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In the Foreword to the Summary Report, Dr, Bronk stated: The
use of atomic energy is perhaps one of the few major technological
developments of the past 50 years in which careful consideration
of the relationship of a new technology to the needs and welfare
of human beings has kept pace with its development.
Almost from
the very beginning of the day of the Manhattan Project careful
attention has been given to the biological and medical aspects
of the subject,
By contrast, the automobile revolutionized our
pattern of living and working, but we are only now beginning to
appreciate the problems of safety, urban congestion, nervous
tension and atmospheric pollution which have accompanied its
development.
In the same way, the development of the aircraft
industry outran our knowledge of how to meet the environmental
needs of the human beings it intended to transport through the
skies,"
The scientists, save for the geneticists, were all persons
who had actively participated in the past in the efforts to
reduce industrial toxicological hazards, air pollution, stream
and harbor pollution, and soll and crop pollution, and destruction
which has occurred with developing industries largely uncontrolled
until serilous damage had already taken place,
They are determined
that with 4 much greater body of knowledge to draw on concerning
radiation effects, similar situations will not arise as a result
of the rapidly growing atomic energy industry with its even
greater potential dangers,
Consequently, once they had assured themselves on two
points, namely;
weapons testing at the present rate and with
present safeguards was not a present menace,
and the safety
precautions of our present atomic energy operations were indeed
effective,
they became preoccupled with pointing out the problems
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Enclosure II