Final Report

Executive Summary

Preface

Introduction

Part I

Part II

Part III

Discussion: Part III

Part IV

Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments
1726 M Street, N.W., Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20036

To the Members of the Human Radiation Interagency Working Group:

Secretary Hazel O'Leary, Department of Energy
Secretary William Perry, Department of Defense
Attorney General Janet Reno, Department of Justice
Secretary Donna Shalala, Department of Health and Human Services
Secretary Jesse Brown, Department of Veterans Affairs
Director Alice Rivlin, Office of Management and Budget
Director John Deutch, Central Intelligence Agency
Administrator Daniel Goldin, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

On behalf of the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments, it is my privilege to transmit to you our Final Report.

Since the Committee's first meeting in April 1994 we have been able to conduct an intensive inquiry into the history of government-sponsored human radiation experiments and intentional environmental releases of radiation that occurred between 1944 and 1974. We have studied the ethical standards of that time and of today and have developed a moral framework for evaluating these experiments. Finally, we have examined the extent to which current policies and practices appear to protect the rights and interests of today's human subjects. This report documents our findings and makes recommendations for your consideration.

The committee listened to the testimony of more than 200 public witnesses who appeared before us. We are deeply grateful to all these witnesses, who overcame the obstacles of geography and emotions to assist us.

Our work and this report would not have been possible without the extraordinary effort the President and you put forward to open the government's records to our inquiry and thus to the nation. We are especially pleased that, through our joint efforts, the American people now have access to the tens of thousands of documents that bear on this important history.

None of our conclusions came easily. We endeavored, both as individuals and as a committee, to live up to the responsibility with which we were entrusted. This report represents the consensus of fair-minded people who gave the best they had to offer to their fellow citizens.

We thank President Clinton for this opportunity and for his courage and leadership in appointing the Advisory Committee.

Ruth R. Faden
Chair, Advisory Committee
on Human Radiation Experiments