USTRODUCTION: RICHLAND OPERATIONS OFFICE RECORDS PRODUCED BY PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATHINAL LABORATORY SELECTED LABORATORYRESEARCH PRGOIECTS by Roger M. Anders Office of Human Radiation Experiments Depury Assisient Secretary for Planning and Administration Assistant Secretary for Emviconment, Safety and Health Pebruary i207 The Department of Energy and lis Heritage: The Department of Energy (CXOR) is one of the mast diverse agencies in the Federal government. 1: was crested in 1977 from 4 score of orgenizetional entities froma dozen departments and agencies. DCE encourages the development of eneray technclogies in several greas--zolar, geothermal, fossil fuel, and muclear. 1 largest Federal agency supporters of basic sclentilic researchand manages a research complex that includes some ofthe nation's premier laboratories. DOOE helps formulate national policies for energy use and development. Perhaps surprisingly to many, DOK alec runs the muchear weapons research, development, and production complex a3 well az associated dismantiement and clean up activities. DOE's nuclear heritage comes from the Workd War 0 Manhattan Project which built the atomic bomb. The threads of DOE's involvement with nuclear issues and programs ran through the following agencies: the Menhatian Engineer District (1942-1947), the Atomic Energy Cosmunission (1947-1974), and the Energy Research and Development Administration (19751877). DOE not only nok over finctions, cultures, ar] traditions framthese agencies, it also wmberted records from them Of these agencies, the longest lived and most controversial was the Atomic Enerey Conmunission (ARO. The Atomic Energy Commission: From its inception in 1947 until ite abolition im 1975, the AES carried out a Congressional mandate for a large federal rale im atomic energy development.