4
Lo ee pee hte at
RADIATION STANDARDS, INCLUDING FALLOUT
177
Mr. Territt. At the present timeit takes about 6 weeks to 2 months
depending upon the levels of strontium 90. The Emiting incter in
our laboratory system from a time standpoint is the method that ws
use to measure strontium 90 at the present time.
Representative Price. What legal authority, if any, dees the Pubn>
Service have to stop the consumption of milk m the event that they fine
excessive amounts of radioactivity from fallout?
We hope we don’t get ta
many other contractors in the atomic energy research prograni who
are contributing instrumentation and ideas and that probably the
Health and Safety Laboratory merelyserves as a focus for their effort.
Representative Price. Mr. Terrill, if the committee asks you for the
recent report of the National Advisory Committee on Radiation and
referred to section 202 of the Atomic Energy Act which requires Federal agencies to keep the Joint Committee fully and currently informed, would the Public Health Service supply the report?
Mr. Terrrut. Of course I can’t speak for the Public Heaith Service.
The Advisory Committee was asked to consider the current levels of
radioactivity that we werefinding during the Soviet tesis in ihe heni
of the Federal Radiation Council eudaice and in the light of the legal
and public responsibilities that the Public Health Service might have.
They have developed such a report, and T mnderstand that its is-
suance 1s under consideration within the administration.
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Mr. Territt. We have not come to that.
that particular point in any of our activities. The way this uncowb:edly would be done, if it should become necessary, is through advising
the States. The action would have to be taken by the Staie heuth
departments or the State agricultural departments which may have
jurisdiction in some specific case. As far as interstate shipment of
milk is concerned I believe, and I would be willing io stand corrected,
that the Food and Drug Administration would have to act if this type
of action became necessary.
Representative Price. You mention the institutional diet sampling
program on pages 1-4 of your statement. Would you tell tue conmittee how this will be carried out?
Mr. Territi. This, sir, is an attempt to get a direct measurement of
the total intake in a representative group that might be affected by
. these radionuclides, Logistically we have the problem of either trying to measure all of the foods for radioactivity or trying te pick representative diets from a population group ihiut might be most affected
in a significant way. We have chosen as a developmental! project. co
take our samples from institutions which are feeding teenage boys as
being a representative way in which to do this. The analyses, again,
of these food samples are made at our surveillance laboratories.
Representative Price. You talked about developing improved iuetyods of sampling and a more rapid method for the determination of
strontium 90. Is this type of work being clone in coliaboration with
other Federal agencies?
Mr. Trrriu. Yes, sir.
Representative Price. Which agencies?
Mr, Trrrini. All of our work at the laboratory levei without. any
particular effort on our part is a matter of collaboration between the
AEC, Department. of Defense, and others. I would say that the mest
active group in this field in other agencies at the present timeis th.
Health and Safety Laboratory of AEC. But Lam certain there are