|
1944 to 1990
January 11, 1990
David I. Goldman Ruth R. Harris Laura J. Kells
5721 Randolph Road Rockville, Maryland 20852
Under Contract No. DE-AC08-87 NIO594
APPENDIX A - SECTIONS OF THE COFA
APPENDIX C - LIST OF GROUPS INVOLVED WITH MARSHALL ISLANDS DEVELOPMENT
This draft chronology presents
the historical record of events relating to the Department of
Energy/Energy Research and Development Administration/Atomic Energy
Commission (DOE/ERDA/AEC) medical, environmental, and radiological
safety activities in the Marshall Islands from 1946 to 1990.
Among the milestones included are agreements between the Marshallese
and the United States, particularly those involving the DOE and
its predecessors; relocation and resettlement efforts; legal responsibilities
assumed by the AEC, the ERDA, and the DOE; administration of U.S.
government activities in the islands; medical findings; environmental
studies; radiation safety criteria applied in the Marshalls and
in the U.S.; and U.S. nuclear testing activities in the region.
In order to facilitate use of the chronology by those interested in a particular aspect of developments in the Marshall Islands, we have assigned each entry one or more topical headings from the following list:
By selecting only those
entries under a specific heading, one can follow more directly
the story of any area of particular interest, such as the DOE
medical program, government policy, or legal responsibility.
In developing this chronology,
History Associates searched 1) records in the DOE Archives in
Germantown, including the AEC Secretariat files, Division of Biology
and Medicine files, the Joe Deal and Tommy McCraw collections,
as well as a number of other collections; 2) records held by Environment,
Safety, and Health (EH), including the files turned over by John
Rudolph (DP) and by Management (AD); 3) files from the Nevada
Operations Office made available to us by Harry Brown; 4) Joint
Committee on Atomic Energy (JCAE) records at the National Archives;
5) the document collection at the Coordination and Information
Center in Las Vegas, Nevada; 5) U.S. Statutes at Large
and 6) Executive Orders of the President.
The Department of Energy History
Division researched the DOE Executive Secretariat files. Mr. L.
Joe Deal and Mr. Roger Ray made available to us documentary materials
from their personal files.
It was not possible in
the time available to do an exhaustive search of DOE/ERDA/AEC
records, although we believe that major developments involving
the agency have been covered. No effort was made, with the constraints
of time and funds, to examine records from other agencies involved
in the Marshall Islands except as documents from these agencies
were found in DOE files. For the chronology to be complete, we
suggest searching at the very least, the records of the Departments
of the Interior, State, and Defense relating to the history of
U.S. involvement in the Marshall Islands.
Appendices have been included
to assist the user of the chronology a summary of the terms of
the Compact of Free Association and of its implementing agreement
of relevance to the DOE, lists of officials and groups concerned
with the administration of the Marshall islands, a list of abbreviations
and acronyms used in the chronology, and a series of maps showing
the Marshall Islands and the individual atolls affected by nuclear
testing. Also included are a map of U.S. Navy ship positions
after Castle Bravo and a map showing relocations
of the Marshallese through May 1954. Copies of the cited documents have been provided. The documents are identified by alphanumeric designations, which are included in brackets following the citation in the endnote. When the relevant information is contained in one part of a larger document, the cited information has been indicated with a dark line in the left margin of the document.
Low-lying coral atolls and
islands scattered over some 180,000 square miles of the Pacific
Ocean, the Marshall Islands have been home for the Marshallese
people for over 2000 years. In recent times the situation of
the Marshall Islanders has captured world attention because of
the effects of United States nuclear weapon testing in the Marshall
islands.
Although the Spanish navigator
Alvaro Saavedra sighted the Marshalls in 1529, westerners showed
interest in the Marshalls only after British naval captains explored
some of these islands in the eighteenth century The British named
the islands after one of those exploring naval captains. As a
result of agreements with island chiefs and Great Britain, Germany
established a protectorate over the Marshalls in 1886. Japan
seized the islands during World War I and in 1920 received a League
of Nations mandate to administer them. Japanese troops used the
islands during World War II until 1944 when United States troops
ousted them and occupied the Marshall Islands.
Meanwhile, during the final
months of World War II United States and Allied scientists successfully
developed the atomic bomb, which the U.S. used against Japan.
After the war ended, the United States sought a remote area with
accessible ports and land for installations to test atomic weapons.
In 1946 U.S. officials selected the Marshall Islands' Bikini
Atoll and obtained the consent of the Bikini chief to relocate
his people elsewhere. The United States subsequently conducted
two nuclear weapon tests at Bikini in July 1946. In 1947 the
United Nations designated the United States as administrator of
the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, which included the
Marshalls.
The trust agreement permitted
the U.S. to close off the Marshall Islands for security reasons.
Subsequently, the United States expanded its weapon testing area,
which the government named the Pacific Proving Grounds. After
reaching an accord with the Enewetak people and relocating them,
the U.S. used Enewetak for nuclear weapon testing in 1948, 1951,
and 1952. The U.S. nuclear weapon testing task force returned
to Bikini for the 1954 Castle series. The first shot of
the Castle series produced such extensive radioactive fallout
that a third Marshallese group, the Rongelapese, was evacuated
from its contaminated home island and relocated for several years.
After Castle Bravo
the Marshall islanders petitioned the United Nations to stop the
nuclear testing in their territory or, if the testing was essential,
to exercise all precautions to safeguard the inhabitants and their
possessions. The U.S. continued to test at Bikini and Enewetak
in 1954, 1956, and 1958. By October 31, 1958, the U.S. had tested
66 nuclear devices in the Marshall Islands since 1946.
Since Castle Bravo
the U.S. has conducted medical, environmental, and radiological
safety activities in the Marshall Islands and has cared for inhabitants
suffering from conditions, including thyroid cancer, resulting
from exposure to the Castle Bravo fallout. The U.S. government
also has continued radiological surveys of the Marshalls and has
mounted cleanup activities to make contaminated areas habitable.
In the meantime, the Bikini people have been relocated several
times. In 1980 the Enewetak people returned to their atoll, but
insufficient food caused 100 of them to leave a year later. The
Rongelapese, resettled in Rongelap Island in 1957, moved away
from Rongelap in 1985 because of fear of contamination from living
on Rongelap Island.
In the 1980s the U.S. and
the Republic of the Marshall islands negotiated a series of agreements
connected to the "Compact of Free Association," signed
into law in the U.S. on January 14, 1986. Portions of the Compact
and agreements require the Department of Energy to fulfill certain
obligations to the Marshallese.
Since 1947 the AEC, ERDA,
and the DOE have been responsible for numerous safety and health
activities related to the Marshall Islands affected by nuclear
testing. In 1990 DOE Secretary James D. Watkins designated the
DOE Office of Health as the unit responsible for the DOE share
of Marshall Islands programs. To assist it in carrying out these
duties, the Office of Health subsequently requested History Associates
to prepare a chronology on activities connected with the nuclear
test activities in the Marshall Islands.
Jan 1944 - Feb 1944 ADMINISTRATION LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY The Marshall Islands, administered by Japan since the end of World War I, fall to the United States military forces during the Pacific war. (1)
02 Mar 1944 AGREEMENT The government of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (T.T.) conveys to the U. S. Government the exclusive fight to the use and occupancy of Enewetak Atoll for an indefinite period of time for "the sum of ten dollars." (This 1944 date is used in this chronology because the date probably refers to the first agreement negotiated between a Marshall Islands leader and a U.S. representative, probably military. The first paragraph of this document identifies the date of the agreement as that of 2 March 1944, but this particular document was drawn up later, probably in 1957. The term "Trust Territory," was not used in 1944 for the Marshall islands and the signers were officials in 1957, not 1944. Subsequent language and signers of the document also indicate the agreement was written later. This agreement was recorded in the Marshall Islands District Record Book 1, pp. 5, 6, and 7, on June 20, 1957.) (2)
Jan 1946 WEAPONS TESTING U.S. officials select Bikini Atoll for the first U.S. nuclear weapon tests in the Pacific. (3)
Feb 1946 AGREEMENT RELOCATION The military governor of the Marshall Islands obtains the consent of a Bikini chief to relocate his people so that Bikini can be used for nuclear weapon tests. (4)
07 Mar 1946 RELOCATION The U.S. Navy evacuates Bikini Atoll inhabitants to Rongerik Atoll. (5)
May 1946 RELOCATION Residents of Enewetak are moved to Meck Island in Kwajalein Atoll, and the Rongelap and Wotho people are evacuated to Lae Atoll for the duration of the Bikini tests. (6)
01 Jul 1946 , 25 Jul 1946 WEAPONS TESTING The United States detonates two nuclear weapons at Bikini in Operation Crossroads. (7)
01 Aug 1946 ADMINISTRATION President Harry S. Truman signs the Atomic Energy Act creating the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). (8)
01 Jan 1947 ADMINISTRATION
The Manhattan Engineer District,
responsible for developing the atomic bomb, transfers atomic energy
work to the AEC. 02 Apr 1947 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY The United Nations (UN) Security Council designates the United States as administering authority of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (T.T.), including the Marshall Islands. Article 5 entitles the United States to establish naval, military, and air bases and to erect fortifications in the territory. Article 6 obliges the United States to Promote the economic advancement and self-sufficiency of the inhabitants ... regulate the use of natural resources; encourage the development of fisheries, agriculture, and industries; protect the inhabitants against the loss of their lands and resources ... [and] protect the health of the inhabitants ... Article 13 recognizes the authority of the administrator to close areas for security reasons. (9)
18 Jul 1947 ADMINISTRATION President Truman approves the Territory of the Pacific Islands trusteeship agreement between the United States and the UN Security Council and delegates administration of the Pacific Trust Territory to the Navy on an interim basis. (10)
Aug 1947 MEDICAL RELOCATION An official investigating board recommends removal of the Bikini Islanders from Rongerik because of insufficient food and water. (11)
20 Nov 1947 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY RELOCATION WEAPONS TESTING AEC Chairman David E. Lilienthal informs President Truman that the use of Enewetak for nuclear testing will require the evacuation of 145 natives. According to Lilienthal, to meet U.S. Obligations under the Trusteeship Agreement, the U.S. government will accord normal constitutional rights of citizens to the Enewetakese but will treat them as U.S. wards; will keep displacement to the minimum required for their safety; will resettle the Enewetakese according to agreements reached with them; and will provide adequately for their well-being in their new locations. Lilienthal states that the AEC and the Secretary of Defense will apprise the State Department that during weapon testing at Enewetak the U.S. will not subject T.T. inhabitants "to perceptibly greater danger than, say, the people of the United States."(12)
25 Nov 1947 RELOCATION WEAPONS TESTING President Truman signs a directive for the removal of Natives from Enewetak. Secretary of Defense Robert S. Lovett recommends that the forthcoming news release on the selection of a proving ground at Enewetak ought to mention that the natives are not now living in any historic home but instead on islands to which U.S. forces moved them during World War II. (13)
01 Dec 1947 RELOCATION WEAPONS TESTING The AEC announces the selection of Enewetak Atoll as a site for proving grounds because it has the fewest inhabitants to care for and is isolated. The U.S. government will transfer the Enewetak inhabitants to sites they will select and will reimburse them for the lands utilized. The AEC explains that the establishment of these proving grounds is necessary to provide a suitable area to verify by experimentation "indicated results" of laboratory studies. Bikini is unsuitable for such testing because it lacks sufficient land surface for the necessary scientific information. (14)
21 Dec 1947 RELOCATION The Navy moves 145 Enewetak inhabitants to Ujelang prior to U.S. testing nuclear weapons at Enewetak. (15)
31 Jan 1948 RELOCATION On a visit to Rongerik Leonard Mason, a University of Hawaii anthropologist, and James Milne find a critical food shortage affecting the Bikinians. (16)
14 Mar 1948 RELOCATION The Bikini evacuees are moved to a temporary camp on the Kwajalein Navy base. (17)
16 Apr 1948 - 16 May 1948 WEAPONS TESTING The United States conducts three nuclear weapon tests at Enewetak as part of Operation Sandstone. (18)
28 Apr 1948 ADMINISTRATION The AEC goes on record as desiring that Enewetak Atoll be retained as a permanent proving ground for nuclear weapons after the completion of Operation Sandstone. (19)
18 Jun 1948 CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP The House of Representatives and the Senate establish a joint congressional committee of 12 members to recommend legislation to administer the Pacific Islands trust territory and to assure to the peoples of such areas justice, peace, and tranquillity, a voice in their civic affairs and government, the development of their economies and the protection of their civil rights, all with due regard to the established customs of such peoples. (20)
24 Jun 1948 ADMINISTRATION Congress appropriates $2.25 million to the U.S. Navy for administering Pacific island governments, including the annual appropriations for the Trust Territory (T.T.). (21)
29 Jun 1948 ADMINISTRATION RELOCATION Admiral D. C. Ramsey, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT), and his staff visit the Enewetakese at Ujelang and find the community "a happy one ... well kept, and the people ... healthy a industrious. (22)
02 Nov 1948 RELOCATION After Bikini leaders select Kili island for a settlement, the Navy moves the Bikini community of 184 people to Kili, which lacks a lagoon and protected anchorage. (23)
Mar 1949 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
The Holmes and Narver (H&N)
Construction Company and Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL)
study the feasibility of replacing radiologically contaminated
top soil with uncontaminated soil at the Pacific Proving Ground
(PPG) at Enewetak Atoll. (24) 09 Apr 1951 - 26 May 1951 WEAPONS TESTING In Operation Greenhouse the United States detonates four nuclear weapons at Enewetak. (25)
08 Jun 1951 ADMINISTRATION The AEC accepts an informal arrangement under which the Secretary of the Interior would administer Enewetak and "would do everything they [presumably the Secretary of the Interior] could to maintain conditions satisfactory to the Commission's program there." (26)
01 Jul 1951 ADMINISTRATION An executive order transfers the T.T. civil administration to the Secretary of Interior. (27)
12 Jul 1951 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY The AEC states that an information paper is to be prepared explaining responsibilities of agencies associated with the maintenance of the Enewetak Proving Grounds, including the ownership of land and facilities. (28)
20 Jul 1951 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR RADIATION At Enewetak the AEC is represented through the Santa Fe Operations Office by H&N. H&N performs the AEC post-Greenhouse "roll-up," including reducing residual radioactivity somewhat by bulldozing surface dirt away from shot areas. (29)
31 Aug 1951 ADMINISTRATION Congress appropriates funds to the Department of the Interior (DOI) for the FY 1952 for expenses of the high commissioner and the T.T. and for grants to the T.T. for support of governmental functions. In addition, Congress authorizes the T.T. to make purchases through the General Services Administration and permits transfers of excess Navy Department property to the Secretary of the Interior for administering the T.T. (Public Law (P.L) 82-136). (30)
25 Sep 1947 - 17 Aug 1951 ADMINISTRATION CLAIMS The Navy Department's Bureau of Yards and Docks is designated in 1947 as the representative of the AEC to obtain title to land at Enewetak. The Bureau asserts that the AEC should pay the Enewetak natives $515,360 for the land area of which they were historic owners until their December 1947 removal. The AEC contends that payment should be made only after proper establishment of claims based on land ownership. As of August 1951 no such claims have yet been lodged against the AEC. (31)
28 Sep 1951 ADMINISTRATION Congress appropriates $1,772,000 to the Navy to acquire land for yards and docks facilities in the T.T. (P.L. 82-155). (32)
27 Apr 1952 RELOCATION A delegation, including former Sen. Elbert Thomas, high commissioner of the T.T., discusses the plight of the Bikinians with AEC Chairman Gordon Dean. The delegation seeks a better place for the Bikinians to live because Kili lacks fishing opportunities and cannot receive supplies during at least four months of the year. (33)
12 Sep 1952 RADIATION RELOCATION
The AEC concludes tentatively
that the natives now living on Kili cannot be moved to Bikini
because although Bikini "is in all probability quite inhabitable
from the radiological point of view," the atoll satisfies
operational requirements for a possible supplementary site. (34)
Oct 1952 RELOCATION
The Navy transports 169 Ujelang
people 100 miles farther away from Enewetak for a temporary relocation
as a precaution before Operation Ivy nuclear tests. (35)
01-16 Nov 1952 RADIATION WEAPONS TESTING The United States conducts two nuclear tests at Enewetak in Operation Ivy. (36) Joint Task Force 132 observes no significant radioactive fallout from the detonation of the Ivy Mike shot, the first full-scale thermonuclear device fired by the U.S. (37)
20 Dec 1952 WEAPONS TESTING W. K Phillips, chief of staff at headquarters of the CINCPACFLT, states that "the significance" of a danger area for radioactive fallout for safety purposes from nuclear testing "is not of great importance" but that the danger area is convenient for security matters. He adds that for Operation Ivy the joint task force maintained surveillance of all shipping within a 500-mile radius of the Enewetak shot site and conducted specific searches downwind up to 800 miles away. (38)
05 Jan 1953 WEAPONS TESTING
CINCPACFLT recommends to
the AEC a danger area of 16035'-16628' east longitude and 1015'-1245'
north latitude for conducting nuclear tests in the Pacific. (39)
06 Jan 1953 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY The AEC confirms its retention of Bikini Atoll and Enewetak Atoll for an indefinite time for use in testing nuclear weapons. Simultaneously the Commission recognizes that the atolls' former native inhabitants may have land rights. Because the Departments of Navy and Interior are discussing which agency will adjudicate such rights, the AEC "will look to whichever agency it is agreed will ... adjust claims" against the AEC. Meanwhile, the AEC acknowledges "that the Interior Department will administer the trust territory government in these atolls and exercise surveillance over the former native populations." (40)
05 Feb 1953 WEAPONS TESTING T.T. High Commissioner Elbert D. Thomas protests the proposed eastern extension of the nuclear test danger area because the enlargement would include about two-thirds of Ailinginae Atoll. Thomas contends that removal of that atoll from use would harm the Rongelapese who obtain fish and other food from Ailinginae. He urges limitation of the proposed danger area boundaries to exclude Ailinginae and all other Marshall atolls and islands except Bikini and Enewetak. Thomas recommends an eastern danger area boundary of 16617'. (41)
02 Apr 1953 WEAPONS TESTING The AEC enlarges the PPG to include Bikini as well as Enewetak. (42)
28 Apr 1953 WEAPONS TESTING
Brig. Gen. K. E. Fields,
AEC director of military application, establishes a new danger
area around the Pacific Proving Grounds of 16035'-16616' east
longitude by 1015'-1245' north latitude. (43) 07 May 1953 ADMINISTRATION LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY Gen. K. E. Fields, director of military application, informs the AEC general counsel that the DMA "has always held that there is no need for purchasing or leasing" the land used at Enewetak and Bikini Atolls for weapon testing. He explains that with current AEC use of these atolls through agreement with the Navy and DOI, "We maintain possession to a sufficient degree" to conduct the AEC testing without hindrance. (44)
26 Jun 1953 WEAPONS TESTING Adm. A. W. Radford, commander-in-chief of the Pacific fleet, states that, based on Ivy experience, the aerial survey could be greatly reduced during Castle and that atolls in the Marshall islands that lie within a potentially hazardous radius from the test site would require individual surveillance by the aerial technique. (45)
21 Oct 1953 RADIATION RELOCATION Gordon Dunning of the AEC discusses safety precautions for the Castle series with the observation that the "main objection to evacuation is the high cost and the logistic problems presented in supporting such an operation." Edward Heller of the JCAE reports that this matter will be discussed with Dr. John C. Bugher, director of the AEC division of biology and medicine (DBM) when he returns from his vacation in mid-November. (46)
31 Oct 1953 RELOCATION WEAPONS TESTING In its preliminary radiological safety plan for the Castle series the joint task force does not expect to evacuate native populations before the Castle Series. The rationale for not conducting such evacuations is based on February 1953 discussions between cognizant headquarters sections, radiological documentation from Ivy, "apparent unrealism in the assumption of health hazards of a magnitude conjectured for Ivy" a policy of financial austerity for FY 1954, and the unavailability of task force equipment for evacuations. The plan states, "However, consideration of populated islands will be one of the major factors influencing the decision to shoot." Commenting on the proposals, H. G. Hopwood, chief of staff for the CINCPACFLT, advises the CINCPACFLT that the upwind populated areas "present least concern since they are situated in a potentially safe region" but that the "cloud tracking within the danger area will not provide information useful to CINCPACFLT in the discharge of his responsibilities for the safety of other units and populated islands of the Pacific. . . . In the remote circumstance that extreme post shot conditions develop a necessity for the temporary evacuation of any populated island in the Marshalls, units of JTF-7 would be required to accomplish this emergency measure upon the request of CINCPACFLT." (47)
