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UNITED STATES
ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON 25, D.C,
April 8, 1958
Dear Mr. Durham:
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They are expected
to give us valuable and essential information
with respect to various effects that occur following a nuclear
detonation above the greater portion of the earth's atmosphere,
It is expected that the results of these tests will prove of
great significance in the development of our defensive capabilities
including possible defensive measures against intercontinental
Yallistic missiles,
Since the initial conception of these tests, we have, of
course, studied exhaustively the. safety aspects of their conduct,
One of these aspects concerns the distances to which the visible
light from these explosions might cause damage to the human eye,
Our first studies indicated that these distances were small
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enough to be confined to
our test area and therefore created no
uncontrollable problem with respect to the safe conduct of the
two tests,
New theoretical calculations as to the amount of energy from
these shots that will appear in the form of visible radiation have
increased materially our estimate of the range at whichsome damage
“might be caused to the human eye, This increased range includes
a number of the inhabited atolls of the Marshall Islands... We have
studied ways and means of controlling the conduct of these tests
so as to insure that the natives of these islands could under no
condition receive eye damage, We have, for instance, considered
the stationing of American personnel, including Trust. Territory
officials, on the various atolls and taking as positive measures.
as possible to insure that no one was looking directly at the
detonation at the time of its occurrence, However, it is felt
that, despite an almost unlimited expenditure of our personnel
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