Ethics and Principles in Medical Monitoring of Populations Exposed to Environmental Hazards

Abstract

In this issue Wones et al.1 describe a comprehensive medical monitoring program (MMP) for community residents in proximity to the Fernald facility, long operated for the Department of Energy as part of the nuclear weapons complex. The extensive contamination of the thousand acre Fernald facility has been remediated, though much of the contamination is confined in place, but the legacy of community exposure has weighed heavily on people’s minds. The MMP described in this issue is a pioneering example of how such a program can operate and how it should be evaluated.