Coalition for a Healthy Environment
2106 Holderwood Lane, Knoxville, TN 37922

September 30, 1999

Ms. Leah Dever, Manager
U.S. Department of Energy
Oak Ridge Operations
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

Dear Ms. Dever,

Your time spent with us on August 5, 1999 is greatly appreciated.  We were
very much encouraged by your taking so much time from your day to listen,
ask questions, and take notes.  Your willingness to meet with us is a
refreshing change from the past.

We know hundreds of people who are suffering from loss of health, loss of
family members, loss of ability to work, and loss of income.  Some of them
had their problems begin when they were in a DOE workplace or when they
moved near a DOE facility.  Some have materials in their bodies that are
the same hazardous materials used on DOE sites. We all know proving cause
is extremely difficult, especially when the federal government owns the
needed documents and has the power to allow or not allow a lawsuit.   If
you will take the time to educate yourself on the releases, emissions,
incidents, accidents, near misses, the "chilled atmosphere for safety," the
history of health physics, and the hazardous conditions still in the
workplace and the environment, you too will see that it really is not
difficult to believe there are connections.  When you hear  "I have not
seen scientific studies proving a connection" please know that those
scientists who have shown connections have been and are being shunned and
black balled and research in this area has practically ground to halt.

Please remember that our focus has always been to (1) get medical help, (2)
find out what made us sick, (3) work to prevent other form following in our
footsteps, and (4) if a connection to the government's activities are
found, hold those persons and institutions accountable.

DOE's contractors and contracting methods are destroying a workforce and
institutional memory.  These practices do not make economic sense to the
American taxpayer or the local economy.  

ORO needs to work hard on trust, openness (especially regarding the
management of the reading room and FOIA requests), responsibility, and
needs to be aware of the following.  The United States signed an
international agreement to abide by the "Precautionary Principle," which
says that decision-makers have a general duty to take preventive action to
avoid harm before scientific certainty has been established."

"The United States is already under obligation to operate by the
precautionary principle. The federal government signed and ratified the Rio
Declaration from the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development. The Rio Declaration
says, "In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach
shall be widely applied by States [meaning nations--P.M.] according to
their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible
damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for
postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation."
Peter Montague, Editor, "Rachel's Environment and Health Weekly #657, July
1, 1999.

Over a year ago, we practically stopped trying to interact with ORO because
of lack of response and we primarily communicated with headquarters, EPA,
and the state on our issues.  We know there are a few people in DOE who are
trying to do "the right thing" but they are also trying to function in a
very dysfunctional agency. You have a formidable task ahead.  It is with
cautious optimism, that we look forward to a new era at ORO.

Sincerely,




On behalf of CHE's members
Janet R. Michel
Secretary, Coalition for a Healthy Environment

C:   President Bill Clinton
       Vice President Al Gore
       Secretary Bill Richardson
       Assistant Secretary David Micheals
        CHE file