11 Dec 1953 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION RELOCATION WEAPONS TESTING The AEC appoints Maj. Gen. P.W. Clarkson as the senior AEC representative for Operation Castle at the PPG. Among his responsibilities are decisions to act in emergency situations to protect the health and safety of task force personnel and property and "the national interests." Clarkson also is the military commander for JTF-7. (48) Revising the Castle radiological safety plan, Clarkson Emphasizes, "Temporary evacuation of native populated islands is not recommended as a pre-shot measure. "He will use weather as a major safety measure to detonate shots "when wind conditions present minimum hazards to inhabited islands and air and surface routes of the Pacific." He augments the cloud tracking for Castle and places the downwind area from the shot site as first priority, the upwind area in the task force camp site as second priority, the upwind region of populated atolls in the southeast quadrant as third priority, and air and surface routes through Wake and the Marshall Islands as least priority. Clarkson acknowledges "a remote possibility of adverse conditions out to populated atolls." Because of "operational difficulties" Clarkson has insufficient documentation of fallout from Pacific high-yield shots, especially on the area above the Pacific tropopause, which is 15,000 feet higher than the Nevada Test Site tropopause. He also cites limitations on weather and radsafe forecasting techniques that make it impossible to assure "that no radsafe conditions conducive to possible adverse criticism will ensue." Relying on an earlier prediction by Dr. T. L Shipman, LASL health division leader, Clarkson cites Ujelang as a remote possibility for fallout hazards. The commander considers similar hazards at other populated islands "very remote." If temporary evacuation of the natives is required after a shot, Clarkson will use task force security ships for that purpose, and personnel with T.T. administrative and interpretation experience will be required to supervise that effort. (49)
1 Mar 1954 RADIATION WEAPONS TESTING The United States detonates an experimental thermonuclear device in Castle Bravo at Bikini. Because of a surprisingly higher yield than expected radioactive fallout extends beyond the announced danger area and reaches Rongerik Atoll, site of a U.S. weather station, and inhabited areas, including Rongelap and Utirik Atolls in the Marshall Islands. Also, according to the AEC, these atolls "were contaminated by radioactive fallout because of an unexpected shift in wind conditions." (50)
1 Mar 1954- 15 May 1954 RADIATION WEAPONS TESTING Operation Castle tests are conducted at Bikini. (51) Estimates differ on the amount of radiation exposure received by the Marshall Islanders. A military report made shortly after the detonation suggests Rongelapese exposures of "150 r. whole body gamma." (52) Another military memorandum reports that 64 Rongelapese may have received up to 130 roentgens over 51 hours; 17 additional Rongelapese on Ailinginae, 80 roentgens in 58 hours; 154 Utirik residents, 17 roentgens in 78 hours; and 401 Ailuk inhabitants, not evacuated, less than 20 roentgens total doses for their lifetimes. (53) An Armed Forces Institute of Pathology study estimates point source doses at "260 r." for the Rongelapese and "20 r." for the Utirik group. (54) Later studies by the AEC/DBM estimate that some Rongelapese may have received a whole-body gamma dose of 175 roentgens; that 20 percent incurred deep lesions; 70 percent superficial lesions; and 10 percent, no lesions; and that 55 percent lost some hair, which regrew later. (55) According to later estimates, the thyroid glands of young Marshallese children absorb approximately eleven microcuries of iodine (131) and from 700 to 1400 rads. (56)
02 Mar 1954 RADIATION After the task force radsafe officer measures 0.200 R/hr at 500 feet in a morning flyover at Rongerik, the radsafe officer evacuates 28 U.S. weather personnel from that atoll. An afternoon flight over the populated Marshalls extrapolates 1.350 R/hr at ground level at Rongelap; 0.400 R/hr at Ailinginae, 0.001 R/hr at Wotho, 0.240 R/hr at Utirik, and 0.076 R/hr at Ailuk. The flight over the unpopulated atolls calculates ground contamination as 0.600 R/hr at Bikar Island and Taongi Island at 0.014 R/hr. Task force officials then decide to evacuate Rongelap, Ailinginae, and Utirik Islands. They send the destroyer USS Philip 43 nautical miles southwest of Eneu Island, to evacuate Rongelap and Ailinginae the following morning and the USS Renshaw, 13 nautical miles north of Eneu Island, to evacuate Utirik on 4 March. Meanwhile radsafe monitors flown to Rongelap measure 1.400 R/hr in the living quarters of Rongelap island. (57)
03 Mar 1954 RADIATION RELOCATION The U.S. Navy DDE Philip evacuates 64 inhabitants from Rongelap and eighteen Rongelapese from Ailinginae and takes them to Kwajalein. (58) JTF-7 radsafe monitors measure 0.160 R/hr on the ground at Utirik Island. (59)
04 Mar 1954 MEDICAL RADIATION RELOCATION The DDE Renshaw evacuates 154 Utirik inhabitants to Kwajalein. The JTF-7 reports "comparatively low radiological exposure of this group." Medical examinations at Kwajalein of the Utirik people reveal no sickness but find a loss of appetite among some small children, a condition physicians attribute to diet change. (60)
05 Mar 1954 AGREEMENT CONTRACTOR MEDICAL RADIATION RELOCATION Gen. Clarkson confers on relocation and medical conditions of the Marshallese with Rear Adm. Clarke, commander, Naval Station, Kwajalein; Brig. Gen. Estes, commander, Task Group 7.4; Dr. Thomas White, health division, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL); Commander L. H. Alford, USS Renshaw, members of Clarke's staff; and local representatives of the T.T. (61) Describing the condition of the evacuated Rongelapese, the JTF-7 commander reports, "Many complained of stomach aches and headaches accompanied by vomiting on first day with similar symptoms [sic] to a lesser degree on second day." Five days later Gen. Clarkson, the task force commander, challenges this report by stating that the latter is based on Rongelapese statements and that medical personnel observed only one person vomiting. (62) The people from Rongelap and Utirik want to know when they can return home and are told "that it would be in approximately two to four weeks" with a final answer after surveys determine whether it is necessary to keep them evacuated until the end of the Castle operation. The Rongelap and Utirik people also are concerned about their animals. Because Clarkson determines that it would be less expensive to replace the animals later than care for them now, the task force commander expects no action to supply food and water to these animals. Some of the evacuees left money underneath their huts, and the conferees state, "Care will be taken to insure that any re-entry parties do not disturb the natives' belongings." (63) Captain Haight of the AEC/DMA reports that physical examinations of the evacuees show satisfactory health and no symptoms of radiation sickness as of this date. (64) Gen. Clarkson assures Adm. Clarke and the T.T. representative "that the Joint Task Force would stand any expense from Task Force funds over and above normal Naval or T.T. expenses" for such items as rations and interpreters' pay and would evacuate by air anyone stricken with radiation sickness to Tripler Hospital. (65)
06 Mar 1954 RADIATION Bugher advises Alfred J. Breslin at JTF-7 that there is no limit for the number of soil samples to collect from the Marshall islands area exposed to Castle Bravo fallout. Bugher is particularly interested in ruthenium 106 and strontium 89 and 90. (66)
08 Mar 1954 RADIATION Dr. Herbert Scoville, technical director of the AFSWP, leads a JTF-7 radiological survey team measuring the gamma dose rates in soil and water from Castle Bravo fallout at Rongelap and Utirik Islands. The milliroentgens(mr) per hour at waist height average 375 at Rongelap and 40 mr per hour at Utirik. (67)
09 Mar 1954 RADIATION Because of the 2 March detection of contamination of Bikar Atoll, approximately 300 miles east of Bikini, Scoville's survey team measures 160 mr per hour waist-high from the soil at Bikar Island on unpopulated Bikar Atoll in the aftermath of Castle Bravo. (68)
10 Mar 1954 MEDICAL PLUTONIUM RADIATION The Scoville survey team, measuring waist-high from the soil, finds an average outside dose rate of 280 mr per hour at Enewetak Island, Rongerik Atoll, and 100 mr per hour at Sifo Island, Ailinginae Atoll--all rates resulting from the Castle Bravo shot. (69) Dr. Thomas L Shipman receives local approval to collect and analyze urine samples from the natives and air weather personnel exposed to the Castle Bravo fallout. He recommends analyses of various substances, including plutonium, by LASL. (70)
11 Mar 1954 MEDICAL RADIATION The AFSWP chief, with the concurrence of the JTF-7 commander, adds to the weapons effect program of Operation Castle project 4.1, "Study of Response of Human Beings Exposed to Significant Beta and Gamma Radiation due to Fall-out from High Yield Weapons," a study of the Marshallese exposed to fallout. The command designates Commander E. P. Cronkite of the U.S. Navy as project officer. (71)
12 Mar 1954 RADIATION As part of the fallout collection for Castle Bravo, JTF-7 radiological survey parties send water and soil samples from 12 Marshall Islands atolls to the AEC New York operations office (NYOO) for analysis. (72)
15 Mar 1954 CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP PLUTONIUM RADIATION WEAPONS TESTING Joint Committee on Atomic Energy (JCAE) members Sen. John 0. Pastore (D-Rhode Island) and Rep. Chet Holifield (D-California) visit evacuees at Kwajalein Island and hold hearings on the radiation exposure from the Castle Brave operation. Pastore and Holifield report that "some of the residents of the Islands received radiation exposures considerably in excess of the tolerances set for workers in atomic energy plants" but that, to date, scientific and medical testimony "seems to indicate that no permanent injury will occur" as a result of the excess exposure. (73) A military report shortly after the detonation suggests that the Rongelap children's white blood cell counts are lower than those of adults as a result of Castle Bravo. In testing urine of the affected Marshall Islanders, an unidentified (possibly LASL) scientist states, "This plutonium number you cannot depend on." (74)
Gen. Clarkson decides that
the remainder of the Castle detonations will be restricted
to limited weather conditions under which it will be safe to fire
because Bravo showed what Ivy Mike did not: that
high-yield detonations can release radioactivity with potential
health hazards hundreds of miles away from ground zero. Clarkson
vows to "take every precaution to avoid danger during the
course of future operations to other populated areas of the Pacific."
Because of Castle Bravo he extends the danger area. (75)
10 Mar 1954 - 20 Mar 1954 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION Upon determination of excessive radioactive fallout in Castle Bravo, the commander of JTF-7 requests assistance of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the AEC and asks for a medical team and a medical study of exposures. The Armed Forces Special Weapons Project (AFSWP) of the DOD and the AEC/DBM share responsibility for the organization of the initial medical team, which is formed by "experienced" personnel from the Naval Medical Research Institute (NMRI) and the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory (NRDL) and directed by Eugene P. Cronkite, M.D., head, hematology division, NMRI, Bethesda, Maryland. (76)
16 Mar 1954 RADIATION Naval station, Kwajalein, reports signs of radiation injury to the Rongelap group with a "modest decrease in white blood cells." During the first 48 hours two reportedly vomited and others experienced nausea. "These residents received approximately 125 r. cumulative." (77)
23 Mar 1954 MEDICAL RADIATION The Rongelap Islanders are the only Marshall Islanders now showing radiation sickness symptoms, including hair loss, skin and mucous membrane lesions, and blood count averages about two-thirds of normal. (78)
26 Mar 1954 CONTRACTOR RADIATION The University of Washington Laboratory of Radiation Biology (LRB) participates in the first expedition to Rongelap Atoll to collect biological samples for measurements of radiation contamination. (79)
01 Apr 1954 ADMINISTRATION MEDICAL Graves requests the LASL director to contrive an excuse to call Shipman back to Los Alamos as soon as possible. LASL Director Norris E. Bradbury replies that Shipman is returning in a few days. (80)
13 Apr 1954 MEDICAL PLUTONIUM RADIATION Dr. Thomas L. Shipman of LASL reports that the analysis of urine of Rongelapese and air weather service personnel exposed to Castle Bravo fallout shows an initial total body dose of iodine 131 of about 50 microcuries accompanied by shorter-lived iodine isotopes equivalent to about 5 millicuries of iodine 131 at the time of uptake. The estimated total integrated dose to the thyroid is about 130 "rep" of which 50 "rep" is from iodine 131. Shipman gives estimated body burdens of other nuclides; he finds plutonium as less than one-half of the maximum accepted permissible amount. (81)
20 Apr 1954 CLAIMS Prominent Marshall Islanders petition the UN to end the Pacific test operations if possible, but, if tests are necessary, to take all possible precautions to protect the health and welfare of the residents. (82)
22 Apr 1954 ADMINISTRATION MEDICAL RADIATION According to JTF-7 Commander Gen. Clarkson, although the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) directive for Castle "is silent on responsibilities" for the radioactive exposure of the Marshallese, the "CMM consider restoration to preevacuation standards is inescapable moral responsibility [of] both AEC and DOD. . ." (Possibly "CMM" refers to the commander.) Clarkson believes that CINCPACFLT should be assigned responsibility with AEC assistance for continued medical observation of the islanders and accompanying radiological studies. (83)
27 Apr 1954 ADMINISTRATION RELOCATION Persons not affected or slightly affected by Castle Bravo have been moved to a tent camp on Ebeye Island, Kwajalein Atoll, and the high commissioner of the T.T. expects the DOD and the AEC to restore clothing and livestock and assure continued medical checks as needed to the Marshallese evacuees. (84)
May 1954 RADIATION RELOCATION
The Utirik residents are allowed
to return to their island, which Brookhaven National Laboratory
(BNL) physicians find "only slightly contaminated and considered
safe for habitation." (85) 2 May 1954 RADIATION RELOCATION Bugher, the AEC/DBM director, reports that "it appears to be undesirable" for Rongelap residents to return to their home for a year but that the health of the islanders seems to be satisfactory. (86)
21 May 1954 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL PLUTONIUM RADIATION
Commenting on the LASL analysis
of data on plutonium excretion from urinalysis of the Rongelapese,
Gordon Dunning AEC/DBM health physicist, questions the reliability
of the LASL data. According to the LASL data, three of the readings
reported are above the maximum permissible body burden. (87)
24 May 1954 RADIATION RELOCATION Gordon Dunning of AEC reports that the highest strontium 90 value on Naen Island is 0.5 microcuries per square foot and on Rongelap 1.6 x 10-2 microcuries per square foot. He adds that "only a small fraction" of the Rongelapese food supply comes from island plants; that the calcium content is significantly greater than 1,000 pounds per acre and thus will correspondingly reduce the strontium 90 uptake; and that weathering may eliminate a small amount of the strontium activity. Therefore, Dunning thinks that the amount of strontium 90 in the soils should not prevent a return the Rongelapese to their islands. (88)
28 May 1954 CLAIMS LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY AEC Chairman Lewis Strauss requests the Secretary of Defense to consider settling claims of the Marshall Islanders resulting from the weapon test activities because the Federal Tort Claims Act precludes the AEC from covering Marshall Islanders' claims. (89)
03 Jun 1954 CONTRACTOR RADIATION Through a contract with the AEC the University of Hawaii agrees to manage the newly created Enewetak Marine Biological Laboratory on Medren Island, Enewetak Atoll. The AEC/DBM provides policy direction and sponsorship. The laboratory will serve as a base of information about the systematics, ecology, and life history of the atoll's flora and fauna. (90)
21 Jun 1954 ADMINISTRATION MEDICAL RELOCATION
Maj. Gen. E. McGinley,
U.S. Army chief of staff, lists the following as responsible
for the care and disposition of the Rongelap and Utirik Atolls
inhabitants: Thomas A. Hardison as the CJTF-7 representative
at Enewetak for the temporary care and disposition of the Marshallese
affected by Castle Bravo; CINCPACFLT for overall responsibility
for restoration of atolls with AEC assistance and for the return
of inhabitants; the T.T. high commissioner for routine welfare
and care; and the AEC/DBM for monitoring the physical conditions
of the Rongelap and Utirik residents. The JTF-7 is paying for
such matters as certain medical expenses for the evacuees, replacement
of livestock lost because of contamination, and the construction
of a temporary village for the Rongelapese at Majuro Atoll. (91)
09 Jul 1954 CLAIMS LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY The DOD general counsel agrees to accept Marshall Islanders' personal injury, damage, and private property loss claims received by the AEC because the Foreign Claims Act authorizes the United States armed forces to pay such claims under $5000. (92)
12-13 Jul 1954 ADMINISTRATION MEDICAL RADIATION Participants in a conference on surveys and studies of the Marshall Islands agree to the need for a series of long-term medical and environmental surveys for an indefinite time of the Marshall Islands and their inhabitants affected by the nuclear weapon testing. Dr. John Bugher assumes that the DBM will bear financial responsibility for such work but expects the trust territory to handle normal medical care. "Our job is to see that it is done and that the facilities are provided," Bugher says. (93)
16 Jul 1954 CONTRACTOR RADIATION Both Navy and University of Washington scientists participate in a second survey of Rongelap Atoll to conduct radiation readings and collect biological samples for radiological measurements. (94)
23 Jul 1954 AGREEMENT The AEC decides to request the Department of the Navy to represent the AEC in negotiating with the trust territory government for the use of Bikini and Enewetak. (95)
Sep 1954 MEDICAL RADIATION
Follow-up medical examinations
by the NMRI and the NRDL of the Rongelapese show, in general,
healthy and normally active individuals with minimal amounts of
residual radioactivity in about one-third of those exposed. (96)
14 Sep 1954 CLAIMS RADIATION RELOCATION K. D. Nichols, the AEC general manager, informs the JCAE that the DOI and the Navy Department are currently taking steps to settle claims with inhabitants of Bikini and Enewetak atolls for the use of their lands. (97) According to the AEC, the amount of radioactivity in Bikini and Enewetak lagoons makes fish there unsuitable for human consumption. (98) The AEC also reports that radiological damage to Bikini and Enewetak includes high radioactive contamination levels that will require passage of several years before humans can inhabit these lands. Of the Castle Bravo fallout recipients, Ailinginae, Rongerik, Utirik, and Rongelap, only the latter is seriously affected, and AEC authorities expect Rongelap land areas to fall below the permissible occupational exposure rate in about 12 months. (99)
25 Oct 1954 CONTRACTOR RADIATION Dr. C. L Dunham, deputy director of the AEC division of biology and medicine, agrees with representatives of the NRDL, the Bureau Of Ships, and Dr. Lauren Donaldson of the University of Washington Applied Fisheries Laboratory (AFL) on proceeding with radiological surveys of Rongelap, Rongerik, Ailinginae, Bikar, and Utirik. The specimens and samples collected for the AEC will be forwarded to the AFL. (100)
02 Dec 1954 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY MEDICAL RADIATION The DOD agrees to compensate the Rongelap and Utirik people for damages from the 1 March fallout, but under the Foreign Claims Act such claims must be presented within one year after the occurrence. As of this date, no claims have been submitted. The houses built by H&N, an AEC contractor, on Ejit Island in Majuro Atoll, are constructed so that the Rongelapese can remove them to their original homesites. The AEC accepts responsibility for continued medical examinations of the Rongelap people as a routine precautionary measure. The AEC also assumes responsibility for periodic radiological resurveys of Rongelap to determine when the inhabitants may return safely. The AEC will pay for constructing an island communication system between Kili and Jaluit and for family housing units on Jaluit so that Bikinians on Kili may fish at the Jaluit lagoon. (101)
08 Dec 1954 , 18 Dec 1954 CONTRACTOR RADIATION AFL, NRDL, and AEC/DBM scientists collect samples and record radiation levels at Rongelap Atoll. (102)
25-30 Jan 1955 CONTRACTOR RADIATION RELOCATION The NRDL and AFL make the most extensive survey and biological collecting trip to date for the AEC at Rongelap Atoll. The work reveals unsafe amounts of radioactivity in shellfish and crabs, important in the peoples' diets. (103)
Feb 1955 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION The AEC/DBM establishes criteria and procedures deemed necessary to protect the health and welfare of the general populace from consequences of weapon tests at the Nevada test site. The criteria are: up to 30 roentgens, no evacuation indicated; 30-50 roentgens, evacuation only if 15 or more roentgens are saved; and 50 roentgens and higher, evacuation without regard to the amount of the dose. The procedures are: make rough estimates of radiation doses before and after detonations and then take dose-rate readings with survey meters, which are held three feet above ground. (104) The NRDL collects soil and biological samples in the Marshall Islands for a radiological study. (105)
Mar 1955 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL RADIATION Most of the Rongelap natives appear "in excellent general health", according to a medical recheck by Dr. Eugene P. Cronkite of BNL, Lt. Cmdr. Samuel D. McPherson of Bethesda Naval Medical Hospital, and Dr. Charles L. Dunham, deputy director of the AEC/DBM. (106) A resurvey of flora and fauna of the Marshall Islands by NRDL and AFL reveals "significant amounts of radioactive contamination" in the animals, food plants, water, and soil samples one year after their contamination by fallout from Castle Brave. The U.S. NRDL finds the highest concentrations of internally deposited activity in marine specimens taken from the northern Rongelap lagoon. Zirconium-, 95 Niobium 95 and ruthenium 106-rhodium 106 contribute most of this activity. The NRDL team reports cesium 137 as the major radionuclide in land animals and island soil and lagoon water contaminated principally by ruthenium 106-rhodium 106 and zirconium 95-niobium 95. (107)
