969, reductions in many important research areas will be necessary, but the AEC and its laboratories are constantly reviewing priorities and expect to inaintain the most urgent programs at appropriate levels of support. Among the priority areas are: (1) the late effects of low exposures to radiation, particularly as they relate to dose rate; (2) the hazard to man from inhalation of plutonium and other alpha emitters; (3) the program of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission in Japan, from which increasingly important information about human exposures will develop; (4) thermal alteration of lakes, streams, estuaries and the atmosphere which might result from nuclear power plant operations; and (5) special uses of radioisotopes in nuclear medicine.

To support the research programs, a budget of $5,500,000 for capital equipment not related to construction is proposed, along with general plant projects of $1,000,000. The details of these budgets have already been provided to the Congress.

Emphasis in this statement will be given to several program areas which are of particular interest at the present time and which for the most part are not expected to be the subject of oral testimony.

SCOPE, OBJECTIVES AND FUNDING OF ECOLOGICAL STUDIES

The DBM program in ecology encompasses the land and fresh water, marine, and atmospheric sciences. The overall funding for this program in FY 1971 is in excess of $18 million. These vital research areas predate the current popular interest in environmental problems, and include studies dealing with interrelations of organisms and populations with their environment, with particular emphasis on the fate and effects of radioactivity within these living stems. Most of the support is for research on pathways, rates of movement, and distribution of radioactive substances in the natural environment and man's food chain, but many studies on effects of radiation on natural populations have also been supported. Some of the effort is necessarily devoted to baseline studies which establish the norm on which prediction may be made about fate and effect. Along with goals of understanding radioactivity in the biosphere, these programs contribute much to basic knowledge about ecology, man's food chains, and other broad aspects of environmental science.

The research has included studies of radiation in all of the major habitat areas from the tundra to the tropics, in lakes, rivers, oceans, estuaries and the atmosphere. Since it is impossible, however, to investigate every environmental niche for every radionuclide, it is necessary to generalize from the results of the studies supported. For example, the principles discovered concerning the biospheric behavior of fallout have later proven invaluable for assessment of radioactivity from other sources, such as reactors, space nuclear applications, nuclear excavation, and other peacetime applications of nuclear energy.

Because of the urgency for an early understanding of the effects of fallout, the largest share of past ecological studies has been on transport, deposition, and transfer of radioactivity to man.

Anticipating the increasing demands that will be made of our lakes, streams, and estuaries, DBM began an expansion of thermal effect studies from about $0.4 million in FY 1969 to $1.2 million in FY 1971. It is planned that this program be expanded to $3.6 million in 1976.

The current broad objective of the research program concerning radioactive and thermal emissions is designed to insure that the orderly development of nuclear energy is not limited by lack of understanding of ecological effects. We are particularly aware of the need to accelerate the program in the areas relevant to nuclear power reactors, specifically studies of radionuclides and thermal releases in aquatic systems.

In addition to the ecological studies which are summarized in this statement, the biology and medicine program includes many projects directed to the genetic and somatic effects of radiation. The research program in radiation biology supplies important information needed to support other AEC activities.

Land and Fresh Water Environmental Sciences.-Research in the land and fresh water environmental sciences category is expected to cost approximately $9.6 million in FY 1971. Within this category, we have recently expanded studies in several of the AEC laboratories in the area of thermal effects on biological systems at the community level of organization. For instance, increases proposed in FY 1971 at Savannah River, Oak Ridge, and Richland are for new studies of thermal effects in aquatic systems initiated in FY 1970. Other studies are being initiated on tritium in terrestrial and fresh-water ecosystems.

The ecological program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will be supported at just over $1.2 million in FY 1971. Studies at this laboratory are on the responses of plants and animal populations to ionizing radiation, radionuclide cycling in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, thermal effects, watershed aquatic habitat interactions, and systems ecology.

At Pacific Northwest Laboratory the program is concerned with thermal and radioecological aspects of the Columbia River, fallout cesium 137 and iron 55 in Alaskan food chains, and the arid land ecosystem. The total operational funding is nearly $1.0 million in FY 1971.

The AEC is also sponsoring the University of California at Los Angeles for ecological research on the Nevada Test Site, addressed largely to the effects of radiation on desert animal and plant populations, with a proposed funding of $0.8 million. Dynamics of mineral cycling and responses of the radionuclides in the tropical oceans and forests are the focus of current ecological research at the Puerto Rico Nuclear Center, with a much smaller budget ($0.2 million). The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory now has important programs on thermal effects and the cycling of tritium, with a proposed budget of $0.3 million. At Brookhaven National Laboratory, funded at $0.3 million, current research is on the effects of chronic radiation on a forest ecosystem.

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