John C. Clark, J-Division PPEND ~~ ~~ 117 July 11, 1951 T. Le Shipman, M.D., Health Division Leader SPECIAL RAD SAFE PROBLIMS - OPERATION SUNGLE H-59 In view of your forthcoming trip to Washington, there are a few matters which T would like to send along with you, either for your own information or for discussion in Washington, 1. L. R. D. In accordance with the conference in your office on 11 July, it can be stated that neither you as its Director nor the Rad Safe officers have specific interest in cloud tracking activities beyond a maximum radius of 600 miles. It is our feeling that beyond this distance any cloud will be sufficiently dispersed so that aircraft, commercial, private or military, can fly through it with impunity. I further feel that at these distances there can be no significant fall-out which could possibly produce a health hazard of any sort. We feel, therefore, that cloud tracking activities beyond this distance should be contracted for by the AM, By previous memo and discussion with Walter Claus of the Division of Biology and Medicine, I have stated that we do not feel able to administer and supervise dust collecting, air sampling or ground monitoring programs beyond a 200-mile area, and that such work, if it is to be done, should be administered by someone in or appointed by the Division of Biology and Medicine. ‘he information gained from such programs is of some academic interest to us, and copies of reports of such activities should certainly be sent here, the information gained, however, may be of specific interest and importance to the AEC and the Division of Biology and Medicine in providing data for the photographic industry and also in defending any claims or suits for damage resulting from the operations. If the Division of B& Mhas not started anything in this direction, they should perhaps be needled gently. 2. Evacuation It is my feeling that developing detailed plans for possible evacuation of civilian population and the carrying out of such plans is not a responsibility of the Rad Safe organization. I feel that it is our responsibility to determine in advance under what conditions evacuation should be accomplished and to state when such conditions have been attained, It should be an additional responsibility to point out which of alternate evacuation routes might be preferable, ‘he magnitude of the operation is already placing enough of a work load on all Rad Safe personnel so that I do not feel it possible to assign specific people to this work. ‘There is also the fact