06 May 1955 AGREEMENT The AEC finds acceptable a land agreement between the Departments of Navy and the Interior on the T.T. with the understanding that the Navy will pay for Enewetak and Bikini Atolls and that the AEC will be given an opportunity to approve in advance the form and content of the agreements covering those two atolls. (108)
13 May 1955 CLAIMS LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY After agreement by the Navy and the Pacific islands T.T. officers the Navy Foreign Claims Commission completes settlement of the claims of Marshall Islanders resulting from the March 1954 nuclear tests by paying totals of $1,719.27 to Utirik inhabitants and $5,162.53 to Rongelap residents in April and May. (109)
08 Jun 1955 RADIATION RELOCATION According to AEC Chairman Lewis L. Strauss, Rongelap currently is unsuitable for habitation because of radioactivity in the atoll's northern islands "somewhat above" exposures recommended by the National Committee on Radiation Protection (NCRP) (later named the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements) and the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and radioactive contamination of mollusks and crustaceans, part of the natives' diets, in the southern half of the atoll. According to D. H. Nucker, deputy high commissioner of the T.T., shellfish, especially crabs and clams, are traditionally part of the Rongelapese diet. Nucker considers the island's shellfish too contaminated to eat. Although the Rongelapese have been alerted to the dangers of radioactivity in the residual contamination in mollusks and crustaceans, Nucker explains We anticipate something less than 100 percent cooperation in the avoidance of these areas and foods were the people to return home ...There simply is no practical way to police the people if they were to return home. Consequently, Nucker recommends keeping the Rongelapese on Ejit Island for at least another six months. (110)
05 Oct 1955 RADIATION RELOCATION K.E. Fields, general manager of the AEC, advises that repatriation of the Rongelap people should be deferred until data from another planned Rongelap Atoll radiological survey can be evaluated. (111)
21-23 Oct 1955 CONTRACTOR RADIATION The AFL collects soil and biological samples in the Marshall Islands area for radiological studies. (112)
07 Nov 1955 CONTRACTOR RADIATION As part of a radiological study, the AFL takes biological and soil samples from the Marshall Islands. (113)
1956 RADIATION The NRDL and Walter Reed Army Medical Center study radionuclides in urine samples of the Rongelapese. (114) A radiobiological analysis indicates contamination during this year of reef fishes of Rongelap and Ailinginae Atolls, probably from Operation Redwing, conducted during spring and summer 1956. (115)
07-14 Feb 1956 RADIATION The NRDL collects soil and biological samples on the Marshall Islands for radiobiological study. (116)
09 Mar 1956 CLAIMS The Marshallese Congress Hold-over Committee petitions the UN Visiting Mission for
06 Apr 1956 ADMINISTRATION Herzel Plaine of the office of the AEC general counsel describes the Marshall Islands as a Class C category mandate and indicates that the U.S. intends to treat the T.T. as an integral part of the U.S. in order to apply the laws of eminent domain to conducting the nuclear tests in the T.T. (118)
24 Apr 1956 MEDICAL RADIATION Current medical examinations indicate that the Rongelapese show no conditions related to radiation effects but that they are restless because of inactivity and social tension among themselves and with other groups. (119)
05 May - 22 Jul 1956 WEAPONS TESTING The U.S. conducts nuclear weapon tests at Enewetak and Bikini in Operation Redwing. (120)
11-21 Jun 1956 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
On contract with the AEC to
assess radioactive materials distribution from 1956 nuclear testing
the AFL collects and measures radiation in plankton, water, and
fish samples near Bikini and Enewetak Atolls. This survey finds
radioactivity at each station with the highest readings in plankton
and water samples from stations north of Bikini Atoll. (121)
20-22 Jul 1956 RADIATION WEAPONS TESTING Fallout occurs at Parry Island and Enewetak and on ship routes between Bikini and Enewetak from the Operation Redwing Tewa shot. At 26 hours after the shot Dr. Gaelen Felt reports maximum readings of approximately 120 mr at Parry and Enewetak. (122)
23-24 Jul 1956 CONTRACTOR RADIATION The AFL collects soil and biological specimens in the Marshall Islands for a radiobiological study. (123) A Rongelap Island survey shows a range from 0.2 to 0.5 mr per hour with an average of 0.4 mr per hour. (124)
1-20 Sep 1956 CONTRACTOR RADIATION An AEC-sponsored survey conducted by AFL in the north equatorial current from the Marshall Islands to the Marianas shows a sharp decrease in the distribution of radioactivity east of Bikini and a gradual, irregular decrease west of Enewetak. (125)
14 Nov 1956 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY RELOCATION G. L. Russell, deputy chief of naval operations, declines the request of the AEC director of military application, Brigadier General Alfred D. Starbird, to commit the Navy to fund the costs of repatriation and restoration for the Rongelapese displaced by the 1954 tests. (126)
19 Nov 1956 AGREEMENT
Through T.T. High Commissioner
Delmas H. Nucker the U.S. government concludes an agreement
with two chiefs representing the Enewetak Atoll. The agreement
allows the United States to use Enewetak Atoll in exchange for
granting the Enewetak people full use rights in Ujelang Atoll
until they can return to Enewetak, and it provides $175,000 to
those Enewetakese possessing rights in Enewetak Atoll. (127)
22 Nov 1956 AGREEMENT Representing the U.S. government, the high commissioner of the T.T. signs an agreement with chiefs and representatives of the Bikini people for the use Bikini Atoll by the United States. The agreement provides in exchange full use rights of the Bikini people to several islands, islets, and land parcels in the trust territory public domain and for $325,000 for those with rights in Bikini Atoll. (128)
27 Nov 1956 RADIATION The Advisory Committee on Biology and Medicine (ACBM) recommends that the Rongelapese be returned to their islands. To avoid an appreciable genetic risk to the U.S. population, the committee also recommends approval of a level of 10 roentgens in 10 years for criteria for off-site exposure to fallout for U.S. continental tests. (129)
1957 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR RADIATION Seven Marshall Islanders are brought to Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) for tests to determine precise body burdens, including total body gamma activity. Argonne scientists have not yet obtained complete test results, according to information given at a JCAE hearing. Dr. Robert A. Conard of BNL is responsible for annual medical surveys of the Marshallese. (130)
06 Feb 1957 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION RELOCATION The AEC/DBM director recommends the return of the Rongelapese to their home as soon as rehabilitation is completed and the continuation of medical inspections and radiation surveys on the island. He bases his recommendations on projected statistics. Extrapolation of data suggests that gamma doses on Rongelap "would not greatly exceed (if at all)" 0.5 roentgens for the first year and would decline in later years. The director compares these figures to those recommended by the NCRP for adult workers of 0.3 roentgens per week with "a restriction and for population as a whole of a total of 14 million rem per million of population" over the first 30 years of life. He also projects that the average concentration of strontium 90 might be less than 360 Sunshine units and, with the elimination of land crabs, 107 Sunshine units. (A Sunshine unit equals 0.001 of the permissible body burden. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) allows 100 Sunshine units for adult workers.) (131) The AEC division of military application (DMA) also accepts responsibility to fund the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Rongelap at a projected cost of $280,000. (132)
21 Feb 1957 RELOCATION The AEC approves the return of the Rongelapese to their home island as soon as rehabilitation of the island is completed. (133)
Prior to 27 May 1957 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION The commander of JTF-7 designates a representative for each off-site location outside the PPG. The representative is responsible for the radiological safety of the local population in the populated islands near the PPG and members of the task force. (134)
25 Jun 1957 RADIATION A radiological survey of the gamma levels on Rongelap Island shows the average gamma dose rate as 0.26 roentgens per year. (135)
29 Jun 1957 RELOCATION The Rongelapese are returned to their home island. (136)
07 Apr 1958 WEAPONS TESTING The AEC commissioners decide not to conduct two very high altitude firings of nuclear weapons at Enewetak Proving Ground because the AEC cannot assure absolutely that the Marshallese would receive no eye damage from the light resulting from such detonations. (137)
01 May 1958 RADIATION
As part of the Hardtack
tests operation in the Pacific, the task force radiological safety
office is prepared to warn, advise, and help inhabitants in taking
safety measures in case of significant fallout in an inhabited
area. The office's monitors also have trained Marshallese medical
practitioners and health aides in basic emergency measures. (138)
06 May 1958 - 19 Aug 1958 WEAPONS TESTING The U.S. conducts nuclear weapon tests in Operation Hardtack I at Bikini, Enewetak, and Johnston Island. (139)
31 Oct 1958 WEAPONS TESTING In a moratorium, the United States, Great Britain, and the USSR suspend nuclear weapon testing. (140)
Mar 1959 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL RADIATION A BNL team conducts the regular annual medical survey of the Rongelapese and finds no illnesses or diseases directly associated with radiation effects. Preliminary results suggest a "slight lag" in growth and development of exposed children, blood platelet levels somewhat below the unexposed population but within normal range, and increases, though within permissible levels, in body burdens of cesium 137, zinc 65 and strontium 90, attributed to living on "the slightly contaminated island of Rongelap." (141)
09-24 Mar 1960 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Results of the 1959 and 1960 medical surveys of the Marshallese by Conard of BNL reveal no "clinical signs and symptoms or abnormalities clearly attributable to" the 1954 Castle Bravo test. The tests reveal, however, "low body burdens of strontium 90, cesium 137, and zirconium 65" that are attributed to the contamination of the islanders' food supply. The report cautions that the "next five years will be the critical period for the development of leukemia in the Marshallese." (142)
1961 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Conard notes that body burdens of cesium 137, zirconium 65, and strontium 90 reach "equilibrium with environmental sources" and that "no effects from these isotopes have been detected." (143)
Mar 1961 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Conard's medical survey reveals "no apparent illnesses or disabilities related to radiation effects" and a "generally good" state of nutrition. BNL examiners recommend future surveys because of persistent trends, such as the "incomplete recovery of certain blood elements to levels found in the unexposed people," growth retardation in some irradiated children, and "pigmented changes at the sites of radiation burns." During the survey the Rongelapese complain of not getting enough to eat" and the continued T.T. ban on eating coconut crabs. They also attribute certain phenomena to radiation, such as changes to the coconut and pandanus trees, illnesses resulting from the eating of fish with "black spots" on their abdomens, and "inflammation and blistering of the mouth from eating arrowroot flour." The latter, in Conard's opinion, results from improper preparation of the flour and not radioactive contamination. (144)
23 Oct 1961 POLICY WEAPONS TESTING Officials from the DOI, the Department of State, and the DOD discuss the possible resumption of nuclear testing in the T.T. Because of adverse world opinion and the fact that the Micronesians are now well represented legally, Johnston or Christmas Islands are preferred over Bikini or Enewetak, and it is agreed that testing at Enewetak should only be considered if other feasible test sites cannot be found. (145)
03 Nov 1961 POLICY WEAPONS TESTING Noting that under the trusteeship agreement with the UN the U. S. is "directly responsible for the well-being of the people of Micronesia," Acting Secretary of the Interior James K. Carr, advises Glenn T. Seaborg, chairman of the AEC, "against any further testing in the T.T. of the Pacific Islands." (146)
15 Nov 1961 CONTRACTOR RADIATION Basing his judgment on studies of Japanese atomic bombing survivors and Rongelap natives, Clinton S. Maupin, Reynolds Electrical and Engineering Company, (REECo), radiological safety advisor, states, "An exposure limit of 3 R per quarter and 5 R per year is obviously an extremely safe limit." (147)
27 Nov 1961 POLICY
Seaborg states that the AEC
is "exploring other means and locations in the hope that
... it would not be necessary to utilize Islands in the Trusteeship
Territory" should atmospheric testing be resumed. (148)
15 Feb 1962 CONTRACTOR RADIATION Results of surveys by the University of Washington Laboratory of Radiation Biology (LRB) at Bikini and 10 other central Pacific islands between 1954 and 1958 reveal that "radioactivity decreased with distance and direction" from the Enewetak test site. Thus, islands within a 130-mile radius of the site exhibited 10 or more times the radioactivity of those surveyed outside this area, and the "major portion of the radioactivity was deposited at or close to the test sites at Enewetak and Bikini Atolls." In addition, islands east of the Bravo test site, i.e., Bikar, Likiep and Rongerik, "contained relatively high amounts of radioactivity." These surveys also showed that zirconium 95-niobium 95, ruthenium 103 and 106, and -rhodium 103 and 106 were the predominant radioisotopes in most samples; that isotopes such as tungsten 181 and 185, zirconium 65, and cesium 137 were relatively high in some samples; and that strontium 90 was found usually in very low amounts. (149)
07 May 1962 ADMINISTRATION In transferring to the Secretary of the Interior the responsibility for civil administration of all sections of the T.T., Executive Order (E.O.) 11021 defines this responsibility to include "all executive, legislative, and judicial authority necessary for that administration." The President, however, retains the authority to close areas in the territory for security reasons and to determine how Articles 87 and 88 of the UN Charter and Article 13 of the trusteeship agreement apply to those areas closed. The effective date is 1 July 1962. (150)
17 Aug 1962 RADIATION
Chairman Anthony Celebrezze
of the Federal Radiation Council (FRC) notes that the FRC's radiation
protection guides, while not officially designed for fallout situations,"
can be used to determine when "detailed" evaluations
and "protective action should be taken." In addition,
while the FRC assumes that some slight risk to health exists from
levels "even at or below the low levels set by the Guides,"
it does not believe a major health hazard exists until the fallout
measurements "are many times above" these levels. (151)
Nov 1962 RADIATION A proposed FRC statement "concerning radioactive iodine in fallout" recommends taking protective action when annual radioiodine intake exceeds 365,000 micromicrocuries, or the average thyroid dose equivalent in infants exceeds 5R. (152)
1963 WEAPONS TESTING The Kennedy administration establishes Safeguard "C" upon recommendation of the JCS and the U.S. Senate to accompany the U.S. adherence to the limited test ban treaty prohibiting atmospheric nuclear weapon testing. Safeguard "C," which is one of four test ban treaty safeguards, involves maintenance of the capability to resume atmospheric nuclear testing promptly should the test ban treaty or any of its terms be abrogated by the Soviet Union. (153)
15 Mar 1964 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL A preliminary statement by Conard and Hicking (BNL) concerning their March 1964 survey of Rongelap reveals that the people are "generally in good health with no apparent nutritional deficiencies," and that "no evidence of cancer or leukemia" has been detected. Some exposed children, however, have exhibited a "slight retardation of growth and development," and "thyroid nodules were found in three exposed girls." These nodules are being evaluated further. (154)
01 May 1964 WEAPONS TESTING Alvin P. Leudecke, the AEC general manager, tells Ataji L. Balos of the Marshall Islands that, as a result of the U.S. signing of the limited nuclear test ban treaty in August 1963, "it is clear that the United States has no present intention of conducting any tests of nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands." (155)
31 Jul 1964 RADIATION Upon the recommendations of the FRC, President Lyndon B. Johnson approves the adoption of the Protective Action Guide (PAG), or the "projected absorbed dose to individuals in the general population which warrants protective action following a contaminating event," and the use of this guide by federal agencies. The PAG for iodine 131 is set at "30 rads to the thyroid." (156)
22 Aug 1964 ADMINISTRATION CLAIMS LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY P.L. 88-485 appropriates $950,000 to "compensate inhabitants in the Rongelap Atoll ... for radiation exposures sustained ... as a result of'" Castle Bravo. Payments are to be disbursed by the Secretary of the Interior and considered in "full settlement and discharge of all claims against" the U. S." (157)
P.L. 88-487 gives the Secretary
of the Interior the power to extend any federal program administered
by any "department, corporation, or other agency of the
executive branch of the Government" to the T.T." (158)
19 Oct 1964 MEDICAL Of the three girls diagnosed with thyroid tumors in March 1964 two have had thyroidectomies and-have been diagnosed with adenocardnoma. The third is soon to have a thyroidectomy. Estimated doses to the thyroids are "100 to 175 rads external gamma plus 100 to 150 rads from absorbed radioiodine." Pending documented data, however, the AEC considers these findings "tentative." While the two girls' prognoses are uncertain, the surgeons feel "they may have removed all the neoplastic tissue." (159)
Mar 1965 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Conard's survey reveals that while the "health of both the exposed and unexposed people ... is generally good, and ... nutrition ... satisfactory," three more cases of thyroid nodules are discovered: two boys and a 41-year-old woman. These people are being brought to BNL for "further examination and treatment." To date, no malignancies that can be "related to radiation" and no cases of leukemia have surfaced. In addition, the people's "blood elements" have returned to normal; they "appear well adjusted to life on their home island and exhibit no untoward psychological reactions to their experience." (160)
May 1965 CONTRACTOR RADIATION A study of gamma dose rates at Rongelap Atoll, done by the LRB between 1954 and 1963, reveals that the decline of these rates from 1954-1959 "followed the theoretical decay of mixed fission products from U 235 calculated by Miller and Loeb." From 1959-1963, the reduction was "approximately half the predicted levels," but this is attributed to the "downward movement of the long-lived gamma-emitter Cs 137 in the soil." (161)
Jul 1965 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR MEDICAL All three thyroid cases found during the March 1965 survey are successfully operated on at the Lahey Clinic in Boston. The tumors in the two boys are found to be benign. The woman, however, "has carcinoma of the thyroid gland with some metastases to local structures." She is given a "sub-total thyroidectomy" followed by 30 millicuries of iodine 131. Of note is that the radioiodine dose in the woman is approximately 160 rads, or one-tenth that of the youths. All three people are "returned to their island in satisfactory condition." (162) The Congress of Micronesia holds its first session. (163)
Aug 1965 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL RADIATION Conard of BNL finds thyroid nodules in three more adolescents and two adults--bringing the total number of abnormalities to 11 out of the fallout-exposed population of 82. (164) A study of "atoll soil types in relation to the distribution of fallout radionuclides," made from collections done in 1958, 1959, 1961, and 1963, is completed by the LRB. It notes that "different plant soil environments on single islets have a different vertical distribution pattern ... from the same fallout." In addition, "the maximum concentration of fallout radionuclides remains at the soil surface ... except in areas where there has been erosion." Finally, while "Cs 137 and Sr 90 are the principal radionuclides entering a cycle within the soil-plant system" and "loss from this system appears to be small," no definite conclusions are drawn from this data. (165)
Sep 1965- Dec 1965 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Conard begins "routine administration of thyroid hormone" to the exposed Rongelap people. (166)
1966 ADMINISTRATION WEAPONS TESTING The T.T. legislature requests President Lyndon B. Johnson to create a commission to consider the future status of the T.T. (167) Safeguard "C" focuses on Johnston Atoll under a Memorandum of understanding between the Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA) and the AEC. (168)
Feb 1966 - Mar 1966 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Conard identifies five more people with thyroid nodules, bringing the total to 16 of the 69 survivors from the 1954 test. The BNL plans to bring these five new cases to BNL in May for study and treatment. To date only one cancer case has been found, but it is noted that thyroid cancer often grows "in nodular fashion." Forty children from Utirik who had received 14R whole body exposures are also examined, and no nodules are found. In addition, 194 unexposed Marshallese now living on these islands are examined, and three people over 47 years old are found to have nodules. (169)
May - Jun 1966 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL The five Marshallese with nodules, discovered in Conard's March 1966 survey, are brought to BNL for evaluation and given subtotal thyroidectomies at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston. All patients have goiters with nodules and one has Hurtle cells. None exhibit complications, and the group is returned home on 16 June. They will be treated with thyroid hormones. (170)
Sep 1966 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Conard visits the five Marshallese operated on in June 1966 and finds no new medical problems. In addition, "the nodules ... of the remaining patients seem ... controllable by ... thyroid hormone." (171)
