EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMMITTEE ON OCEANOGRAPHY 77 



Mr. McKernan. We have had a number of them, and I believe 

 that there was one in Rhode Island, also. 



Mr. Dingell. The most recent one, the worst, was an outbreak 

 of infectious hepatitis that occurred in Raritan Bay, N.J.; am I right? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes. 



Mr. Lennon. Now, subsequent to that, about the same time, did 

 you receive some information from the public health authorities 

 that this same condition had been brought about in the Mobile, 

 Ala., area? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes. We were aware that the Public Health 

 Service was studying this in Mobile Bay, Ala., and again, if my 

 recollection serves me correctly, without any records before me, 

 our shellfish specialists cooperated with the Public Health Service 

 at that time. 



Mr. Lennon. Does the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries have any 

 laboratory facilities in the Rhode Island area coast? 



Mr. McKernan. Well, we have a laboratory at Milford, Conn., 

 Mr. Lennon. 



Mr. Lennon. Which serves that area? 



Mr. McKernan. Which serves this general Atlantic area; yes. 



Mr. Lennon. The New England coast area? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes. 



Mr. Lennon. When did you first learn that HEW intended to 

 establish this laboratory in Rhode Island to study the deleterious 

 effect on human beings that may be attributed to shellfish? 



Mr. McKernan. Mr. Lennon, I wish to apologize for not having 

 these records here. Had I realized these questions were coming up, 

 I would have brought them. I will be glad to supply this, but I am 

 afraid if I try to remember this, I will give you incorrect information. 



Mr. Lennon. Would it have been a year ago? 



Mr. McKernan. Something of this order; yes. It was quite a 

 long time ago; so long I can't remember. 



Mr. Lennon. And I assume they conferred with you about this 

 matter, that is, HEW? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes. 



Mr. Lennon. And was any suggestion made that perhaps the 

 expansion of your laboratory there in Milford, Conn., could turn its 

 attention to the problem that the health authorities were finding, in 

 particular, HEW, in this field? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes, as I recollect, there was discussion of this. 



Mr. Lennon. And it was decided that it couldn't be done, and the 

 best approach was to establish a new, million dollar facility in Provi- 

 dence, R.I., to study this question of the effects on human beings of 

 diseased shellfish? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes. 



Mr. Lennon. And you do not think it could be done under the 

 same building with your laboratory in Milford? 



Mr. McKernan. With the present 



Mr. Lennon. Even on a cooperative basis with HEW? 



Mr. McKernan. With the present information that has been 

 supplied me by my staff people who examined this critically with 

 other staff people, no, I do not think it can be done. 



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