401686 UNITED STATES ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION NEVADA OPERATIONS OFFICE P.O. BOX 14100 LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 89114 Décember 14, 1976 Dr. W. W. Burr, Jr., Deputy Director Division of Biomedical & Environmental Research U. S. Energy Research & Development Administration Washington, D. C. 20545 Dear Bill, Although I] am gratified with what appear to be the positive results of our discussion with Jim on Wednesday morning (December 8), I regret that the price of that session was early departure from the TTG meeting. Permit me this opportunity to follow through on some remarks I made just before we had to leave that session. The subject was perceptions, but it is also substance, and I'm afraid I did not articulate it very well in the brief time Thad. It troubles me more than little to hear that we may now consider some of the more sophisticated bio-assay techniques (viz: in-vivo counting) to gain more knowledge, after the fact, of Pu uptake. I am not qualified to judge whether in-vivo counting is likely to significantly increase our understanding. But Ido feel qualified to offer some judgement as to the price we may pay for doingit. I believe that price may well be more fear, apprehension and even mistrust (the "guinea pig'' problem). Let me review the kinds of things we have said over the past couple of years regarding the Brookhaven program and its role at Bikini and distinguished from that at Rongelap and Utirik. We have said that we are confident that there is not undue risk in a return to Bikini provided certain precautions are taken, that we have studied that environment and do not anticipate that exposure or uptake will be significant to the health of the people. We have said that on the basis of anticipated radiation dose, we see no reason for medical examinations of the people,