07 Dec 1966 RELOCATION Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall advises AEC Chairman Seaborg that the DOI is "most anxious to determine whether the Bikini people can now be returned to their homeland" and asks the AEC to review the issue at the "earliest opportunity." Udall's primary concern is that the Bikinians' plight might convince all Micronesians to vote against permanent affiliation with the U.S. in their upcoming plebiscite. (172)
1967 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL BNL studies conclude, "with increasing probability," that growth retardation in "some of the Rongelap children" has resulted from "hypofunction of the thyroid gland." (173)
24 Jan 1967 CONTRACTOR RELOCATION Officials from the University of Washington, BNL, the DOI, FRC, and the AEC, Including the Health and Safety Laboratory (HASL) of NYOO, decide to resurvey Bikini Atoll to determine if its people can be returned there. Ed Held is selected to plan the expedition. (174)
Mar 1967 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Conard diagnoses a new case of nodules in a 17-year-old boy. Of the 19 children under age 10 exposed in 1954, 16 have "developed thyroid pathology," with two displaying hypothyroidism. To date, 11 people have been operated on and all are in "good condition with no further ... abnormalities." Those children who have not been operated on are receiving hormones. (175)
Apr 1967 - May 1967 RADIATION RELOCATION The AEC undertakes a survey of the Bikini Atoll to determine "levels and components of external gamma radiation fields." Cesium 137 is found to be the "major contributor ... to the total exposure rate" on Bikini and Eneu Islands, and because of its 30.5 year half-life its "levels on Bikini ... are likely to be the limiting factor in assessing the long term hazards" to repopulating the island." (176) An agricultural survey of Bikini Atoll finds that "while a small part of the atoll was damaged by the nuclear explosions, the atoll as a whole could support coconut groves and subsistence crops." In addition, fish and seabirds could provide an "extended supply of sustenance." It is recommended to begin an "early agricultural rehabilitation program" to prepare the islands for resettlement. Such a program is expected to last four years and cost $165,000. (177) An anthropological study of the Bikinians and their leaders reveals that most are dissatisfied with Kili and wish to return to Bikini. (178)
10 May 1967 ADMINISTRATION P.L 90-16 appropriates $25 million for 1967 and $35 million each for 1968 and 1969 "for the continuance of civil government for the T.T. ...and for other purposes." (179)
21 Aug 1967 CONGRESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY President Johnson submits a proposed joint resolution to Congress for the creation of a commission on the status of the T.T. to develop recommendations to establish self-government in Micronesia. (180)
20 Oct 1967 RELOCATION Approximately 300 Enewetak people on Ujelang board a T.T. supply ship and demand to be moved to Majuro. They are angered by the lack of food and poor conditions on Ujelang. (181)
28 Feb 1968 RADIATION RELOCATION Officials from the DOI, the National Security Council, the DOD, the DBM and the division of operational safety (DOS) of the AEC, and the T.T. conclude that resettlement of Bikini Atoll would soon result in external exposure levels approximately double that of the "average U. S. Population," but similar to that of the residents of the Colorado Plateau. Burying or plowing the soil, however, while "presumably" reducing this exposure to "near average levels," would also reduce the island's fertility. In addition, consumption of local produce would yield cesium 137 burdens 20 to 50 times that in the U.S. during the 1963-1964 fallout period, but these levels could be reduced to those "deemed acceptable ... in recent years" by limiting local food sources and providing substitutes. (182)
Mar 1968 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Conard discovers two more children with thyroid nodules and decides to bring four more people to BNL. Three of these four have not responded to hormone therapy and the fourth is a 29-year-old woman with an "unidentified tumor in the neck lateral to the gland." (183)
14 Mar 1968 AGREEMENT Representatives of the Enewetak people and the T.T. high commissioner amend the 19 November 1956 agreement concerning the "use of Enewetak Atoll" to give the high commissioner more discretion in how trust funds are invested. (184)
13 May 1968 RADIATION RELOCATION For the Bikini cleanup Martin B. Biles, director of the AEC/DOS, recommends the removal of contaminated scrap metal from Bikini to make the radioactive scrap unavailable to native collectors. (185)
Jun 1968 AGREEMENT The Enewetakese request an increase in their trust fund amount. (186)
01 Jun 1968 RELOCATION Representatives of the Enewetak people on Ujelang petition the UN to set a date for their return to Enewetak. (187)
12 Jul 1968 MEDICAL RADIATION RELOCATION The AEC concludes that radiation would not be a "significant" health and safety threat in resettling Bikini and recommends six measures to help reduce exposure. In addition, it recommends that body burdens of cesium 137 and strontium 90 be checked after one year and as appropriate thereafter and that efforts be made to ensure an "adequately nutritious diet." (188)
25 Jul 1968 RELOCATION The Secretary of the Interior advises President Lyndon B. Johnson that the "initial contingent of returnees might be settled within a year" and the remainder within two. In addition, he urges a public announcement of the decision to resettle Bikinians on Bikini. (189)
02 Aug 1968 ADMINISTRATION RELOCATION President Johnson requests that the AEC Chairman, the Secretaries of Defense and Interior, and the high commissioner of the T.T. cooperate in the planning and implementation of a "comprehensive resettlement program for Bikini." (190)
12 Aug 1968 RELOCATION President Johnson publicly announces the decision to resettle the Bikinians. (191)
21 Aug 1968 ADMINISTRATION LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY RELOCATION Acting AEC Chairman James Ramey offers the DOI the cooperation of the AEC "in the development of a resettlement plan for the Bikini people" and designates Maj. Gen. E. B. Giller to coordinate the AEC role in this effort. (192)
23 Aug 1968 - 06 Sep 1968 RADIATION RELOCATION During a visit to the Marshall Islands Tommy F. McCraw, a health physicist of the AEC/DOS tells the Bikinians that the food from the Bikini Atoll lagoon and Eneu Island is safe to eat but that villages will be built only on Bikini and Eneu Islands. (193)
29-31 Aug 1968 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR RELOCATION Representatives of the Bikini people, members of the T.T. government, the AEC, the DOD, and the DOI estimate a cleanup of five years at a cost of $2,961,000. Of this amount, it is decided to spend $100,000 in 1970 and 1971 to renovate the Bikinians' accommodations on Kili and $80,000 in 1970 and 1971 for renovations on Ujelang. The cleanup will be contracted to H&N Pacific test division, and airlifting will be carried out by Military Air Command (MAC) and the DOD. (194)
Sep 1968 RELOCATION The Marshall Islands legislature addresses a resolution to President Johnson on the poor living conditions on Ujelang and requests that a date be set for the return of the Enewetak people to their atoll. (195)
21 Oct 1968 ADMINISTRATION LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY P.L 90-617 increases the funding for civil government in the T.T. from $35 million to $40 million for 1969 and $50 million each for 1970 and 1971. In addition, the Secretary of the Interior is given the power to appropriate funds up to $10 million "to alleviate suffering and damage resulting from major disasters" there. (196)
1969 CONTRACTOR RADIATION Surveys held in conjunction with the Bikini cleanup reveal no "striking differences between the 1967 and 1969 average values [of radionuclides] for edible" marine animals. In addition, present radionuclide levels and distribution are not expected to change significantly, except for decreases due to physical decay. External radiation measurements and foliage collections are done by the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), and the Laboratory of Radiation Ecology (LRE) handles the other sampling and prepares the analyses. (197)
Jan 1969 RELOCATION President Johnson transmits a $1.7 million budget request to Congress for FY 1970 for the cleanup, housing and village center construction, and initiation of the replanting program on Bikini and Eneu Islands. (198)
17 Jan 1969 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION The DOD agrees to join the AEC in the cleanup of Bikini Atoll and will provide $300,000, equal to the AEC contribution, to start this effort. (199)
11 Feb 1969 ADMINISTRATION A ten-point agreement between the AEC and the DASA of the DOD apportions the responsibilities involved in the Bikini cleanup. While the DOD will manage the cleanup, "the AEC contractor will provide planning, engineering and technical staff support and labor for cleanup as well as ... other tasks as determined by the Project Manager." In addition, the AEC will determine that "radiological health and safety requirements are met" at the project's completion. Although the AEC and the DOD will each contribute $300,000, the AEC's "funding shall not exceed $300,000 for the entire project and ... shall not be used to pay costs which accrue subsequent to" 30 June 1969. (200)
18 Feb 1969 RELOCATION The DOD begins its cleanup of the islands of Bikini and Eneu and projects that completion will require six months. (201)
Mar 1969 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Conard's survey reveals that "retrospective estimates of the internal dose to the thyroids from absorbed radioiodines add 600 to 1400 rems to the 175 rad external dose." Plans are being made to bring three children and one adult to BNL. (202)
20 Mar 1969 ADMINISTRATION The AEC Nevada operations office (NV) designates W. A. Bonnet as its project officer and F. D. Cluff as radiological safety officer for the Bikini cleanup operation. Bonnet will administer "all functions" of the H&N Pacific test division in support of the cleanup effort. Cluff will be responsible for determining whether the DOD's pre-operation plans receive AEC radiological health and safety approval and for advising and assisting the commander of JTF-8 in directing the on-site radiological program. In addition, DOD and DOI funds will be available to the NV through the AEC/DMA. (203)
01 May 1969 ADMINISTRATION MEDICAL
The AEC names Conard to conduct
the routine medical surveys of the returning Bikinians. (204)
05 May 1969 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Because of the "overwhelming concentration" of thyroid nodules within the group of children exposed during Castle Bravo. Conard rules out familial and environmental factors as possible causes. In addition, he notes that the Rongelap children are "well within ... the latent period for cancer development." (205)
19 Aug 1969 AGREEMENT The T.T. high commissioner and Enewetak people's representatives amend the 19 November 1956 Agreement in Principle Regarding the Use of Enewetak Atoll to give the high commissioner of the T.T. the power to pay out "said amounts from the principal of the trust estate" to beneficiaries. (206)
26 Aug 1969 - 21 Sep 1969 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Five Marshallese are brought to BNL for evaluation and surgery at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital. Three of the cases are diagnosed as malignant. The case of a 34-year-old woman from Utirik is not attributed to radiation exposure, however, because of the "low dose received and the lack of thyroid abnormalities ...in Utirik children." Dr. Ezra Riklon, who accompanies the Marshallese, will return to the Marshall Islands and supervise the hormone treatments of the people. (207)
13 Oct 1969 RELOCATION The AEC certifies that the Bikini cleanup project has been "satisfactorily completed." (208)
14 Dec 1969 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY The Bikinians petition the T.T. high commissioner for their immediate return to Bikini and $100,000 in further compensation for damages to their atoll and the discomforts they suffered from relocation. (209)
Mar 1970 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Conard of BNL conducts annual medical examinations of the Marshallese and finds no new serious cases of thyroid disease. Seventeen of the 19 children exposed on Rongelap have thyroid dysfunction as do a significant number of adults. (210)
28-29 Apr 1970 PLUTONIUM RADIATION RELOCATION At a series of meetings with T.T. officials at Saipan, AEC representatives Cluff of the NV and Martin Biles of the AEC/DOS discuss the need for additional surveys of Bikini because of concern about plutonium in the soil, the status of agricultural and construction programs, and possible techniques for reducing expected exposure levels. T.T. officials decide to delay resettlement until 1973 when people would be self-supporting and agree to wishes of the Bikini people that all houses be built on Bikini instead of Eneu but promise that no houses will be constructed in the interior of Bikini Island. (211)
07 - 08 May 1970 MEDICAL The AEC/ACBM recommends the development of mechanisms for paying the Utirik population as research subjects in order to assure their continued cooperation in the investigation of the Marshallese exposed to fallout in 1954. Because of the low dose of radiation received by the Utirik people, this payment must not be viewed as compensation for radiation exposure. The ACBM notes the necessity for continued medical care of the Rongelap people. The committee considers the assignment of a paramedical person on a continuing basis to detect and manage the late effects of the radiation exposure and to ensure the validity of the continuing investigation of medical findings. (212)
May 1970 - Jun 1970 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR PLUTONIUM RADIATION A follow-up radiological survey of the major islands in the Bikini Atoll is conducted by representatives of the AEC, the University of Washington, and the USPHS. The primary mission is soil and air particulate sampling. Other tasks include collection of cistern water and other environmental samples and monitoring of scrap metal and potential locations of sand and coral aggregate used to make concrete for housing. Members of the survey team include three people from the University Washington, three from the Southwestern Radiological Health Laboratory, two from the AEC NV and one from the AEC/DOS. This is the first collection of air samples on Bikini. Levels of plutonium in the air are two orders of magnitude below FRC Guides. (213)
RADIATION
In a letter to Peter T. Coleman
of the T.T., AEC/DOS recommends that clean coral aggregate from
a supply stored on Aerokoijul and Aerokoj Islands in southern
Bikini Atoll complex be used for house construction on Bikini
Atoll. (214) 1970 AGREEMENT RADIATION The AEC promises $16,000 in "inconvenience money" to the people of Utirik. (215) Urine bioassay sampling is conducted from people coming and going from Bikini Island. Pooled urine is analyzed for strontium 90, cesium 137 and plutonium 239. (216)
1971 CLAIMS PLUTONIUM RADIATION Urine bioassay sampling is conducted from people coming and going from Bikini Island. Pooled urine is analyzed for strontium 90, cesium 137 and plutonium 239 and plutonium 240. (217)
Micronesian Legal Services
Corporation (MLSC) is established in the T.T. and funded by the
Office of Economic Opportunity. (218) 17 Jun 1971 RADIATION RELOCATION
In response to an inquiry
by T.T. High Commissioner Edward E. Johnston regarding the radiation
safety of the Peter-Oboe (Aerokoijul-Aerokoj) complex, Martin
Biles, AEC/DOS, responds that it is safe to plant coconut trees
on Aerokoj, Aerokoijul and Bikdrin but not on Eneman. AEC/DOS
recommends using the causeway joining Lele to Bikdrin as the dividing
line between the area that may be planted and that which should
be restricted. There are no restrictions on digging foundations
on Bikini Island, but AEC/DOS recommends that water from wells
on Bikini Island should be analyzed to insure its potability.
AEC/DOS urges that residents not rely on groundwater as a source
of drinking water. (219) Jul 1971 RADIATION
The NV and Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) representatives participate with personnel of the
Air Force Pacific Cratering Experiment (PACE) program in a preliminary
site selection visit to Enewetak. They identify Runit Island as
a significant and potentially serious rad-hazard area after finding
there the highest measurements of gamma, plutonium, and scrap
metal of all locations surveyed." (220) 22 Jul 1971 ADMINISTRATION
Maj. Gen. E. B. Giller, assistant
general manager for military Application of the AEC, directs Robert
E. Miller, NV manager, not to use weapon program funds for Bikini
and Enewetak radiological surveys and cleanup activities. (221)
FY 1972 - FY 1982 ADMINISTRATION
The Pacific Area Support Office
(PASO) reports that during this decade its activities in the Marshall
islands included ship support; providing DOE representation on
sensitive missions; administration of the University of Hawaii
contract; and general and logistical support for the biomedical
and environmental programs. (222) 25 Jan 1972 MEDICAL
In response to ejection from
the T.T. of a Japanese Medical team which he had invited to the
Marshall Islands, Micronesian Representative Ataji Balos speaks
out in the Congress of Micronesia charging that the U.S. knowingly
exposed the natives of Rongelap and Utirik to the 1954 fallout
so the U.S. could Develop medical capabilities to treat people
who might be exposed to radiation during a war. He alleges that
the Marshallese were chosen because they are remote brown-skinned
natives and that they have been receiving questionable medical
treatment, aimed more at collecting medical data than at restoring
the health of the people. He introduces a bill calling for the
establishment of a special congressional committee to look into
the plight of these people. (223) Mar 1972 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL
Accusing the BNL medical team
of deception and of using them as guinea pigs, the Rongelapese
boycott the BNL medical services, according to an investigation
by Dr. Henry Kohn. Thus, the medical survey team led by Conard
is unable to carry wut its annual examination of the Marshallese.
(224) 16 Mar 1972 RADIATION RELOCATION Tommy McCraw, Martin Biles, Roger Ray, and representatives from the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) meet with Ambassador Franklin Williams, the President's representative for Micronesian status negotiations, and his staff to discuss the rehabilitation of Enewetak Atoll. Williams states that he would like to announce at the 2 April session of the Micronesian status negotiations that Enewetak Atoll is being returned to its former residents. The ambassador is worried about confrontation with the Enewetak people. AEC representatives discuss the differences between the situation at Enewetak and that at Bikini and the need for a radiological survey of Enewetak. (225) 26 Mar 1972 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
Micronesian P.L 4C-33 creates
from the Micronesian legislature a Special Joint Committee Concerning
Rongelap and Utirik. The committee is responsible for investigating
the effects of radiation on the people of Rongelap and Utirik
Atolls, and is charged with securing medical assistance and compensation
for those injured from radiation exposure. Olympio T. Borja, Marianas
senator, is chairman. Other committee members are Representatives
Hans Williander of Truk and Timothy Olkeriil of Palau. (226)
18 Apr 1972 AGREEMENT
High Commissioner Edward E.
Johnston and U.S. Ambassador Franklin Haydn Williams, of the DOI,
announce that the U.S. government is prepared to release Enewetak
Atoll to the T.T. at the end of 1973. The announcement acknowledges
the necessity of survey, cleanup, and rehabilitation procedures
such as those done on Bikini. Parry, Japtan, and Aniyaanii are
to receive first priority in cleanup and rehabilitation. The DOD,
with technical support of the AEC, is to conduct the cleanup.
The U.S. plans research and development tests on the Atoll that
should be completed by the end of 1973. (227) May 1972 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
A survey is conducted on Bikini
Atoll following planting of coconuts on Bikini and Eneu Islands
and the start of house construction on Bikini. The survey covers
air, plant, soil, and animal sampling and external radiation measurements.
Radionuclide levels are found to be decreasing slowly. The team
is led by the University of Washington, with participation by
scientists from the EPA, the Western Environmental Research Laboratory
(WERL), and the AEC. (228) 10-24 May 72 RADIATION
A survey team of AEC, DOD,
and EPA personnel visits Enewetak Atoll to determine the nature
and extent of the necessary cleanup and a cost estimate. The team
finds a significant radiological hazard existing on six islands:
Bogallus, Engebi, Aomon, Biijiri, Runit, and Parry. Results of
the survey lead to a cost estimate of as much as $40 million and
a conclusion that Runit Island and perhaps Enjebi may be so contaminated
that it may not be "economically feasible to make them safe
for human use." (229) 11-17 May 1972 PLUTONIUM RADIATION
An AEC team conducts a preliminary
radiological survey and locates surface plutonium contamination
on Runit Island. This includes plutonium-bearing sand layer outcropping
on the ocean side of the mid-island area, plutonium fragments
and grains on the island surface, and contaminated scrap metal
throughout the island. (230) 17 May 1972 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
T.T. officials, escorting
a group of Enewetakese council members and their lawyers, and
Roger Ray, NV assistant manager for operations, arrive on Enewetak.
The AEC survey team advises Ray on the possibility of high alpha
contamination on Runit Island, and Ray briefs DNA PACE personnel
and workers just arriving from Scripps Institute of Oceanography
(SIO) on preliminary survey findings. The Scripps people leave,
and the PACE people remain to continue preparations for high explosive
cratering experiments. (231) 20 May 1972 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION RELOCATION At the close-out meeting for the Marshallese visit to Enewetak the T.T. officials and Enewetakese leaders want an early return of Enewetakese to Enewetak. The Enewetakese wish to draw up specifications for rehabilitation and express dissatisfaction with the continued use of their land. Ray agrees to convey to appropriate authorities the need for central coordination of all future actions relating to Enewetak and the necessity of keeping the Marshallese and T.T. administration advised of U.S. actions and intentions. NV manager Robert E. Miller requests "the establishment at the Washington level of a single manager for all future United States actions pertaining to Eniwetok." (232)
Ray returns to Kwajalein and
recommends to Air Force authorities a quarantine of Runit Island
to prevent dispersion of contamination because the road between
the dock and the PACE work area passes through a highly contaminated
area." (233) 24 May 1972 RADIATION
Runit Island is quarantined
and the Air Force orders a cessation of all operations there.
