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Secrecy over plans for radiation experiments on monkeys

The DOE cited an exemption under the federal law, which allowed it to modify the contents of the documents it released under the Act. This meant that BNL officials could blank out the decision they made in regards to the experiments.

Needless to say, this was precisely the most important aspect of the documents.

Uncertainty Looms over NASA Monkey Radiation Experiments – Softpedia, 21 Oct 10, Last year, a massive scandal erupted when PETA learned that NASA was planning to conduct a series of radiation experiments on unsuspecting monkeys. The faith of the experiments is now uncertain.These studies were to be conducted at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), with direct funds being provided by the American space agency. Squirrel monkeys were to be exposed to radiation so that experts could analyze the effects that long-term high-energy gamma rays would have on the primates’ ability to perform tasks. When People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) learned that NASA was planning these experiments, it began a series of protests, arguing that it was inhumane to expose the squirrel monkeys to such high doses of radiation.

Using the Freedom of Information Act, the group issued a request to review the documents assocaited with the NASA-BNL collaboration in this regard.
The papers, including a draft called “Decision regarding the disposition of the NSRL Proposal N-249,” were released to PETA, but not in full as the organization expected.

The DOE cited an exemption under the federal law, which allowed it to modify the contents of the documents it released under the Act. This meant that BNL officials could blank out the decision they made in regards to the experiments.

Needless to say, this was precisely the most important aspect of the documents. “Unfortunately, before the government sent us these documents, it blacked out Brookhaven’s decision, so we don’t know if plans to hurt these animals are moving forward or not,” a PETA statement reads……officials at Animal Defenders International (ADI) drew attention to the fact that while NASA and RosCosmos were deciding to irradiate monkeys, the European Space Agency considered such experiments unnecessary.

Uncertainty Looms over NASA Monkey Radiation Experiments – Softpedia

October 21, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear spin, radiation, radioactive