403027
March
Dr.
John N. Wolfe,
vs
LOL
Chief
Envirormental Sciences Branch
Division of Blology and Medicine
U. S. Atomic Energy Commission
Washington 25, D. C.
Dear Dr.
Wolfe:
You have asked for our "reaction" to the “Addendum
on Vegetation
Rongelapese.
to the 1960 medical report on the
The first reaction was one of surprise at the inclusion of such a section in the medical report.
The
second reaction,
shared by Ralph Palumbo who has been
studying the vegetation at Imiwetok and Dick Walker the
plant physiologist from the botary department who has
been participating in the Rongelap studies, was that
While the observations reported are correct. as far as
they go, the implication that radiation has been the
primary Causative factor: is without foundatio.. and is
scarcely negated by the general statements in the pe-
nultimate paragraph (Ralph is also sending you his com-
ments).
Unfortunately, the emphasis on radiation
efrects is given added credence merely by the inclusion
of the addendum in a report by specialists in the area
of medical aspects of radiation effects.
This is quite
a different proposition then the publication of similar
material by Fosberg who does not purpert to be a radiation expert.
Fosberg at least has a backlog of observations recorded from other atolls, either as author or
editor,
from whic:. he has implicated such other factors
as drought and the activities of birds as being of pri-
mary importance (there was no fallout in those areas)
in causing deleterious effects to the vegetation.
When
more data are available he has the background to enable
him to reinterpret his observations and either change
his susoicions or affirm them as conclusive.
Such ew
reinterpretation would presumably be communicatec through
the same media Fosberg has used previously and the record would be clean.
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