Only minimum essential personnel are authorized access to the
island until NV issues recommendations. (234) 26 Jul 1972 - 02 Aug 1972 RADIATION
A joint AEC-DOD team visits
Enewetak Atoll to survey those portions of Runit Island to be
used in a PACE cratering experiment to determine necessary precautions
for conducting the planned PACE experiment or for relocating the
experiment. The eight-member surveillance team consists of two
people from Air Force Weapons Laboratory, three from the DNA,
two from the AEC, and one from the WERL. (235) 01 Aug 1972 ADMINISTRATION
The AEC assigns the assistant
general manager for military application (AGMMA) "the overall
authority and responsibility within the AEC for coordinating interagency
and intra-agency matters related to the rehabilitation of the
Eniwetok Atoll." Later in August the AGMMA assigns the NV
responsibility for all AEC field operations associated with the
rehabilitation. (236) 17 Aug 1972 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION
AEC and DNA representatives
meet to review available information and develop recommendations
to assist in the planning for the cleanup of Enewetak. They conclude
that actions required to return Enewetak to the T.T. fall into
three phases: planning, cleanup, and rehabilitation. They decide
that cleanup can be accomplished without interfering with the
PACE test series and that the single manager concept will provide
the most effective organization for the cleanup. (237) 22-23 Aug 1972 RELOCATION
DOI officials meet with Ujelang
leaders and representatives from MLSC at T.T. headquarters about
the return of the people of Enewetak. They discuss the goal of
returning people to Japtan "as soon as practicable"
and the minimum requirements for moving people there. (238) Sep 1972 AGREEMENT MEDICAL
The medical survey team is
reactivated to resume examinations of the Marshallese. This reactivation
follows an agreement with the Special Investigating Committee
of the Micronesian Congress to send a team of independent, international
physician-observers to join the medical survey team and report
to the committee on the value of the medical survey and the health
status of the exposed Marshallese. The Rongelapese accept the
BNL medical services after an international committee issues "a
relatively favorable report," according to Kohn. (239) 07 Sep 1972 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION
As a result of an interagency
meeting on Enewetak, the AEC will fund the precleanup radiological
survey; the DOD, the radiological and nonradiological cleanup;
and the DOI the rehabilitation costs. The manager, NV, is assigned
operational responsibility for the survey. The DNA will provide
logistical support. (240) 02 Oct 1972 RADIATION RELOCATION
After the AEC announces that
only a limited number of Bikini coconut crabs can be eaten because
they are radioactive, the Kili council votes against returning
the entire community to Bikini but allows those who wish to return.
Three Bikini families move back to Bikini with approximately 50
Marshallese construction and maintenance workers. (241) 04 Oct 1972 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR
According to the planning
and operations directive for the 1972 Enewetak radiological survey,
the AEC/DMA is to coordinate AEC policy relating to the survey
and provide overall Washington direction; NV is the primary organization
to implement the survey; the division of biology and environmental
research (DBER) is to assess "the radiological implications
of sources of direct radiation and food chain-to-man paths."
The AEC DOS is responsible for similar work relating to cleanup
operations. The Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL), LASL, HASL,
and the University of Washington are to be involved in the evaluation
of data. (242) 05 Oct 1972 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
As a result of litigation,
People of Enewetak vs. Laird (Project PACE), the judge places
an injunction on PACE activities. The AEC is not a defendant,
and radiological studies are not affected. The Air Force general
counsel recommends advising the AEC of the injunction and urging
the AEC to use methods in cleanup studies not prohibited in the
injunction. (243) 12 Oct 1972 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
The AEC Enewetak radiological
survey begins. The LLL radiochemistry division leader is technical
director to the manager, NV. NV provides radiological support
to H&N for the DNA engineering survey of Enewetak. Within
the first week activities are suspended because of Typhoon Olga.
(244) 08 Nov 1972 RADIATION
Survey activities resume at
Enewetak Atoll. (245) 14 Nov 1972 MEDICAL
Two Marshallese females, 19
and 29 years old, undergo successful surgery to remove thyroid
nodules at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital. (246) 15 Nov 1972 MEDICAL
A 19-year-old male, Lekoj
Anjain, exposed to fallout from the 1954 Bikini weapons test,
dies from cancer at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH
confirms the diagnosis of leukemia discovered during the 1972
medical examination. (247) 16-17 Nov 1972 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
Representatives from DOI,
DNA, AEC, and H&N meet with T.T. officials on Kwajalein to
allow representatives of the Enewetak people to ask questions
about the surveys being conducted on Enewetak. The U.S. government
representatives assure Congressman Balos and Chips Barry, an attorney,
that the AEC radiological surveys have nothing to do with the
PACE program. (248) 30 Nov 1972 ADMINISTRATION
The joint Chiefs of Staff
designate the director, DNA, as the DOD project manager for cleanup
of Enewetak. (249)
39 Late 1972 MEDICAL RADIATION According to urine bioassays from people coming to and going from Bikini Island, cesium 137 concentration shows an increase by a factor of four over 1970 results and strontium 90 levels increase by a factor of two. The T.T. begins a program of sending monthly shipments of food to Bikini. (250) A Rongelap male dies of carcinoma of the stomach. This may be related to radiation exposure, according to BNL.
A physician from BNL is stationed
in the Marshall Islands as a resident physician. His responsibilities
include monitoring the thyroid treatment program; visiting Rongelap,
Utirik, and Bikini Atolls every three to four months; and assisting
the T.T. medical services with the care of Rongelap and Utirik
patients at the hospitals at Ebeye and Majuro. (251) 1973 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR RADIATION A Radiological Assessment Review Group (RARG), organized by the director, DBER, reviews the adequacy and suffiency of the Enewetak radiological survey data in order to oversee evaluations of the survey. .Members are not directly involved in the actual survey. These members are N. F. Barr, DBER, Chair; T. F. McCraw, AEC/DOS; B. Shleien, PHS; C. L Weaver, EPA, R. B. Leachman, DOD; P. F. Gustafson, ANL; C. R. Richmond, LASL; and A. H. Seymour, University of Washington. (252)
Urine bioassays from people
coming and going from Bikini Island show cesium 137 in urine higher
than in 1970 by a factor of about ten and an increase in strontium
90 by a factor of four. This information is provided as testimony
during House Appropriations Committee hearings in spring 1978.
It is taken from a BNL report 50424, September 1975. (253) 14 Feb 1973 RADIATION
Field operations of the Enewetak
radiological survey are completed. (254) 21 Mar 1973 - 12 Apr 1973 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL
Conard of BNL and his team
conduct the annual medical survey. No new cases of leukemia or
blood disorders are discovered. New thyroid abnormalities are
detected, including three which might be related to the 1954 fallout
and three that are probably unrelated. The thyroid nodules in
all but one case are scheduled to be removed surgically in Cleveland
Within several weeks. (255) 11 Apr 1973 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
Micronesian P.L. 5-52 provides
for certain care and benefits to the people of Rongelap and Utirik
Atolls exposed to the 1 March 1954 H-bomb test fallout; "for
care and benefits to certain other people from Rongelap and Utirik,
and for other purposes." The high commissioner of the T.T.
is directed to "seek an executive agreement with the Atomic
Energy Commission whereby expenses incurred under the provisions
of this act will be defrayed ... by the Atomic Energy Commission."
In response, the DOI consults with the AEC/DBER. The AEC responds
with a willingness to fund "research-related services"
as a part of its authorized responsibility. (256) 16 Apr 1973 RELOCATION The people of Enewetak adopt a resolution that the DOD be the sole agency in charge of the cleanup and rehabilitation of their atoll in the belief that they would be most effective in ensuring an early and safe return of the Enewetakese to their atoll. The DOD responds that it is necessary and most effective to functionally assign responsibilities for the total rehabilitation process between departments. (257) 03 May 1973 ADMINISTRATION
Gen. Frank A. Camm of AEC
headquarters assigns the office of Mahlon E. Gates, NV, the responsibility
for a study to define the probable lifestyle patterns of the Enewetak
people subsequent to their return to Enewetak. This study will
be used in conjunction with the radiological report to analyze
dose assessment and develop recommendations for cleanup. (258)
31 May 1973 CONTRACTOR RELOCATION
Representatives of the Enewetak
people, Theodore Mitchell and Hemos Jack of the Micronesian Legal
Services Corporation and Smith Gideon, magistrate of Ujelang Atoll,
meet with representatives of NV, the LLL, and the University of
Washington. They approve NV plans for a visit to Ujelang in June
to study probable lifestyle patterns of resettled Enewetakese
and express interest in an early radiological certification and
some resettlement of Japtan. NV provides data on external exposure
rates but stresses an inability to judge constraints on a return
to Japtan pending analysis of survey results on food-chain pathways.
(259) Jul 1973 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR
An AEC task group is established
by the director, AEC/DOS, to review survey results and prepare
cleanup and rehabilitation recommendations for consideration by
the AEC. Members include T. McCraw (AEC/DOS), W. Nervik (LLL),
D. Wilson (LLL), and W. Schroebel (DBER). They work with staffs
from NV and LLL involved with the survey, as well as AEC staff
from DMA; DBER; division of waste management and transportation
(DWMT); division of radiological safety (DRS); representatives
from the DOD, the DOI, and the EPA; and advisors from T.T. and
BNL. (260) 20 Aug 1973 RADIATION
Representatives of the T.T.,
MLSC, DNA, AEC, and H&N meet on Majuro to inform the district
administrator on the progress of the survey efforts and on the
results of a field trip to Ujelang. AEC representatives report
that the Enewetak people were helpful in providing information
on living patterns and dietary considerations which will be incorporated
into the radiological survey report. (261) 18 Oct 1973 ADMINISTRATION
The director, Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) provides guidance to the AEC, the DOD, and the
DOI on inclusion of funds in the FY 1975 budget for cleanup and
rehabilitation of Enewetak. The FY 1975 budget should "show
continuing Administration commitment to the clean-up and rehabilitation
of the Atoll, but consistent with current uncertainty regarding
the final detailed clean-up and rehabilitation plan." Agency
responsibilities identified are: the DOD for maintaining ongoing
facilities and operations and cleanup at Enewetak; the DOI for
rehabilitation; and the AEC for radiological monitoring and survey.
Subsequently AGMMA calls for a clarification of terminology between
"radiological control," a DNA responsibility, and "radiological
monitoring" an AEC responsibility. (262) 1974-1975 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
The AEC/DBER sponsors a research
program conducted by LLL and the University of Hawaii to study
the groundwater on several islets in the Enewetak Atoll in order
to characterize the ground water for possible use by returning
Marshallese and to investigate the hydrology and recycling of
radionuclides in an atoll environment. Drilling for wells takes
place in mid-1974, and sampling programs are carried out in 1974
and 1975. (263) 01 Jan 1974 ADMINISTRATION
Host manager responsibility
for Enewetak Auxiliary Airfield is transferred from the Department
of the Air Force to the DNA. (264) 09 Jan 1974 ADMINISTRATION
At the request of MLSC, the
signing of documents to transfer control of Enewetak Atoll from
the DOD to the T.T. is delayed to allow representatives of the
people of Enewetak to review the document. (265) 27 Feb 1974 CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
Senate joint Resolution No.
90, H.D.I, is adopted by the Fifth Congress of Micronesia, Second
Regular Session "Requesting United States Congressional funding
of the Bikini Rehabilitation Projects be separate and distinct
from annual United States Congress Grant Funds for the T.T. of
the Pacific Islands." (266) 28 Feb 1974 AGREEMENT CLAIMS
The Special Joint Committee
Concerning Rongelap and Utirik Atolls reports to the Fifth Congress
of Micronesia on compensation for the people of Rongelap and Utirik.
According to the report, the AEC complied with the committee's
recommendation to send an AEC representative on the 1974 medical
survey. The AEC also agreed to another committee recommendation
to supply money for Micronesian P.L. 5-52 by allocating $20,000
for the first year. The committee also wanted the AEC to pay the
"inconvenience money" promised in 1970, and the AEC
indicated that it "is ready to provide $18,212 for the 157
people of Utirik who were exposed....There will be no release
of liability for the AEC or the U.S. Government if the people
take this money." The AEC has also agreed to explain radiation
to the people of Bikini and Enewetak before they are returned
to their islands. (267) Apr 1974 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR MEDICAL PLUTONIUM RADIATION Roger Ray, assistant manager of NV in charge of the Enewetak radiological survey, and Walter Nervik of LLL, technical director of the survey, travel to the Marshall Islands to explain the technical information contained in the recently published Enewetak Radiological Survey (NVO-140) to representatives of the T.T. and the Enewetak people. (268) Personnel from the LRE and BNL collect samples on Utirik, Rongelap and Bikini Atolls as part of the DOS portion of the LRE Pacific Radioecology Program to determine the kinds and amounts of radionuclides distributed in the foods, plants, animals, and soil of the central Pacific and supply them to the agencies involved in calculating dose assessment for people living in the central Pacific. (269)
The first in vivo counting
of cesium 137 is taken for Bikini residents. Cesium 137 values
are about the same as 1973. Strontium 90 levels are down to about
1970 levels. Plutonium 239 and plutonium 240 levels are higher
by a factor of five. (270) May 1974 CLAIMS RELOCATION
A group of Bikini people refuse
to return to the atoll on 25 May 1974 until they receive appropriate
compensation for the past 25 years. (271) 14 May 1974 RADIATION
John W. McEnery, DNA deputy
director of operations and administration, disagrees with the
AEC task group recommendations for cleanup and rehabilitation
of Enewetak. He regards the recommendations as "an unduly
restrictive application of criteria that are largely arbitrary
and probably inapplicable" and "not in accord with the
wishes and probable needs of the Enewetak people." McEnery
states, "The radiological and other safety conditions upon
their return should apply to those local conditions, not necessarily
those of the U.S. population with its different radiological conditions
and its greater uncertainties of exposure." (272) 3 Jun 1974 ADMINISTRATION
James Liverman, the AEC assistant
general manager for biomedical and environmental research and
safety programs, proposes to Mahlon E. Gates, director, NV, that
NV be assigned responsibility for programmatic coordination of
the AEC's activities in the Marshall lslands. (273) 19 Jun 1974 PLUTONIUM RADIATION
The AEC task group issues
recommendations for cleanup and rehabilitation of Enewetak Atoll.
The radiation criteria guides for cleanup actions include: whole
body and bone marrow-0.25 rem/yr; thyroid-0.75 rem/yr; bone-0.75
rem/yr; gonads-4 rem in 30 yrs. The group concludes that guidance
for cleanup of plutonium-contaminated soil can only be developed
on a case-by-basis. The group's guidance for plutonium 239 cleanup
operations at Enewetak is: less than 40 pCi/gm of soil-corrective
action not required; 40 to 400 pCi/gm of soil-corrective action
determined on a case-by-case basis; greater than 400 pCi/gm of
soil-corrective action required. (274) 25 Jun 1974 CLAIMS
The AEC pays the T.T. $18,212
to be dispersed in equal payments of $116 to each exposed inhabitant
of Rongelap or their heirs. (275) Jul 1974 ADMINISTRATION RELOCATION
The DOI supports the request
by people of Enewetak that an advance party of about 50 people
from Ujelang be allowed to return to Japtan Island and requests
that the AEC address the safety aspects of the proposed return
and establish guidelines and restrictions to ensure the safety
of the returnees. Liverman responds that the AEC would not recommend
the return of people prior to cleanup and certification because
of radiological hazards in other parts of the atoll but that it
would not object to a return before cleanup if the T.T. can assure
certain restrictive measures. He points out that the request is
"an extension of what we consider to be the AEC's role in
the original interagency effort, namely to prepare recommendations
on whether the radiological conditions were such that a safe return
could be made and on radiological criteria for cleanup" and
recommends that the DOI should obtain the views of the DOD and
the EPA. (276) 12 Aug 1974 PLUTONIUM RADIATION
The AEC approves SECY 75-81,
which contains recommended radiological criteria for Enewetak
Atoll. Meeting these criteria necessitates that village sites
be confined to the southern islands; that growing of food, except
coconuts, be confined to the southern islands, and that the quarantine
of Runit be continued until plutonium contamination is removed.
The DNA responds that the proposed criteria are too restrictive
and that radiation standards for the general public are not appropriate
for the small population of Enewetak. (277) Sep 1974 AGREEMENT RELOCATION
Stanley S. Carpenter, director
of territorial affairs of the DOI, announces that 50 people are
to be permitted to return to live on Japtan at the earliest possible
time, subject to four safety restrictions: no visits are permitted
on the northern islands from Runit to Biken; any scrap collection
and stockpiling must be approved by the district administrator's
representative; visits to Enewetak must be coordinated between
the district administrator's representative and the Enewetak base
site manager, and visits to other southern islands can be made
only with approval of and instructions from the district administrator's
representative. Representatives of the T.T., the DOI, and the
AEC request that the Enewetak Council express in writing that
they understand and will observe these restrictions, which they
do by adopting an ordinance. (278) 02 Sep 1974 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION RELOCATION
Representatives of the DNA,
the DOI, and the AEC meet with the Enewetak Council, their advisors,
members of the Congress of Micronesia, and staff of the T.T. at
Enewetak on the recommended radiological criteria. The DNA submits
a Draft Environmental Impact Statement containing the AEC recommendation
as the preferred option. The recommended alternative calls for
removing the most seriously contaminated soil and radioactive,
hazardous, or obstructive debris and entombing it in one or two
craters on Runit. (279) 27 Sep 1974 ADMINISTRATION
Commenting upon the proposed
NV role as programmatic coordinator, L. Joe Deal, assistant director
for health protection, AEC/DOS, responds, "The activities
in the Pacific need better inhouse and interagency coordination.
Since programmatic direction for research is maintained at Headquarters,
the logical place to proceed with this coordination is here."
(280) 11 Oct 1974 ADMINISTRATION
President Gerald Ford creates
the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) by signing
the Energy Reorganization Act, P.L. 93-438. Nov 1974- Dec 1974 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
LRE and BNL staff collect
samples from Utirik, Rongerik, Rongelap, Ailinginae, and Bikini
for the AEC/DOS portion of the Pacific Radioecological Program.
(281) 08 Nov 1974 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION RELOCATION
The AEC/DOS seeks a closer
relationship with the DOI on Bikini resettlement. Martin B. Biles,
AEC/DOS, is concerned that recommendations on Bikini rehabilitations
are not being followed strictly, including the use of aggregate
from Bikini for house construction. Biles recommends that any
additional housing be constructed on Eneu, or at least that any
further construction on Bikini be deferred until radiological
consequences are evaluated. As for Enewetak, because of current
funding difficulties Biles suggests that the DOI re-evaluate the
advisability of an early return to Japtan. (282) Dec 1974 RELOCATION
A field trip by AEC personnel
to Ujelang to discuss the Enewetak master plan with the Enewetak
people results in the latter's acceptance of the AEC recommendation
that Enjebi Island should not be resettled along with islands
in the south because it needs further study. According to the
master plan, Enewetak Atoll and Medren Islands will be the major
residential islands. Following the trip the AEC staff reworks
the master plan. (283) 04 Dec 1974 RADIATION
Carpenter of the DOI denies
the rumor that coral other than that from the Aerokoijul and Aerokoj
Islands in southern Bikini Atoll is being used in building construction.
The DOI position is that the AEC must be completely involved with
the Bikini project; he urges that the AEC undertake a comprehensive
radiological assessment of Bikini, such as that done on Enewetak,
as soon as possible so that the DOI/T.T. rehabilitation program
can proceed with the necessary radiological data. (284) 07 Dec 1974 RELOCATION
The Enewetak Council adopts
a resolution requesting that Stanley Carpenter, director of the
DOI office of territorial affairs, grant the people of Enewetak
title and ownership of Ujelang Atoll. (285) 13-15 Jan 1975 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR RELOCATION
At an H&N Bikini-Enewetak
conference a Bikini advisory group is established to coordinate
activities of Bikini rehabilitation with members from the DOI
(Brown), T.T. (Coleman), the Marshall Islands (de Brum), the AEC
(Biles, Ray for logistics, McCraw for radiological concerns),
and H&N (Gilmore). The ERDA is to prepare a radiological evaluation/assessment
from the draft Bikini Master Plan, as well as a plan for an aerial
survey of Bikini Atoll and a backup plan for a ground survey in
case necessary support for the aerial survey cannot be obtained.
