cna
of Marshall Islanders and Japanese fishermen were irradiated by
fallout debris from the explosion,
Subsequently, a number of
seLlentific bodies in the U. Se passed resolutions requesting
that a study be made of the possible effects on the human race
of continued nuclear weapons testing.
In April, 1955,
the Rockefeller Foundation provided the
NAS with funds for undertaking a very broad study of the effects
of atomic radiation.
The subject reports are the final fruits
of this study, which will be a continuing one.
Whereas the AEC has always been aware of the possible
hazards from fallout from surface bursts of atomic weapons
(see
"Effects of Atomic Weapons,” 1952), it had been even more aware
of possible hazards to nearby livestock and the public generally
from serious accidents which could conceivably occur to large
production reactors such as those at the Hanford Works,
The
Bikini fallout incident made it abundantly clear that fallout
was important from the standpoint of continued weapons testing
and as a factor in civil defense planning,
The problems of
radiation effects has been under continuing review by the AEC and
by the joint U.S., U.K. and Canada Tripartite meetings,
In
addition, the AEC has contributed a major portion of the basic
scientific data for the deliberations of the National Committee
for Radiation Protection and the International Commission for
Radiation Protection.
A few words are in order on the general approach of the
NAS study committees.
They did not include an evaluation of the
effects of an atomic war,
conference of June 12,
As Dr, Bronk stated in the press
1956, he could not define an atomic war
so he asked the committees to limit
themselves to peacetime
atomic energy activities including weapons testing,
-4 .
Enclosure II