UNITED STATES
ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON 25, D. C.
June 13, 1956
407730
Dear Mr. President:
A distinguished committee of medical people and other
scientists, with whom we have been cooperating for about a
year, has made a report on the effects of radiation on
human beings.
The report was published today with misleading
headlines in the Washington-Post and I am, therefore, writing
this letter to you by way of reassurance.
The Report states that:
"There has been concern about the possible
genetic harm due to the fall-out of radioactive
material which results from the testing of atomic
weapons,
...
the fall-out dose to date (and its
continuing value if it is assumed that the weapons
testing program will not be substantially increased)
is a small one as compared with the background
radiation, or as compared with the average exposure
in the United States to medical X rays."
The mathematical conclusion of the study is that results
of weapons tests to date and projected into the future at the
same rate, will result in a radiation exposure of the United
States population of a minimum of 1/300 and a maximum of 1/14
of the exposure to radiation which is presently received from
normal background (i.e. cosmic rays, radioactivity in normal
earth and air, etc.) and from medical X-rays.
These findings
support the public statement which I made in February of last
year.
Respectfully,
er‘
.ower
way
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