(286) 17 Jan 1975 ADMINISTRATION
Gates, manager, NV, recommends
"that NV be assigned responsibility for the coordination
of all the Commission's (ERDA's) activities in the Marshall Islands
and that this assignment be made known to Headquarters staff as
well as to concerned field offices and contractors" and that
arrangements be made to assure that NV has the "opportunity
to review and comment upon all proposals to conduct research,
studies and related activities in the Marshalls". (287) 19 Jan 1975 ADMINISTRATION
The ERDA is activated. 20 Jan 1975 ADMINISTRATION
The role of NV in the Marshall
Islands program is decided at a meeting in the office of James
L Liverman, ERDA acting deputy assistant administrator for environment
and safety. NV will provide overall management of logistics support,
coordination, and scheduling of Pacific program-related activities;
serve as liaison among participants; review, evaluate, and comment
on plans, policy matters, reports and publications relating to
activities in the Pacific; and recommend programmatic changes
and levels of effort to headquarters. Headquarters will make final
policy and program decisions. (288) 06 Feb 1975 ADMINISTRATION With the completion of the 1974 Enewetak radiological survey and the beginning of the clean-up phase, Gen. Ernest Graves, the ERDA director of military application, recommends:
I believe it now appropriate
and timely to relieve DMA of its Enewetak responsibilities. The
Assistant Administrator for Environment and Safety concurs in
this view and will assume the lead within the ERDA for all Enewetak
matters. (289) 19 Feb 1975 ADMINISTRATION L. Joe Deal, assistant director for health protection, ERDA/DOS, does not concur with Graves's proposal for a transfer of programmatic responsibility for Enewetak by saying,
As long as DOD is active in
the cleanup program, we believe DMA should continue its role.
Until the cleanup is completed, we don't know what problems may
arise that would need the assistance of the DOD weapons test laboratories
and contractors. (290) 07 Mar 1975 ADMINISTRATION
With input from the ERDA,
the DOI requests that the DOD fund logistical support for an additional
radiological survey of Bikini Atoll. (291) Apr 1975 CONTRACTOR PLUTONIUM RADIATION LRE and BNL staff collect samples from Kwajalein, Bikini, and Wotho Atolls for the DOS portion of the Pacific Radiological Program. (292)
Urine bioassays from Bikini
show levels of plutonium 239 and plutonium 240 higher than 1971
by a factor of ten. According to later information these results
are suspect because the samples may have been contaminated. (See
8 Dec 76). (293) 09 Apr 1975 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL
Nelson Anjain, magistrate
of Rongelap village, signs a letter to Conard that states that
the people of Rongelap do not want to see him again because he
treats them as research subjects rather than as people. The letter
adds that the Rongelapese want a doctor to live on the island
permanently and no longer want to be under American control. Subsequently,
Anjain admits that a member of "friends of Micronesia"
wrote the letter. (294) May 1975 RADIATION
The EPA accepts the DNA's
"Environmental Impact Statement on Cleanup, Rehabilitation,
Resettlement of Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands (April 1975)."
(295) 29 May 1975 ADMINISTRATION
The DOD rejects the DOI's
request for logistical support for the radiological survey of
Bikini Atoll because the DOI does not have the funds to reimburse
the support costs. (296) Jun 1975 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR RADIATION
The 1975 Bikini Atoll Radiological
Survey is conducted by the ERDA and ERDA contractor ground monitors
because no funding is available from the DOD for an aerial survey.
The purpose is to conduct a survey of external gamma radiation
levels on Bikini and Eneu Islands to supplement BNL data. The
information will be used to evaluate potential radiation doses
that might be received by returning Bikinians, to provide information
to advise the DOI on location of Phase II homes, and to conduct
a soil, plant, and water sampling program. The NV field survey
leader is responsible for management of survey operations. The
technical director (LLL) has full authority and responsibility
for the technical plan and advises and supports the NV field survey
leader. The survey team includes representatives of the AEC/DOS;
office of assistant manager for operations (AMO), NV; LLL; the
EPA; BNL; and the University of Washington. Analysis of samples
is done at The McClellan Laboratory and the LLL. Survey results
indicate that external exposure rates on Bikini Island are highly
variable. (297) 13 Jun 1975 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
P.L. 94-34 authorizes an ex
gratia payment of $3 million to the people of Bikini Atoll "in
recognition of the hardship suffered by the people of Bikini due
to displacement from their atoll since 1946." This payment
is to be placed in a trust fund. (298) 25 Jun 1975 ADMINISTRATION
At an interagency meeting
ERDA officials detail a plan to conduct a survey of the atolls
affected by nuclear testing at a one-time project cost of $3 million.
The ERDA, responsible for the technical aspects of the survey,
is committed to absorb approximately one-half of this amount.
As a result the DOI renews its request to the DOD for funding
logistical support for the survey. (299) Aug 1975 RADIATION
The ERDA issues preliminary
reports on the June 1975 survey. The tentative conclusion is that
houses already constructed on Bikini Island could be occupied
and thus would keep radiation doses within guidelines but that
any additional house construction should be on Eneu Island. The
survey confirms that radioactivity in the interior of Bikini Island
is too high for siting future houses. Results also show that food
plants are recycling radionuclides from the soil. Subsequently
residents are cautioned not to eat locally grown foods. (300)
23 Aug 1975 RELOCATION
The DOI announces postponement
of the planned return of 150 Bikinians to their atoll in September
for six months pending analysis and evaluation of the results
of the June survey. (301) Sep 1975 MEDICAL
The BNL issues a 20-year review
of the medical findings in the Marshall Islanders exposed to fallout
in 1954. The BNL concludes that because thyroid abnormalities
continue, surveillance of thyroid effects of fallout should be
maintained. (302) 10 Sep 1975 ADMINISTRATION CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP RADIATION James L Liverman, ERDA assistant administrator for environment and safety, on 10 September and W. E. Shedd, DNA deputy director for operations and administration, on 28 August sign the Agreement between the Defense Nuclear Agency and the Energy Research and Development Administration regarding the Interagency Support for Cleanup of Enewetak Atoll. The fulfillment of the agreement is contingent upon congressional funding of the cleanup. According to the agreement's terms, the ERDA will provide directly or through contractors technical and scientific advice to the DNA on radiological activities. The agreement states It is not possible to reduce the radioactive contamination to pre-test levels. It is possible... to rehabilitate the atoll in a manner that will assure the safety of the returning people by employing certain minimal and acceptable restrictions on land use and locally grown foods, and by maintaining a continuing surveillance of the residual radioactivity....The guidelines for radiological cleanup recommended by AEC/ERDA are based on Federal standards.... The determination as to when the DOD cleanup activities have been successfully completed will be a joint DNA/ERDA decision.
According to the agreement,
ERDA also will pursue such programmatic activities as establishing
baseline data for radiological protection of the Enewetakese,
conducting biomedical and environmental monitoring on Enewetak
Atoll, and agricultural research and experimentation. (303) 17 Sep 1975 ADMINISTRATION
The DOD cites the decision
to postpone resettlement of Bikini as an indication that a new
radiological survey of Bikini similar to that performed at Enewetak
is necessary. The DOD thus indicates a willingness to consider
funding logistical support for the survey. Prior to making any
commitments, the deputy secretary of defense calls for a comprehensive
review of plans and programs that deal with the residual problems
of nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific. (304) Oct 1975 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY RADIATION
The people of Bikini file
suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii with the
People of Bikini et al vs. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., et al. and
request that the court order a radiological aerial survey of Bikini.
They subsequently amend the original motion and ask the court
to enjoin the defendants from proceeding further with the Bikini
Resettlement Program until the government complies with the requirements
of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The plaintiffs
want the government to begin an environmental impact study and
the court to prohibit the government from reprogramming funds
earmarked for the Bikini Resettlement Program. The Marshallese
also ask the court to require the government to submit to the
court a plan for completing a radiological study of the Bikini
people. (305) 09 Oct 1975 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION
After Martin B. Biles, director
of ERDA/DOS, and Roger Ray agree that the NV can fulfill the tasks
and responsibilities of ERDA under the DNA-ERDA Enewetak cleanup
agreement, Biles designates the NV as the office in charge of
carrying out the ERDA portion of that agreement. (306) 1976 CONTRACTOR RADIATION PLUTONIUM WEAPON TESTING The BNL initiates an external radiation survey program for Rongelap, Rongerik, Ailuk, Wotje, and Utirik Atolls to gather information on ambient radiation levels from weapon testing in order to make external dose calculations for people living in the surveyed areas. (307)
Urine bioassays from Bikini
show plutonium 239 and plutonium 240 levels higher than 1971 by
a factor of two. Cesium 137 levels from urine are higher than
1970 values by a factor of about 30. Strontium 90 levels are higher
by a factor of about five. This information is provided as testimony
during House Appropriations Committee hearings in spring 1978.
It is reportedly from an 11 May 1977 memorandum from Conard to
Liverman. (308) 23 Jan 1976- 20 Feb 1976 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL RADIATION RELOCATION
On 23 January Roger Ray, ERDA/NV
assistant manager for environment and safety, recommends to James
L Liverman, ERDA director of the division of biomedical and environmental
research (DBER), approval of a BNL medical team "sick call"
to Bikini Island residents. According to Ray, NV is prepared to
support this activity and to assist with an accompanying information
Program. Ray bases his recommendation on requests from Oscar de
Brum, Marshall Islands district administrator, and the Bikini
representative and the awareness of the islanders' apprehension
about possible radiation effects because of their residence on
Bikini Island. On 20 February Liverman approves the BNL visit
to Bikini during the regular medical survey of the Marshall lslands,
providing that the Bikinians invite the team, that their attorney
and the T.T. government approve, "and that adequate explanation
be provided to the Bikini people to the effect that the sick call
is not necessitated by any radiation exposure that they may have
received." (309) Apr 1976 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
The BNL conducts a survey
of external radiation levels on Nam Island, Bikini Atoll. (310)
Sep 1976 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
The University of Washington
and BNL measure external radiation levels and collect environmental
samples of five atolls. (311) 16 Sep 1976 AGREEMENT LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY The United States and the T.T. sign agreements granting use and occupancy rights to Enewetak to the T.T. but allowing the U.S. to retain residual rights to permit cleanup of the atoll. Under these rights ERDA will conduct a variety of research and monitoring operations as part of its long-term responsibility for long-term radiological surveillance of Enewetak. (312)
The T.T. government and representatives
of the Enewetak people sign an agreement that states that the
$20 million appropriated for cleanup of Enewetak Atoll in P.L.
94-367, the DOD Military Construction Appropriations Act, 1977,
"shall constitute the total commitment of the Government
of the United States for the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll. (313)
17 Sep 1976 CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
Fred M. Zeder, DOI, director
of territorial affairs, requests that Congress expedite action
on funding for rehabilitation and resettlement of Enewetak so
that the DOI/T.T. rehabilitation project will be able to share
some of the logistic and support operations from DOD cleanup operations.
(314) 08 Dec 1976 CONTRACTOR PLUTONIUM RADIATION
The Transuranium Technical
Group (TTG) reviews data showing urine plutonium levels of Bikini
residents as 10 times greater than plutonium levels in the urine
of residents in the continental U.S. The TTG questions the validity
of the data because samples were not collected in a way that avoids
possible contamination of urine by plutonium soil in the air or
on the body and clothing of the person providing the sample. The
pooling of urine samples also prevents identification of sampling
discrepancies. The TTG recommends an effort to obtain urine samples
from representative Bikini residents in a controlled environment
but advises that these activities might cause psychological and
sociological stresses to the Bikini people "of more critical
concern than the potential hazard from radiation." W.J. Bair,
Battelle, Pacific Northwest Laboratories (PNL), is chair of the
TTG. (315) Jan 1977 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
According to the LRE analysis
of a radiological survey of seven Marshall Islands atolls for
the AEC/DOS from 1974 to 1975, strontium 90 and cesium 137 are
dominant in the terrestrial environment; and americium 241, plutonium
240, and plutonium 239 are also in the soil from Bikini and Rongelap.
(316) 4-5 Feb 1977 AGREEMENT MEDICAL
Representatives of the ERDA
and the T.T. meet on Kwajalein regarding medical care of the Rongelap
and Utirik people. While the general medical care of the people
of the Marshall lslands is the responsibility of the T.T., ERDA
and T.T. agree to work together to extend medical care and treatment
to all people living on the islands. The ERDA agrees to invite
T.T. medical personnel to join ERDA medical visits, to assist
in arranging for U.S. doctors to participate in the medical team
visits, and to extend the duration of the medical team visits
to assist the T.T. in providing general medical care. (317) 24 Feb 1977 ADMINISTRATION
James L Liverman, ERDA assistant
administrator for environment and safety (AES), recommends that
his office establish a headquarters position to coordinate and
manage health and safety research and surveillance activities
in the Pacific. (318) 15 Mar 1977 RELOCATION
Fifty-six Enewetakese return
to Japtan. (319) Apr 1977 RADIATION
In vivo counting for Bikini
Island residents indicates a ten-fold increase in body burdens
of cesium 137 from a 1974 survey and results in an annual whole
body dose of about 0.4 rem/yr. The standard is 0.5 rem/yr. The
elevated dose rates are attributed to use of foods grown on Bikini
lsland. (320) 21 Apr 1977 ADMINISTRATION
Hal Hollister, ERDA acting
director of the division of safety, standards, and compliance
(SSC), does not concur with Liverman's proposal to establish a
scientific manager in the Pacific for all AES Pacific activities.
He suggests no change in current management of AES activities
at the field level and recommends additional emphasis on coordination
and program development at headquarters. (321) 26 Apr 1977 ADMINISTRATION
In clarifying the SSC position
against Liverman's proposal, L Joe Deal, ERDA assistant director
for health protection of the SSC, cites serious differences of
opinion with NV. Deal states that his division has been trying
to sort out the proper role of headquarters versus the field and
to perform the headquarters' function. (322) 04 May 1977 ADMINISTRATION
P.L 95-26 includes $2.6 million
in funds for the DOI to cover the DOD cost for necessary support
for radiological surveying of the northern Marshalls. (323) 16 May 1977 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR MEDICAL RADIATION
According to medical examination,
42 of 65 exposed Rongelap people now living have thyroid abnormalities.
Bioassays show an increase in cesium 137 body burdens of the Bikini
people. The ERDA, the DOI, and the BNL agree to have the BNL conduct
whole body counting on the returning Enewetakese. Present responsibilities
for radiation assessment in the ERDA are divided between the ERDA
division of operational and environmental safety (DOES) and the
DBER. The DOES obtains radiological data from the BNL for terrestrial
evaluation; from the University of Washington for marine sampling;
and from the LLL for dose assessment. The DBER collects data of
scientific interest from a research standpoint. (324) 26 May 1977 AGREEMENT WEAPON TESTING
The ERDA and the DOD execute
a memorandum of understanding of planning and support for Safeguard
"C" and conduct of nuclear weapons tests outside North
American continental fimits. The ERDA/DMA and the director of
DNA are designated to implement Safeguard "C." Johnston
Atoll is selected as the principal readiness-to-test facility
in the Pacific. (325) 27-29 Jun 1977 RADIATION
Marshall Islands workshop
participants ask for reevaluations of Enewetak cleanup plans.
(326) 28 Jun 1977 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION
The DOD designates the Navy
as the executive agent for the coordination and execution of the
DOD responsibilities for logistical support of the aerial radiological
survey of the northern Marshalls. (327) 04 Aug 1977 ADMINISTRATION
President Jimmy Carter creates
the Department of Energy (DOE) by signing P.L 95-91. 15-17 Aug 1977 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
Representatives from PNL,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), HASL, LASL, the Lovelace
Foundation for Medical Education and Research (LFMER), and LLL
agree that the criteria for cleanup of plutonium-contaminated
islands, including Enewetak, are reasonable in light of present
knowledge and that their application does not pose an unacceptable
health risk. (328) Oct 1977 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
The BNL installs a wind-powered,
long-term air sampling station on Bikini island. (329)
Urine samples are collected
from Bikini residents under controlled conditions to avoid contamination.
(330) 01 Oct 1977 ADMINISTRATION
The DOE is activated. 15 Oct 1977 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY MEDICAL RADIATION RELOCATION P.L 95-134 authorizes $12.4 million for rehabilitation and resettlement of Enewetak Atoll. The Secretary of Interior is to pay people who were residents of Rongelap and Utirik Atolls on 1 March 1954, $25,000 to each person with hypothyroidism or removal of a thyroid gland or neurofibroma or a radiation-related malignancy; $1,000 to each person who was a resident on Utirik; up to $25,000 in compassionate compensation to any other person who suffered physical injury or harm from a radiation-related cause; and an additional payment of not more than $100,000 to the heirs of anyone whose death is related to the thermonuclear detonation. The ERDA administrator is to assume the costs of appropriate medical care and treatment for those suffering from radiation illness or injury.
P.L. 95-134 also authorizes
medical care for the Marshall Islanders exposed to the 1954 Castle
Bravo fallout, including the diagnosis and treatment of radiation-related
diseases. The DOE is responsible for funding this medical care.
(331) Nov 1977 RADIATION
The T.T. government institutes
a complete dietary program for all residents of Bikini. (332)
13 Dec 1977 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
According to the BNL, 30-year
integral dose predictions from external sources exclusive of background
radiation for inhabitants of Rongelap and Utirik Atolls are 0.65
and 0.06 rem respectively. The BNL concludes that in inhabitants
of Rongelap may have difficulty meeting ICRP criteria of 5 rem
in 30 years, but should be within the 0.5 rem/year standard for
individuals. (333) 1978 AGREEMENT
The signing of the Statement
of Agreed Principles for Free Association (the Hilo Principles)
lay the cornerstone for the Compact of Free Association (COFA)
by providing a framework for the negotiation of the compact. The
Hilo Principles call for approval of the free association agreement
by a plebiscite under observation by the United Nations. (334)
Jan 1978 PLUTONIUM RADIATION
At the request of the DOE
DBER and DOES, LLL scientists assess the potential doses to populations
at Enewetak Atoll from transuranic radionuclides. The study provides
dosage estimates to the population via various exposure pathways,
such as the marine pathway, the inhalation pathway, the terrestrial
food chain, and groundwater. The predicted dose rates for the
southern islands and Enjebi Island do not exceed the 1 mrad/yr
to lung nor the 3 mrad/yr to bone guidance proposed by the EPA.
(335) 05 Jan 1978 ADMINISTRATION
The Secretary of the Interior
notifies the Secretary of Defense of his concern that the DOD
is not moving ahead with the required logistical support for the
radiological survey in the northern Marshalls and requests assistance
and cooperation in expediting arrangements to carry out this commitment.
(336) 06 Jan 1978 AGREEMENT
The DOE and the DNA agree
to include all transuranics in the cleanup of Enewetak. (337)
Feb 1978 CONTRACTOR PLUTONIUM RADIATION
According to LLL, the Enewetak
lagoon is the largest reservoir of transuranics in the atoll and
little alteration is expected in the present distribution of transuranics
in the sediment over the next few decades. (338) 14 Mar 1978 RADIATION
In a memorandum Charles J.
Treat of DNA sets forth the Enewetak cleanup decisions that need
to be resolved in an upcoming meeting and provides an account
of his discussions with Roger Ray regarding these issues. These
issues include: whether to clean up Runit and how that matter
relates to other soil cleanup decisions and whether to change
task group levels on Enjebi from 40 pCi/g to 50 pCi/g. (339) Apr 1978 RADIATION
Radiological surveys of Bikini
residents show a 75 percent increase in cesium 137 burdens compared
to 1977. Twelve of about 140 people exceed current standards for
body burdens. (340) 21 Apr 1978 CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP RADIATION
The House Subcommittee on
Health and the Environment of the committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce asks Secretary of Defense Harold Brown about
the DOD's participation in the Enewetak cleanup and the protective
measures being taken to protect those involved in cleanup activities.
(341) 26-27 Apr 1978 RADIATION
The Enewetak Advisory Group
meets in Denver and decides that it is not possible to develop
reasonable cleanup guidance to assure that future residents would
not receive radiation doses from transuranics that would significantly
exceed proposed EPA guidelines. They propose a standard of cleanup
for all one-quarter or one-half hectare areas exceeding 40 pCi/g
of surface soils of village islands that should meet EPA guidelines
for the resulting doses in the bone and lung. (342) May 1978 CONTRACTOR RADIATION RELOCATION
Coconut, papaya, and breadfruit
samples are collected from the Eneu test plot to help assess the
suitability of Eneu as a permanent residence for the Bikinians.
