MID-PAT “FIC MARINE LABORATO?P Y ENEWE...K ATOLL, MARSHALL ISLAN. J HOLE 79 Supported by UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY : UN MEMORANDUM February 16, 1979 To: J. Caperon, W. Coops, P. Helfrich, V. Johnson, _R. Ray, W. Stanley From: Exnst S. Reese, Director Subject: THE FUTURE OF MPML ; Sun foe. This memorandum is a position statement on my thinking about the future of MPML. It is addressed to you because you are the people in the Department of Energy and the University of Hawaii most closely associated with MPML. Since the ideas expressed are tentative, I suggest we keep them confidential. Although Vic Johnson and I are preparing the’ proposal for fiscal years 1980-1981, and rewritten portions of the proposal will outline the implementation of many of the suggestions made at the workshop, I now question, for the first time, whether in fact we should devote more time, energy, and money to planning for the future operation of MPMI, after mid-1980. i came away from the workshop with the feeling that we will get very little support in Washington even if we implement the changes that were suggested. The overall conclusion must be that there is little DOE need for MPML. I believe the statements made by Drs. Buddemeier, Noshkin and Robison emphatically underdine that conclusion. I consider the remarks made by Dr. Buddemeier to be especially damaging and unjustified, not alone with respect to MPML but to the University's research program as well. Given the attitudes expressed at the workshop, it may not be wise to pursue our present course of action. Perhaps, instead, we should begin a gradual phase-out of the laboratory to coincide with the completion date of Operation Clean-up. An alternative decision would be to mount a full scale ffort to continue the laboratory with or without DOE support. This is a decision which must be made by the research leadership of the University of Hawaii. It will take an energetic person, loyal to the University, dedicated to insuring that the kinds of research which can best be done at Enewetak continue, and able to devote nearly full time to the task. “a Administered by the Hawaii Institute of Marine Miology, University of Pawaii Address reply to (J Box 1346, Kaneohe, Hawati Da7 I OJ Enewetak, Marshall Eslands 96737