You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
alternatehistory.com
Nov. 12, 1970
November 12, 1970
Muskie chooses Gofman to head Department of Conservation
President Muskie has nominated Dr. John Gofman [1] to head the newly-created Department of Conservation. Dr. Gofman, along with his colleague, Dr. Arthur Tamplin, has been a vocal critic of U.S. radiation dose limits and the Atomic Energy Commission. In 1969, he and Tamplin concluded that the risk of cancer from radiation exposure was far greater than estimates the government was using to set limits on public exposure. [2] Gofman’s research has received great praise from many in the scientific community, with talk of his work being worthy of a Nobel Prize. [3]
Gofman will work with the Muskie administration to develop a comprehensive plan for combatting pollution, preserving nature, and finding alternative means of energy production. Gofman thinks that many thousands of deaths may have been caused by the Fermi meltdown, and has called for a five-year moratorium on the licensing of new nuclear power plants until the public health consequences can be studied. [2] While Gofman’s research has been criticized by the AEC, President Muskie warned the agency against any “potential threat to the free and open discussion of scientific issues.” [4]