The LLL is in charge of analyzing the food samples. (343) 22 May 1978 RADIATION RELOCATION
Oscar de Brum, District Administrator
from the Marshall Islands, testifies before the U.S. House Subcommittee
on the Interior of the appropriations committee that the only
way to prevent the Bikinians from using coconuts from the island
is to remove the trees or remove the people. The DOI reports that
the current Bikini population will be moved from Bikini in 75
to 90 days. (344) Jul 1978 CLAIMS
As part of the Micronesia
status negotiations Matthew Nimetz, chair of the Micronesia Interagency
Group, establishes a Micronesia Interagency Group Task Force on
Claims Issues to study claims arising from U.S. nuclear testing
and related activities in the Marshall Islands. The task force
is chaired by the Office of Micronesia Status Negotiations and
contains representatives from the Departments of State, Defense,
Energy, Interior, and Justice, and OMB. (345) 26 Jul 1978 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR RADIATION
The aerial photographic mission,
the first phase of the 13 Atoll Survey of the northern Marshalls,
begins. The DOE/DOES manages the survey and acts as coordinator
with Washington-level federal agencies. The manager, NV, is in
charge of logistics coordination for survey field operations;
a technical director from LLL provides technical direction of
aerial, terrestrial, and marine field operations and for laboratory
analysis and dose assessments. Contractors include BNL, University
of Washington, LLL, and EG&G. (346) 02 Aug 1978 AGREEMENT
Liverman, the DOE acting assistant
secretary for environment, signs the Memorandum of Agreement between
the Navy, the DOE, and the DOI on logistics support for the aerial
radiological survey of the northern Marshall Islands. (347) 16 Aug 1978 AGREEMENT RELOCATION
After concerns are raised
during meetings with the residents of Bikini and Kili Islands,
officials of the DOE, representing the U.S. government, and the
T.T. sign a statement of understanding on moving Bikinians. The
DOI will arrange for satisfactory permanent relocation and will
ask the DOE to assure that medical needs of Bikini Island residents
are met. The U.S. government will undertake a program for the
permanent rehabilitation of Kili and, following completion of
the aerial survey, will work with Kili residents to choose other
relocation sites. If future studies show Eneu can be safely inhabited,
Bikini residents will be allowed to move there. Brief visits to
Bikini will be allowed. Necessary housing community facilities,
and a dock will be built at Kili. A relocation allowance of $100.72
per person will be given to Bikini residents. (348) 18 Aug 1978 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY RELOCATION
P.L. 95-348 appropriates $15
million for the Bikini people evacuated from Bikini Atoll as a
result of nuclear tests, of which $12 million is authorized for
the relocation and resettlement of the Bikini people, and $3 million
is held in trust pursuant to the trust agreement in P.L 94-34.
The Secretary of the Interior must submit a progress report to
Congress on efforts to find a permanent location for these people
by 1 July 1979. (349) 28 Aug 1978 RELOCATION
Relocation of Bikini residents
to Kili Island begins. (350) Sep 1978 RADIATION
The technical phase of the
Thirteen Atoll Survey begins. (351) 2 7 Oct 1978 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY RADIATION
The People of Bikini, et al.,
vs. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., et al., of October 1975, is dismissed.
Following negotiations with the Department of justice, the plaintiffs
drop the suit on condition that a more comprehensive radiological
survey of Bikini is conducted and that this survey be extended
to ten other atolls and two other islands. The Bikini people will
select a qualified scientist to work under contract with the DOE
to provide independent analysis of survey data. (352) 1979 ADMINISTRATION MEDICAL RADIATION According to a General Accounting Office (GAO) report on the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll, The DOE has the responsibility for future periodic radiological surveys of Enewetak Atoll and periodic medical and environmental monitoring of the people and the environment after rehabilitation. (There is no official agreement between the U.S. and the people of Enewetak regarding these matters.) The GAO recommends establishing an agreement to monitor and inspect entombed radioactive soil and debris following the termination of the T.T. agreement. The GAO advises the DOI to initiate independent assessment of the Enewetak cleanup project, a suggestion agreeable to the DOE. (353) Jan 1979 RADIATION
Measured body burdens of cesium
137 in former Bikini Island residents show a reduction factor
from 1978 to 1979 of 2.3 for males, 3.8 for females, and 12 for
children. (354) 30 Jan 1979 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION
The DOE requests the DOD support
for a radiological survey of soil on the northern Marshall Islands
to determine residual fission products in the soil, to help calculate
dose assessments, plan the DOE's rehabilitation program for coconut
planting, and determine the feasibility and/or timing of Enjebi
resettlement. (355) Feb 1979 RADIATION
DOE Enewetak Radiological
Support Project (ERSP) establishes a Fission Product Data Base
(FPDB) to collect essential information to provide dose assessments
for 18 islands of Enewetak Atoll. (356) 01 Mar 1979 ADMINISTRATION
In a referendum the people
of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) approve a constitution.
(357) 27-28 Mar 1979 RADIATION
To avoid repeating the Bikini
experience, the Northern Marshall Islands Advisory Group recommends
that all dose calculations used to make decisions regarding habitation
of the Marshall islands be independently verified by two or more
organizations. (358) Mar-Apr 1979 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
The DOE conducts soil survey
of Enjebi Island and other northern islands of Enewetak Atoll.
LLL analyzes results. (359) 01 May 1979 ADMINISTRATION
The RMI inaugurates a parliamentary
constitutional government. (360) 15 May 1979 RADIATION RELOCATION
In response to a request by
the DOI for a definitive statement by the DOE on the possibility
of returning Bikinians to Eneu Island, Ruth Clusen, the DOE assistant
secretary for environment states that a return to Eneu Island
cannot take place for 20 to 25 years when applying the radiation
criteria of 250 mrem/yr per person used for the Enewetakese. (361)
17 May 1979 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR RADIATION
Roger Ray and Harry Brown
meet with President Amata Kabua and members of the cabinet of
the government of the Marshall Islands. They discuss the DOE's
interest in gaining cooperation from the Tobolar copra plant to
replicate the Tobolar process in a laboratory at LLL (Tobolar
is a Marshallese word that means "sprouting coconut.")
They also confer about the safety of Eneu as a residential island,
radiation levels on Bikar and Bokar, thyroid abnormalities on
Likiep, and the northern Marshall Islands survey. (362) 21 May 1979 RADIATION RELOCATION
The DOI informs the T.T. that
Eneu Island must be placed off limits as a place of residence
for the Bikini people for at least another twenty to twenty-five
years. The DOI stresses that the U.S. government must use the
same radiation exposure criteria for the people of Bikini as that
used for Enewetak. (363) 4 Jun 1979 RADIATION
The Marshall Islands Nijitela
(legislature) adopts a resolution requesting that the U.S. government
and the UN conduct a radiological survey of the waters and land
areas in the Marshall Islands, north of 8 degrees north latitude,
including all of Namu Atoll, to determine radioactivity in the
area and to carry out medical examinations to identify physical
disorders which may be attributable to nuclear explosions on Bikini
and Enewetak Atolls. (364) Aug 1979 RADIATION
The DOE, the DOI, and the
EPA and their legal counsels agree on the necessity of determining
a U.S. position with respect to the applicability of U.S. exposure
guidance in the Marshall Islands, particularly at Enewetak, and
to determine the extent to which the U.S. has the authority and
responsibility to enforce this guidance. The EPA believes that
federal guides to radiation protection apply to the Marshall islands
people who want to return to Enewetak, but that in carrying out
its programs, the DOI can allow the possibility of occasional
individual doses in excess of 0.5 rem/yr if it has a carefully
considered reason for doing so. (365) 12 Sep 1979 RELOCATION
In an open letter to members
of the council of Ujelang and Enewetak and the people of those
atolls prior to the Enewetak radiation dose assessment meetings,
President Kabua advises them that the government "cannot
bless nor participate in any decision-making for your return to
Enewetak" unless it is certain about all aspects of lingering
radiation danger. He expresses his concern about whether the initial
dose assessment meetings can achieve informed consent by the people
of Ujelang and Enewetak and advises them not to rush with a decision
if they feel they are not yet ready to make one. (366) 16 Sep 1979 RADIATION
Completion ceremony for the
concrete dome covering radioactive debris is held on Runit island.
(367) 18 Sep 1979 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION
The Ujelang Enewetak council
adopts resolutions requesting that six members of the Enewetak
planning council be permitted to be present on Enewetak from 1
October 1979 to 31 January 1980 to have a greater role in the
final phase of the Enewetak Atoll rehabilitation project. The
council also asks that future planting of breadfruit trees on
Japtan be on the ocean side of each wato in close proximity to
homesites and not interspersed with coconut palms. (368) 18-20 Sep 1979 RADIATION RELOCATION
At a dose assessment conference
at Ujelang Atoll DOE representatives discuss the radiological
status of Enewetak Atoll with the people of Enewetak. The people
of Enewetak, in consultation with Drs. A. Bertrand Brill, Michael
A. Bender, Robert A. Kiste, and William E. Ogle, and legal counsel,
decide the preferred course for resettlement and use of the islands
of the atoll. The DOE staff presents and explains its book "Enewetak
Today." Following the meeting with DOE, the council of Enewetak
meets with Theodore P. Mitchell, MLSC, and his advisors, and adopts
a resolution stating that the people of Enjebi "shall and
must" return to live on Enjebi and imploring the U.S. government
to concur with this decision and assist the people of Enjebi to
return to their homeland. (369) 28 Sep 1979 RADIATION
In response to a verbal request
from Ruth Van Cleve, director, office of territorial affairs,
DOI, Bruce W. Wachholz, DOE office of environment, assesses the
radiological consequences to the people of Enewetak if they reside
only on Enewetak, Medren, and Japtan, and if coconut trees are
planted on the northeastern islands of the Enewetak Atoll. Given
these assumptions and limitations, the radiation exposure estimates
are below U.S. exposure guidance and AEC recommendations. (370)
12 Oct 1979 RADIATION RELOCATION
Michael A. Bender and A. Bertrand
Brill of National Cytogenetics, Inc. issue "Assessment of
Radiation Health Effects of the Resettlement of Enewetak Atoll,"
a report prepared for MLSC. They conclude that their risk assessments
are in substantial agreement with those the DOE presented to the
Enewetak people at the dose assessment conference. Bender and
Brill conclude that the average yearly doses probably will be
relatively small for the people of Enewetak following resettlement
of the atoll, including Enjebi. (371) 22 Oct 1979 RADIATION RELOCATION
In response to a request by
the people of Enewetak for the DOI to consider agricultural redevelopment
and reestablishment of a community on Enjebi, Ruth Van Cleve,
DOI director of the office of territorial affairs, asks the DOE
to estimate the amount of time it would take for exposure levels
on Enjebi to meet applicable exposure limits. (372) 30 Oct 1979 RADIATION RELOCATION
In response to the DOE and
the DOI questions regarding whether the proposal to resettle Enjebi
requires a supplemental environmental impact statement, Theodore
Mitchell, MLSC, responds that resettlement of Enjebi was sufficiently
studied in the 1975 environmental impact statement. (373) 15 Nov 1979 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
Roger Ray reports that NV/ERSP
is evaluating a systematic error in situ measurement of americium
in Enewetak. This error, in the range of 20 to 25 percent, derives
from improper use of a soil composition that is not representative
of the actual. If these errors were introduced into the LLL preliminary
dose assessment, then the data are lower than actual radioactivity
levels. (The calibration procedures used in IMP calculations of
transuranics data in the LLL preliminary dose assessment were
first questioned by Ed Bramlitt of the DNA field command.) As
a result, the LLL revised dose assessments are put on hold until
the error is clarified and the extent of necessary revisions is
assessed. (374) 03 Dec 1979 RADIATION RELOCATION
In a draft response to Van
Cleve's request for time estimates for safe exposure levels on
Enjebi, Wachholz provides time estimates ranging from 60-65 years
and 90-95 years that take into account assumptions about lifestyle
patterns and DOE recommendations. (375) Jan 1980 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL RADIATION
The BNL issues Review of
Medical Findings in a Marshallese Population Twenty-Six Years
After Accidental Exposure to Radioactive Fallout. The report
emphasizes that many uncertainties were involved in calculating
the early radiation doses received by the Marshallese prior to
their evacuation. Because of possible further development of thyroid
abnormalities, BNL recommends regular medical examinations. (376)
Mar 1980 RADIATION
The DNA announces that the
Enewetak cleanup is completed. The total cost of the cleanup and
rehabilitation phase is $218 million. (377) 12 Mar 1980 AGREEMENT MEDICAL
P.L 96-205, the Burton bill,
takes effect. This law gives responsibility to the Secretary of
Interior to provide medical care and treatment for the people
of Bikini, Enewetak, Rongelap, and Utirik Atolls who have been
exposed to radiation from the nuclear weapon testing program and
to support environmental research and monitoring for any injury,
illness, or condition that may result from the nuclear weapon
testing program. The Secretary of Interior must submit a plan
for a comprehensive four-atoll health program by 1 January 1981.
All costs and implementation of the plan are to be assumed by
the DOE. (378) 04 Apr 1980 RELOCATION
Johannes Peter, Binton Abraham,
and John Abraham, hereditary and elected leaders of Enewetak Atoll,
write President Jimmy Carter because they disagree with statements
made to Carter by RMI President Kabua. Kabua reportedly had asked
Carter to look into the resettlement of Enewetak. Peter, Abraham,
and Abraham believe that additional study is unnecessary because
independent advice by Bender and Briel (1979) favors Enewetak
resettlement. They allege that President Kabua is motivated by
funding and politics and is not speaking for the majority of the
Enewetak people. (379) May 1980 RELOCATION
The Enewetak people return
to Enewetak Atoll. (380) Sep - Oct 1980 ADMINISTRATION MEDICAL RADIATION The DOE issues The Meaning of Radiation at Bikini Atoll to the Marshallese to explain the results of the 1978 survey. The report states that the Bikini people would be within U.S. radiation standards if they returned to Eneu Island under the provisions that they import 50 percent of their food and spend less than 10 percent of their time on Bikini island. (381)
The DOE presents and explains
"The Meaning of Radiation at Bikini Atoll" to the Bikini
people living on Kili. (382) 01 Oct 1980 ADMINISTRATION
Beginning in FY 1981 the LLL
dose assessment project the BNL whole body counting activities,
and the University of Washington Projects are transferred to the
DOE Office of Health and Environmental Research (OHER). (383)
30 Oct 1980 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
The LLNL issues Reassessment
of the Potential Radiological Doses for Residents Resettling Enewetak
Atoll. This report refines the dose predictions for various
living patterns proposed for the resettlement of Enewetak Atoll.
(384) 03 Dec 1980 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR MEDICAL
A Loma Linda University report
from a contract with the DOI on the four-atoll health plan concludes
that the best solution would be to improve the health care available
throughout the Marshall Islands. Neither the DOI nor the Marshall
Islands government officially endorses the plan. (385) 24 Dec 1980 AGREEMENT
P.L. 96-597 states that all
rights, title, and interests of the U.S. government in personal
property or property of the government of the T.T. of the Pacific
Islands located in the T.T. of the Pacific islands shall be transferred
without reimbursement by 1 October 1982 to the T.T. (386) 1981, 1982 CLAIMS
Fourteen petitions on behalf
of approximately 5,000 Marshall Islands inhabitants are filed
in the U.S. Court of Claims for property claims resulting from
the nuclear weapons testing program. The petitions are consolidated
into three cases: Juda vs. U.S., involving inhabitants of the
Bikini Atoll; Peter vs. U.S., concerning inhabitants of Enewetak
Atoll; and Nitol vs. U.S., including inhabitants of atolls and
islands that were not used as test sites. Juda vs. U.S. alleges
damages of $450 million. Peter vs. U.S. seeks damages of $500
million. Nitol vs. U.S. claims damages of $400 million in each
of the 12 cases, which total $4.80 billion. (387) 1981 CLAIMS LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
The Marshall Islands Testing
Litigation Project is initiated. A consortium of U.S. law firms
announces the filing of personal injury claims against the U.S.
government on behalf of more than 600 Marshallese. (388) 27 Feb 1981 ADMINISTRATION
Robert L Morgan, DOE acting
assistant secretary for defense programs, proposes a reorganization
of Defense Programs (DP) to comply with the reorganization of
DOE by Secretary James B. Edwards. Morgan recommends, among numerous
weapons responsibilities, that the deputy assistant secretary
for military application exercise direction over the office of
safety, environment and emergency actions. M. Whitley of DP prepares
these proposals for Morgan. (389) Mar 1981 POLICY RELOCATION Approximately 100 Enewetak people return to Ujelang from Enewetak because of lack of coconuts and other fresh fruits. (390)
Enewetak leaders petition
the U.N. Trusteeship Council to continue the trusteeship arrangement
with the U.S. after the agreement has been terminated with the
rest of Micronesia. (391) 07 Apr 1981 ADMINISTRATION
Following a DOE departmental
reorganization transferring the biological and environmental research
(BER) program from the former office of the assistant secretary
for the environment to the office of energy research (ER), N.
Douglas Pewitt, acting director of ER, proposes placing nonresearch
Marshall Islands projects related to medical surveillance in the
new office of the assistant secretary for environmental protection,
safety, and emergency preparedness (ASEP). (392) 27 May 1981 ADMINISTRATION
"DOE's MI activities
are at a crossroads," writes Tommy McCraw, DOE health physicist,
in response to Dr. Bruce Wachholz's question of who should manage
the DOE Marshall Islands program and whether NV should administer
it. McCraw mentions that disagreements have occurred between the
NV and headquarters staffs over who should manage the Marshall
Islands program and how it should be operated. The NV representatives,
says McCraw, have given the Marshallese the impression that the
NV has "almost endless resources" compared to the T.T.
officials. McCraw also states that the AEC and the ERDA management
"were never willing to formally give NV more responsibility
in the Marshalls than responsibility for logistics support."
According to McCraw, the DOE and its predecessors have received
no clear directions from Congress to provide radiological follow-up
in the Marshalls; moreover, McCraw finds that the DOE "currently
has no approved policy and no plan for these activities."
McCraw concludes that giving NV staff the responsibility for the
DOE Marshall Islands program will give the impression in Washington
and Majuro that the DOE wishes to provide leadership on Marshall
Islands matters that will require new responsibilities and enlarged
funding "with no end in sight." (393) 26 Oct 1981 - 20 Nov 1981 ADMINISTRATION
Citing a "very large
program growth," Herman E. Roser, DOE assistant secretary
for DP, on 26 October recommends and on 20 November DOE Secretary
Edwards approves a reorganization of DP to consolidate program
management areas and to delegate program management responsibilities
to three deputy assistant secretaries. Roser anticipates "continuing
management requirements for a major DOE mission area." (394)
1982 ADMINISTRATION CLAIMS CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Antolok, Cathelina, et al. vs. BNL, et al. is filed in U.S. District Court, Central District, California, charging that contractors, acting as agents of the U.S. government, caused physical injury and death and breached fiduciary duty to protect the health and well-being of the plaintiffs, who are Marshallese. Defendants include LLNL, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Battelle Memorial Institute, LANL, and Sandia Laboratories. The plaintiffs seek damages for past and future medical expenses, property damage, contamination of environment suffering and $4 billion in punitive damages. (395) The manager of NV proposes to consolidate all of the Marshall Islands office programs in the DOE DP office. (396)
BNL issues Medical Status
of Marshallese Accidently Exposed to 1954 Bravo Fallout Radiation:
January 1980 through December 1982. This report concludes
that there is no statistically significant difference between
the survival curves of the radioactively exposed and unexposed
groups. (397) 29 Jan 1982 RADIATION CONTRACTOR
LLNL issues "An Updated
Radiological Dose Assessment of Bikini and Eneu Islands at Bikini
Atoll," which addresses potential dose assessment after resettlement
at Bikini Atoll. (398) Feb 1982 ADMINISTRATION
The NV staff recommends that
it be given additional authority to implement the NEPA because
current procedures for environmental assessments and impact statements
slow down field action. The NV request would diminish the authority
of the office of environmental protection, safety, and energy
preparedness (EP) at headquarters on environmental assessments
and impact statements. (399) 02 Mar 1982 ADMINISTRATION
Kristine Morris drafts a memorandum
for DOE Assistant Secretary of DP Herman E. Roser's signature
that recommends transferring the Marshall Islands programs from
EP to DP. She circulates the draft to Roger Ray and Tom Cornwell
for comment. Cornwell suggests that Morris include more about
the history of U.S. government acquisition of the Marshalls for
nuclear testing and separate sections about the Burton Bill and
Safeguard "C." (400) 23 Mar 1982 ADMINISTRATION
Herman E. Roser urges the
Secretary of the DOE to transfer the Marshall Islands programs
from EP to DP. Roser supports his request by recalling that during
1977-1980 the DOE Enewetak Radiological Support Project "provided
the critical expertise" for the DNA $100 million clean-up
in the Marshall Islands. Roser adds that the DOE NV organized
and conducted the radiological survey of 288 islands in the northern
Marshalls as part of the DOE project. Recognizing that EP has
been responsible since 1977 for the Marshall Islands programs.
