Federal Defendants' Update on Radiocarbon Test Results with attached Declaration of Francis P. McManamon, Ph.D
LOIS J. SCHIFFER
Assistant Attorney General
ALLISON RUMSEY
U.S. Department of Justice
Environment & Natural Resources Div.
Office of
the Assistant Attornet General
950 Penn. Ave., N. W., Room 2740
Washington DC 20530
(202) 514-0750
(207) 305-2573 facsimile
KRISTINE OLSON
United States Attorney
TIMOTHY W. SIMMONS
Assistant United States Attorney
District of Oregon
100 S.W. 3rd Ave.. Ste 600
Portland, Oregon 97204-2902
(503) 727-1156
(503) 727-1117 facsimile
tim_simmons@usdoj.gov
OSB# 92461
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON
ROBSON BONNICHSEN et al.,
Plaintiffs.
vs
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. et al,
Defendants.
Civil No. 96-1481 JE
FEDERAL DEFENDANTS UPDATE ON RADIOCARBON TEST RESULTS
As set forth in the October I. 1999 Ninth Status Report, the
laboratories performing radiocarbon dates on the four samples
of human remains stated that the results would be available within
6 to 8 weeks from the time they received the samples. Based on
that time-line, the Department of the Interior estimated that
the radiocarbon results would be available mid November. However,
two of the three laboratories have informed the Department of
the Interior that the results will be delayed approximately two
weeks. The Department of the Interior has received the results
from Beta Laboratories, but in order to ensure the most careful
interpretation of the results, wishes to wait to release the
Beta result until it has received all the dates. See attached
Declaration of Dr. Francis McManamon. November 22, 1999.
Dated this 24th day of November 1999.
Respectfully submitted
LOIS J. SCHIFFER
Assistant Attorney General
(signed)
ALLISON RUMSEY
Office of the Assistant Attorney General
Env. & Natural Res. Div.
U.S. Dept. of Justice
KRISTINE OLSON OSB 73254
United States Attorney
(signed)
TIMOTHY W. SIMMONS
Asst. United States Attorney
OSB 92461
Of Attorneys for Federal Defendants
OF COUNSEL:
Russell Petit
Office of Chief Counsel
Office of Chief of Engineers
Washington, D.C.
Rebecca Ransom
Office of Counsel
Northwest Division
Army Corps. of Engineers
Portland Oregon
Carla Mattix U.S. Department of Interior
Of fice of Solicitor
Washington D.C.
LOIS J. SCHIFFER
Assistant Attorney General ALISON B. RUMSEY
U.S. Department of Justice
Environment & Natural Resources Div.
950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington DC 20530
KRISTINE OLSON
United States Attorney
TIMOTHY W. SIMMONS
Assistant United States Attorney
District of Oregon
888 SW Fifth Ave., Ste. 1000
Portland, Oregon 97204-2024
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT. COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON
ROBSON BONNICHSEN, et al.,
Plaintiffs,
vs.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, et al.,
Defendants.
Civil No. 96-1481 JE
DECLARATION OF FRANCIS P. McMANAMON Ph.D.
I, Francis P. McManamon declare as follows:
- I am Chief Archeologist of the National Park Service and
the Departmental Consulting Archeologist for the U.S. Department
of the Interior ("DOI"). My duties and responsibilities
in this capacity are as set forth in my original declaration,
which was filed with this Court on May 28, 1998. This declaration
is being submitted in support of the filing in the above-styled
matter. All information herein is based upon my personal knowledge
and upon information furnished to me in my official capacity.
- In the Federal Defendant's ninth statues report, based on
the testing laboratories' estimated testing time of six to eight
weeks, my office anticipated completion of the radiocarbon test
by mid-November, 1999. However, according to the laboratories,
the processing of the samples has proven to be complicated. Several
of the samples have been shown to have very small amounts of
protein for dating. Special care is required for dating such
samples and special consideration must be given to the interpretation
of any dates from such samples. We are working closely with the
labs doing the dating to interpret their results. The status
of the four test samples is as follows 1 ) The sample at the
University of Arizona Radiocarbon Laboratory, Tucson, has been
processed, and we arc waiting for an evaluation of the sample
by the laboratory; 2) The two samples delivered to the Radiocarbon
Laboratory at the University of California-Riverside ( (UC-R)
have been processed The lab director, Dr. Erv Taylor. has estimated
that dates on the total protein content of the samples will be
provided in two weeks. Dr. Taylor has experienced delays in processing
these samples due to new machines at UC-R recalibrations of this
equipment, and the low total carbon in the samples; and 3) The
sample from Beta Analytical, Inc. has been processed and dated.
However, due to the low carbon found in the other samples' we
plan to evaluate the date we have received from Beta In light
of the other dates and sample descriptions. It is important to
evaluate all the results together to provide for the most careful
evaluation and interpretation of the dates that are returned
for the samples.
- The radiocarbon date results from the samples will be provided
to the court after the National Park Service has received the
data from all four tests. We believe that it is important to
evaluate all the results together to make the most accurate interpretation
of the effect of low carbon in some of the samples I declare
under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct
Executed the 22 Day of November. 1999.
(signed)
Francis P McManamon, Ph.D.
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