Evening star., 1951-11-28
Conference Stresses
Peaceful Atom Uses,
Safety-P|ant Design
By w. H. Shippen

A major effort to free atomic
scientists of some Of their bomt
Ishackles was in progress here to.
day.
Invited to Washington to re-
|ceive such information as can be
released are men who are build
ing laboratories for education ano
research In the peaceful use o1
radioactive materials.
Scientists, architects. engineers
and builders are receiving at least
part Of the detailed instruction
they have sought for months on
the protection Of employees, the
layout and structural composition
of plants, ventilation and dis
posal of dangerous wastes.
Some Of the material has been
declassified for the conference, as
the result Of prolonged pressure
and the rest Of it has been re-
vamped, In some cases. or cata-
logued for the first time along
specific. detailed lines of inquiry
The two-day session. closing
this afternoon at the Nationa,
Academy of Sciences. is sponsored
by the American Institute of Arch
itects and the Atomic Energy
Commission. in cooperation with
the Building Research Advisory
Board.
For Friendly Atom"
A spokesman. speaking inform
ally, explained: Our meeting has
nothing to do with that damned
bomb-or even with civilian de-
fense.
Too much has been said about
the bomb. perhaps. Certainly, too
little is understood about the tre-
mendous benefits to mankind
which can result from researches
now well under way. although in
one sense they have only scratched
the surface"
Meanwhile, Chairman Gordon
Dean Of the Atomic Energy Com
mission said the recent atomic
weapons tests conducted in Ne
vada proved "very useful" to de-
fense plans and indicated there
may be more explosions set OF
in the current series.
In a guarded statement to re-
porters-his first public comment
on the tests-Mr. Dean said that
after each Of the tests 1--WE learn
something. They have been very
useful"
He also was asked If the tests
have been completed.
Rather than answer directly, he
said. he preferred to say the COM
mission would announce the con-
clusion of the tests-when the
time comes.
Testify in Secret Session.
The Acc chairman and mem
bers testified for two hours yes
terday at o secret session of
the Senate House Committee on
Defense Production. Chairman
Maybank said the talks dealt with
a progress report on construction
of q huge H-bomb plant near
Aiken. s. c.
More than 200 laboratories have
been built or are under construc-
ton for the use Of materials re-
leased by the ACC.
General rules for laboratory de-
sign we're laid down by A. D.
Macintosh Of the Oak Ridge
plant in Tennessee, with safety as
a controlling factor. Some in
stallations require only the nor
NAL precautions of a chemical
laboratory. while others mount
through various radiation levels to
a scope where factors like prevail
ing winds and surrounding drain
age systems must be taken into
account in the public interest.
Shielding Varies.
The type, as well as the guam
tity of radiation, must be reck-
oned with. The alpha type re-
quires almost no shielding. beta
rays are controlled by plastic
shields less than an inch thick.
but gamma radiations are more
dangerous and demand more
massive shielding.
Many laboratories are being
built or operated as units
of hospitals. colleges and COM
nercial laboratories. In general,
they require more space, con-
rolled ventilation and specialized
treatment of walls, floors, ceilings
and furnishings than other labora-
tories.
Upholstered walls OF concrete
block and tiled floors are recon-