WASHINGTON – Congressmen Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Denny Rehberg (R-MT) called on the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to reopen its previous investigation into the long-term health effects on veterans exposed during the operation of Project SHAD.

Project SHAD, or Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense, was conducted between 1962 and 1974 by the Department of Defense. During Project SHAD, a number of weapons containing chemical and biological agents such as VX nerve gas, Sarin Nerve Gas and E. Coli were tested on unknowing military personnel. A Government Accountability Office report (GAO-04-410) issued in May of 2004 concluded that a substantial number of veterans remain unaware that tests were conducted on them.

In a letter to the IOM, Thompson and Rehberg stated that the recent study of Project SHAD health effects was deficient because it failed to include information on key test participants, despite the fact that the names of many such participants were available. In light of this concern, they want the IOM to reexamine the study’s results.

"We can’t understand why a study of Project SHAD’s health effects on veterans wouldn’t include the very veterans that were used in the tests," said Congressman Thompson. "These veterans deserve to know the truth about what these chemicals have done to their health. As a fellow veteran, I’m determined to make sure this study is done properly."

"The veterans involved in the SHAD program deserve a thorough review of how these harmful chemicals may have affected them," said Congressman Rehberg. "However, the work that’s been done so far just doesn’t cut it. Mike and I are sending a clear message that the valuable input these veterans can provide shouldn’t be taken for granted."

In 2003, Congress directed the IOM to conduct a study of the long-term health effects on veterans exposed during Project SHAD. The study, which was released in June 2007, failed to link Project SHAD to the health problems experienced by veterans exposed to those tests.

Letter Attached Below.

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Anne Warden (Thompson): (202) 225-3311 or anne.warden@mail.house.gov

Bridger Pierce (Rehberg): 202-225-3211 or bridger.pierce@mail.house.gov

Dr. Rick Erdtmann, Director

Board on Military and Veterans Health

Medical Follow-up Agency

Institute of Medicine of the National Academies

500 Fifth Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20001

RE: Institute of Medicine (IOM) Study

Long-Term Health Effects of Participation in Project SHAD

Dear Dr. Erdtmann:

In November 2007, you and Dr. Bill Page briefed us on the results of the June 2007 IOM study that had been requested by the Congress. The study looked at the long term health effects on veterans exposed during the operation of Project SHAD (Shipboard Hazard and Defense). As you know, the study failed to link Project SHAD to health problems experienced by veterans exposed during the testing project. During our briefing, and utilizing the expertise of SHAD veterans Jack Alderson and John Olson, we identified what we believe to be deficiencies in the protocol and requested that IOM reopen the study. This letter outlines the principal concerns we discussed and represents a formal request to reopen the IOM study.

1. The study acknowledges that "up to five Army light" tug boats participated in "several" Project SHAD tests, but it claims that complete personnel rosters were never found by the Department of Defense (DOD) or by IOM. According to SHAD veterans, the rosters were provided. For instance, a roster of personnel involved in the 1965 Shady Grove test, approximately 106 participants, was provided to IOM and confirmed by DOD. With the rosters identified and made available, we would expect the personnel to be considered in the study.

2. Personnel that were not exposed during Project SHAD were included in the study: a) the USS Granville S Hall (YAG 40), the Desert Test Center Command and Laboratory ship, was not exposed during Project SHAD; b) the USS George Eastman (YAG 39), participated only in some Project SHAD tests and not in others. We believe the inclusion of personnel from these two ships compromises the study results. We request that IOM examine how the inclusion of sterile personnel may have affected the results.

3. The health records of deceased Project SHAD Technical Staff, who may have died as a result of health effects stemming from exposure to Project SHAD, were not examined. We would like you to determine if the cause of death information for those individuals is available and measure what impact that information would have on the results of the study.

4. The study failed to account for the job and duty assignments of various personnel on board the ships, which resulted in different levels of exposure. Consideration should be given to the fact that personnel had different levels of exposure during training and testing to multiple weapons, experimental vaccines, trace elements, simulants, and decontamination agents. These considerations should be factored in to gain the most accurate results.

5. The description of the tests performed does not reflect the way in which the SHAD test was actually conducted. SHAD veterans must be consulted to ensure that any existing misconceptions in the IOM study are rectified.

Finally, the IOM study delineated a number of conclusions that were reached after classified material was reviewed by you and Mr. Don Burke. (See the IOM Study, p.8-9.) SHAD veterans contest some of these conclusions, such as the conclusion regarding animal studies, as well as the one regarding vaccines. We request that these specific concerns be discussed more fully at the working group agreed to at the meeting, which will include representatives from DOD, IOM, selected SHAD veterans, and our staff.

We appreciate the briefing you provided and your willingness to review the items described above. By this letter, we formally request that IOM initiate the necessary steps to reopen the IOM study, and to work with DOD, as well as Project SHAD veterans, to address the above-referenced concerns. If you have additional questions, please contact our staff, Tracy Varghese at (202) 226-7372 or Brent Mead at (202) 225-3211.

Sincerely,

Member of Congress.

Editors note: Some of the SHAD guys might want to e-mail Rep. Thompson & Rehberg to let them know if they were included in the study and to thank them. John Goricki e-mailed both.

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