March 9, 1962
Dear Mr. President,
May I commend you for the support given in your Health Message to some of the many 
health needs which my Committee has endeavored to move forward. It is particularly 
gratifying to note the much needed emphasis you placed on health problems 
associated with the environment.
I have felt for several years that this is an area which needs strengthening, and 
testimony from interested citizens before my Constitution has reinforced my 
conviction.
I was especially pleased to see you direct attention to the need for a National 
Environment Health Center which will house together the several related 
environmental programs. At present, these programs are scattered, so that it is 
most difficult to achieve the close relationship that I believe should exist 
between research, technical assistance, training and control activities that is 
needed. Your proposal would make this possible, both between programs and between 
the elements of individual programs such as those for air and water pollution 
control and radiation protection.
My committee considered in fiscal year 1961, a request for funds for expansion of 
Public Health Service environmental facilities at Cincinnnati, Ohio. These were 
appropriated. However, at that time a re-study of organization and mission of the 
Public Health Service, particularly as it related its several environmental 
programs, had a specific recommendation for a unified national environmental 
health program. These recommendations included provision for the Environmental 
Health Center.
A year ago, the Administration submitted a 1962 budget amendment request to the 
Congress for site acquisitionand planning funds for such a Center in the 
Washington area. In my opinion, this was a sound and logical proposal and I am 
sorry that it did not come up with the regular appropriation request to my 
Committee. As you know, the appropriation did not pass.
In the intervening period, the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service 
convened a special advisory group of experts from outside the government to make a 
study of the health problems associated with the environment and to make 
recommendations including need of facilities.This special advisory group of 
sixteen experts, headed by the eminent Dr. Paul Gross, President of the American 
Association for the Advancement of Science, recommended a National Environmental 
Health Center to be located in the Washington area. They stressed the need for 
close relationship between these several programs in research, technical 
assistance, training and control and their elements; recommended field facilities 
for attentionto special problems of major geographical areas; emphasized the need 
for greater support of research and training in the universities. In total, the 
Report proposed a balanced and geographically distributed program with the central 
focus and facilities need for its successful accomplishment.
The hearings before my Committee this year pointed up the soundness of the 
recommendations, and bore evidence of the upsurge of interest and need in this 
part of the total health program. The hearings of my Committee were completed 
today. I am again perturbed that the item for the National Environmental Health 
Center has not cleared your offices in time to reach this Committee in the regular 
course of its business. Because I regard this as an extremely important matter in 
our movement ahead against health hazards, I should be glad to consider a 1963 
budget amendment if it reaches us before we sit down to makr up the bill.
With warmest personal regards,
Sincerely,
John E. Fogerty