new Committee. Please forward the name(s) of your designated representative(s) to Dr. Donald S. Fredrickson, Director, National Institutes of Health, Building 1, Room 124, Bethesda, Maryland 20205, by March 14. (You have the option of designating more than one representative from your organization.) I am enclosing for your information the roster of the existing Committee (Tab C). The President has charged this Interagency Committee with a series of most important responsibilities, many of which must be undertaken without delay. Dr. Fredrickson would like to schedule a meeting of the Interagency Radiation Research Committee in late March to consider the results of a National Conference developing a government-wide radiation strategy to be held on March 10 and 11. Thus, your prompt attention to this matter is essential. The public policies that the Interagency Committee will address are fundamental to a strong national position on a number of pressing radiation questions. Active involvement of all departments and agencies with radiation missions is essential if we are to meet the President's expectations. Your support is critical to the success of the Committee. Thank you for your cooperation. Patricia Poberts Harris 3 Attachments: Effects of Ionizing Radiation (FRIBEIR) [See p.ii for IRRC members; Presidential Documents Federal Register Title 3— Executive Order 12194 of February 21, 1980 The President By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and statutes of 1-202. The Council shall keep the Director of the Office of Science and Finney Carter THE WHITE HOUSE, (FR Doc. 80-5911 Radiation Policy NEWS RELEASE Contact: David Smith (202) 395-4931 FOR RELEASE President Carter' today established the Federal NEW FEDERAL Radiation Policy Council and appointed Environmental its first chairman. Eleven other agencies or departments will be represented on the Council by someone at a senior policy level. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been invited to serve on the Council as well. Other agencies will be invited to participate in discussions of interest to them and several offices in the Executive Office of the President will be invited to participate, as observers, in the Council's activities. Attached is a statement by Administrator Costle on the activities of the new council. CHAIR, RADIATION POLICY COUNCIL The Council consequently will involve all the Government agencies with major activities or responsibilities in the area of radiation protection and will offer for the first time a mechanism to coordinate the formulation and implementation of Federal policy relating to radiation protection. It will also serve as a forum for public input on radiation protection issues and ensure effective liaison with the Congress and the States. The need for a Council with broad functions of coordination and review is widely recognized. The Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, in a 1977 report, indicated the widely diffuse nature of the Federal Government's activities in the area of radiation protection, and more recently Senator Glenn has introduced a bill which would create a Council mechanism for dealing with radiation policy issues. Regulatory Commission and the Veterans Administration and chaired by Peter Libasst of HEW, strongly recommended the creation of a policy In addition to the broad charges given the Council in the Executive Order, the President has directed the Council to undertake certain specific tasks: a review of the radiation guidance function held by the Environmental Protection Agency and all other statutory authorities coordination of a program to reduce exposure to ionizing a review of all actions affecting worker and public health development of a program to improve communication with the public and secific groups |