Roser explains that, except for the professional medical responsibilities,
the technical resources currently in the Marshall Islands are
primarily weapons-related and are part of the Safeguard "C"
program to maintain the capability to resume atmospheric testing.
"In fact," adds Roser, "much of the field effort
in the Marshall Islands is an exercise of the expeditionary capability
which is an important aspect of Defense Programs' Safeguard 'C.'"
Because most of the DOE logistic and support base "is common
to the Safeguard 'C' readiness program," DP should assume
direction and control of the DOE Marshall Island activities, Roser
concludes. (401) 25 Mar 1982 ADMINISTRATION
Kris Morris reports that Herman
E. Roser has signed the proposal to transfer the Marshall Islands
program to DP. The only issue is one of where to locate the program
in DP: in program support (PS) or safety, environment, and emergency
actions (SEEA). Morris recommends that the program be placed in
PS. She does not foresee the need for additional staff because
the bulk of the work is done in NV and the Pacific Area support
office (PASO). (402) Apr 1982 ADMINISTRATION
Dr. Charles W. Edington, associate
director of the DOE OHER, calls the linking of Safeguard "C"
to the Marshall Islands program "ludicrous." Edington
drafts an issue paper discussing the proposed transfer of the
Marshall Islands program to DP. The paper, which was never sent,
concludes: DP does not have the medical or technical staff to
manage the program and an association of the health care and radiological
monitoring programs to the weapons program will destroy any pretense
of objectivity. OHER sees no point in continuing research at the
Mid-Pacific Marine Laboratory. He perceives this attempt as another
effort to transfer management of the program to NV. Edington recommends
that if EP is unveiling to retain the program that it be transferred
to ER/EHER instead of DP. He also acknowledges the differences
of opinion between the DOE and NV on DOE's role in the Marshall
islands: while the DOE maintains that it is an advisor to the
DOI and the DOD, NV has led the Marshallese to believe that the
DOE has a greater responsibility than is the case. (403) 14 Apr 1982 ADMINISTRATION
J. W. Thiessen, acting deputy
associate director of EP, opposes the recommendation of Roser
to transfer the Marshall Islands program to DP. Thiessen believes
that Roser's recommendation results from pressures from NV to
take over the policy direction of a program in which NV has had
only logistic support responsibility. According to Thiessen, DP
also wants the program control in order to retain the Mid-Pacific
Research Laboratory on Enjebi Island. Thiessen fears that if the
program is transferred to DP, then headquarters would not be consulted
adequately. Moreover, Thiessen thinks that the DOE should dose
the Mid-Pacific Research Laboratory because it has been inactive
for several year. He recommends that if EP wishes to drop the
program, then the Marshall Islands project should be transferred
back to his office. (404) 13 May 1982 ADMINISTRATION
Herman E. Roser, A.W. Trivelpiece,
assistant secretary for ER, and Vaughn, assistant secretary for
EP, discuss the transfer of the Marshall Islands programs. ER's
position is that although ER does not want to manage the programs,
it will contribute expertise and fundine Vaughn sees EP as an
oversight office but does not have a prepared position. Roser
declares that EP has managed the programs poorly and that if DP
receives the programs it will establish immediately a headquarters
task force to determine future policy. (405) 30 May 1982 AGREEMENT
The United States and the
Marshall Islands sign the Compact of Free Association (COFA).
(406) Sep 1982 RELOCATION RADIATION
NV issues Enewetak Radiological
Support Project, Final Report, which documents the technical
and logistical accomplishments of the ERSP, directed by NV. According
to this paper, the ERSP gave DNA technical advice on the cleanup
and reported the final radiological condition of each of the atoll's
forty-three islets. (407) 30 Sep 1982 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory (LLNL) issues The Northern Marshall Islands Radiological
Survey: Terrestrial Food Chain and Total Doses (1982 Report),
which is the official documentation of the radiation survey of
the northern Marshall Islands in 1978. (408) 01 Oct 1982 AGREEMENT The U.S. and the Federated States of Micronesia conclude a Compact of Free Association and establish a relationship of Free Association between the two governments. (409)
The U.S. and the RMI sign
an agreement concluded pursuant to section 234 of COFA that transfers
the titles of lands owned but no longer needed by the U.S. government
to the governments of the Marshall Islands. (410) 19 Oct 1982 AGREEMENT
P.L 97-357 amends P.L 96-597
of 24 December 1980 by replacing the 1 October 1982 deadline with
"by a date not later than ninety days following termination
of the trusteeship agreement governing the administration of the
T.T. of the Pacific Islands." (411) 28 Oct 1982 - 5 Nov 1982 ADMINISTRATION
On 28 October Herman E. Roser
concurs with the transfer of Marshall Islands programs and the
Nevada Dose Reassessment effort from EP to DP with the expectations
that the FY 1983 and 1984 monies for these programs also will
be transferred to DP. On 5 November William A. Vaughan, assistant
secretary for environmental protection, safety, and emergency
preparedness, signs the recommendation for transfer of these two
EP programs to DP and another EP program, radiological surveys
and certification, to the assistant secretary for nuclear energy.
Among the arguments cited against the Marshall Islands program
transfer in an unsigned attachment to Vaughan's 29 October memorandum
to DOE Secretary Edwards are: DP has limited headquarters medical,
health, or environmental expert staff to direct the program, and
"historically, EP has retained management of the program
because of its perceived expertise." In that same document
proponents of that transfer contend that the Marshall islands
program is primarily operational and related to past weapon testing,
a major DP activity; that NV manages the logistical support in
the Pacific for DP; and that EP handling represents a conflict
with the EP oversight role. (412) Nov 1982 MEDICAL RADIATION
The DOE issues Melelen
Radiation Ilo Ailin ko Ituion Ilo Majol. ko Rar Etali Ilo 1978
(The Meaning of Radiation for Those Atolls in the Northern Part
of the Marshall Islands That Were Surveyed in 1978) to the
Marshallese to explain the results of the 1978 measurements for
Rongelap, Utirik, Taka, Rongerik, Ailinginae, Likiep, Ailuk, Jemo,
Mejit, Wotho, and Ujelang Atolls. According to Tommy McCraw, the
400 mRem/yr exposure rate "on page 39" appears to be
an erroneous value not supported by whole-body monitoring. McCraw
says that "the value should be less than 100 mRem/year,"
provided the food restriction remains effective. (413) 8-9 Dec 1982 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL RADIATION
DOE representatives and contractors
from the PNL and LLNL meet with Marshall Islanders at Majuro to
explain the 1978 radiological survey. No T.T. representative attends.
Roger Ray serves as the DOE spokesman, and Tommy McCraw attends
as an observer. The Marshallese ask why only certain islands were
included in the survey; which areas are safe with respect to health;
and how the radiation affects people's health. According to McCraw,
the Marshallese/English book was "well received," and
Ray was effective in responding to the purpose and findings of
the survey. Nevertheless, McCraw is upset because "some of
the Marshallese at the meeting appeared surprised, confused, and
skeptical of Roger's statements that food from Enjebi Island and
from the northern islands at Rongelap could be eaten with certain
qualifications, and that the people should make up their own judgments
based upon cancer risk estimates and upon the need for food."
McCraw regards Ray's advice as incompatible with the DOE policy
of adhering to federal and international radiation protection
standards and giving DOE-coordinated radiological advice and assistance
to the DOI and the T.T. high commissioner. According to McCraw,
Ray's statements on the consumption of Enjebi and northern islands
food were not coordinated with the DOE. McCraw considers this
episode a continuation of a difference of opinion between DOE
headquarters safety staff and NV that started when NV became involved
in the Enewetak cleanup. (414) 1983 CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP RELOCATION Congress creates the Bikini Atoll Rehabilitation Committee (BARC) to investigate and report to Congress on the feasibility and cost of rehabilitating Bikini Atoll. The BARC is funded by the DOI. (415)
The Marshall Islands Legislature
passes a resolution supporting a relocation request to the U.S.
Congress by the Rongelapese. (416) Jan 1983 ADMINISTRATION CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP MEDICAL
Committee Print No. 3 prepared
by the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee
on Public Lands and National Parks recommends that the committee
reiterate to the administration the congressional intent in P.L.
96-205 that the U.S. provide health care for the Marshallese adversely
affected by the U.S. nuclear tests in the Pacific. (417)
At the suggestion of the DOE
assistant general counsel for general litigation, the deputy assistant
secretary for defense programs creates an informal litigation
support working group to coordinate litigation support activities.
This group's work will include support on cases filed by Marshall
Islands inhabitants for claims arising from the atmospheric nuclear
testing in the Pacific. (418) 11 Jan 1983 ADMINISTRATION
Assistant Secretary for DP
Herman E. Roser concurs in the transferring of the EP Marshall
Islands and Dose Assessment Programs to DP with the understanding
that the FY 1984 funding levels of $4.15 million and $1.4 million
also go to DP because the FY 1984 DP budget contains no money
for these programs.(419) 26 Jan 1983 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR MEDICAL RADIATION
Replying to Tommy McCraws
critique of the 8-9 December 1982 DOE meeting with
Marshallese
at Majuro, Roger Ray denies that representatives
of the DOE and
contractors made or advocated any change in DOE policy
or that
he made statements incompatible with past policy.
Ray explains
As to the alleged confusion
on the part of our Marshallese hosts I would say
that if there
were not some confusion it would suggest that we
were not communicating
effectively. I have never yet attended a public meeting
on radiation
matters where the complexity of the subject did not
evoke some
degree of confusion and concern.
Ray quotes from the meeting
transcript to highlight the impressions of two Marshallese
representatives.
A member of the parliament tells Ray "that we
can now ask
things that we want to know and feel comfortable,
we want to build
on this relationship of sharing information with
each other."
At the end of the meetings the RMI chief secretary,
representing
the RMI president, expresses "our extreme gratitude
... for
the teams coming .... for this kind of setting we
are able to
sit down face to face ... discuss these matters,
raise questions
and get answers or at least have them raised so the
answers can
be forthcoming eventually."(420)
14 Feb 1983 ADMINISTRATION
According to Maj. Gen. William
W. Hoover, DOE director of military application,
Roser has placed
program management of the Marshall Islands program
in the OMA
division of program support. Hoover then designates
the NV as
the lead office to manage this program on a daily
basis. The FY
1984 Marshall Islands funding will be included under
the weapons
program. NV will be responsible for the FY 1985 Marshall
Islands
budget that will cover LLNL, BNL, H&N and University
of Hawaii
activities. Headquarters staff involved in the Marshall
Islands
program are Ralph Ross and Kristine Morris. (421)
29 Mar 1983- 4 Apr 1983 ADMINISTRATION K Dean Helms, DOE director of organization and management systems, recommends on 29 March and William S. Heffelfinger, DOE director of administration, approves on 4 April the transfer of $4.15 million and 0.25 of a full-time equivalent position from EP to DP for the Marshall Islands program. According to Helms, no incumbent of an occupied position qualifies for a direct transfer under the Marshall Islands program. Helms attributes the Marshall Islands program transfer to "a result of EP concerns that these program management responsibilities compromised their ability to carry out their basic oversight role." (422)
09 Jun 1983 ADMINISTRATION
At the request of the DOE/DP
the Marshall islands Planning Group (MIPG) is established
at NV.
Its purpose is to "review and make recommendations
on the
technical content of our Marshall islands programs,
to ensure
our legal obligations were met, and to undertake
long-term planning,
recognizing the changing political relationship between
our government
and that of the Republic of the Marshall Islands."(423)
25 Jun 1983 AGREEMENT
Because of revisions and the
conclusion of a subsequent agreement the U.S. and
the Marshall
Islands sign for a second time the COFA and all of
its subsidiary
agreements. (424)
One of these agreements, for
the implementation of section 177 of the COFA, sets
forth provisions
for the settlement of all claims, for the continued
administration
by the U.S. of direct medical surveillance and treatment
programs
and radiological monitoring and for the assumption
of responsibility
for enforcement of limitations on the use of affected
areas by
the RMI with assistance by the U.S. (425)
07 Sep 1983 AGREEMENT
The electorate of the Marshall
Islands votes to approve the COFA. (426)
21 Oct 1983
MEDICAL
To date the DOI has not provided
the DOE with a development plan for the four-atoll
health program
and environmental research program. (427)
21 Oct - 03 Nov 1983 MEDICAL
CONTRACTOR
The BNL conducts a pediatrics
mission to Ebeye and Majuro. Community meetings are
held in both
Ebeye and Majuro to describe the mission and answer
questions.
The mission examines 190 children in Ebeye and 140
children from
Bikini Atol1. (428)
23 Nov 1983 CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP/FONT> RADIATION RELOCATION
The BARC interim report estimates
that it will cost about $100 million and take two
to four years
of on-site effort to resettle the islands of Bikini
and Eneu.
The main approaches to decontamination are those
permitting resettlement
if radioactive contamination is minimal with the
proviso that
no local foods except fish will be eaten for a specified
period
and the removal of contaminated soil, especially
where radiological
contamination is high. (429)
1984 ADMINISTRATION The DOE terminates its resident scientific program at Enewetak because of operational and funding constraints. The DOE continues to maintain a small field station at Enewetak to support scientific trips and limited operations. (430)
31 Jan 1984 MEDICAL PLUTONIUM RADIATION While expecting the RMI to take over most of the functions and responsibilities of the NV Marshall Island Programs, the NV recommends a Marshall Islands program plan for FY 1985-1989 that recognizes that the U.S. government is responsible for the lifetime medical care for the 178 remaining individuals who were exposed to radioactive fallout from Castle Bravo. The NV also advocates continuing the dose projections for Enewetak and Bikini to support future resettlement decisions and a data bank program, a U.S. government repository for all pertinent environmental and dose assessment information. NV recommends two missions a year to study plutonium uptake of Rongelap residents and of people residing in Bikini during the 1970s. (431)
10 Feb 1984 ADMINISTRATION Since last September the MPRL has not had a resident scientist at Enewetak. Although the laboratory has been inactive, the DOE has kept it maintained and operable. The USGS, with the cooperation of the DOE, is planning an expedition to Enewetak in summer 1984 that will require the use of the laboratory. (432) Mar 1984 RELOCATION
A complete brushing operation
is initiated on Enewetak. All non-cultivated foliage
will be chopped
down and left to decompose to add humus to the soil
and assist
in maintaining moisture and providing natural nutrients.
(433) 30 Mar 1984 AGREEMENT The President transmits the COFA to Congress. (434) 01 May 1984 CLAIMS RADIATION RELOCATION The people of Bikini file a class action suit against the executive branch of the U.S. government. The plaintiffs seek declaratory and equitable relief, the radiological cleanup of Bikini Atoll, the restoration of the atoll to its former condition, and speedy resettlement of the Bikini people to their atoll. (435)
03 May 1984 ADMINISTRATION
DP's role in the Marshall
Islands Program includes: provision of medical surveillance
and
care to persons accidentally exposed to radiation
during the Castle
Bravo test, radiological studies of the environment
and monitoring
of the population living on the atolls, and the logistical
support
of these two activities. The DOI is developing the
four-atoll
health plan for submission to Congress. No DP funding
is involved
in the development or implementation of the hearth
plan. (436) 15 May 1984 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR PASO issues the Operations Plan, Mission Number 7, FY 1984, for a June 1984 trip to Utirik, Rongelap and Enewetak as part of the bioassay program conducted by BNL. (437)
25 May 1984 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR MEDICAL T.T. High Commissioner Janet J. McCoy expresses gratitude to Maj. Gen. William W. Hoover, DOE deputy assistant secretary for military application, for assistance provided the T.T. administration by Roger Ray and DOE over the past three years, especially during "numerous critical phases of the Compact of Free Association approval process" before Congress. (438) Exceeding its mandate, the BNL conducts 434 complete medical examinations of the Marshallese during its visit to the Marshall Islands under P.L 95-134, which actually applies only to the 174 islanders affected by the 1954 Castle Bravo fallout. (439)
31 May 1984 POLICY Marshall islands Sen. Jeton Anjain informs W.J. Stanley of PASO that his constituents "will not attend the Radiological Safety Program next time if Mr. Harry Brown, DOE/PASO will accompany the Medical team to Rongelap, Majuro, and Ebeye."(See 20 Jul 84 for the response to this letter.) According to Anjain, the Marshallese "feel that Mr. Harry Brown always treats them like they are animals, every time he gives them little food he calls them as if they are chickens..." (440)
15 Jun 1984 MEDICAL
The DOI formulates a four-atoll
health care plan planned by the office of territorial
and international
affairs (OTIA) and based on site visits and consultation
with
OTIA, DOE, DOD, and the USPHS. (441)
5 Jul 1984
RELOCATION
The DOI asks the DOE for advice
on the resettlement of Eneu Island. The DOI would
like to determine
if Eneu Island can be resettled before the trusteeship
ends. (442) 20 Jul 1984
POLICY
In response to Sen. Anjain's
31 May 1984 letter, Roger Ray writes RMI President
Kabua that
"the allegations regarding the actions of Mr.
Harry Brown
are contradictory to my own observations, are in
conflict with
numerous complimentary reports, including comments
of officials
of your government and are unsupported by specifics."
Ray
believes that "it would be regrettable if deserving
people
entitled to DOE assistance under United States public
law were
denied such assistance because of actions by those
who, for whatever
reason, seek to embarrass the Department of Energy
or its duly
authorized program officials." Ray states that
the DOE will
continue to deliver the services authorized by the
U.S. Congress
and will welcome the advice, recommendations, and
requests from
the Marshall Islands government. (443)
01 Aug 1984 MEDICAL The DOE transfers $4 million to the DOI to fund the four-atoll health care plan. (444)
28 Aug 1984 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR RADIATION
Scientists at a meeting to
review the dosimetric data from the Marshall islands
determine
that it would be unlikely for an Eneu resident, consuming
a mix
of local and imported foods, to exceed an exposure
of 500 mrem
per year. The participants in the meeting include
representatives
from BNL, ORNL, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL),
NV, LLNL,
and PNL. (445)
The PASO issues the Operations
Plan, Mission Number 8, FY 1984, for a trip to Bikini
and Enewetak
by the LLNL in September 1984 as part of their programs
involving
the sampling, measurement, and cycling characteristics
of radionuclides
in the soil, water, air, and biota. (446)
21 Sep 1984 RELOCATION MEDICAL
In a revision of a letter
originally drafted by Roger Ray, DOI Secretary William
Clark asks
DOE Secretary Hodel if Bikinians can return to Eneu
Island before
the trusteeship ends.
In a draft of comments, the
DOE office of policy, plans, and analysis (PE) staff
recommends
no resettlement because the Bikinians have already
been overexposed;
the Bikini resettlement doses have been repeatedly
underestimated;
dietary restrictions did not work on Bikini Island;
and until
the Pu 239 problem is resolved no recommendation
or interpretation
of radiological conditions should be made. (447)
24 Sep 1984 ADMINISTRATION WEAPONS TESTING
The DOE and the DOD enter
into a memorandum of understanding for the planning
and support
for Safeguard "C". Johnston Atoll will
be retained for
the resumption of atmospheric testing if it is needed.
Nuclear
research and testing programs will be conducted to
maintain personnel
knowledgeable about nuclear testing, and other types
of experiments
will also be conducted at Safeguard "C"
facilities at
Johnston Atoll and the Hawaiian Islands to ensure
the continued
availability of the facilities. (448)
28 Sep 1984 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR MEDICAL
The PASO issues the Operations
Plan Number 1, FY 1985, for the October 1984 trip
to Utirik, Rongelap,
Ebeye, and Majuro as a part of the medical program.
The program
includes surveillance by BNL of Rongelap and Utirik
persons exposed
to fallout in 1954, monitoring of a control group
of unexposed
persons, and provisions for an expanded health care
program. (449) 09 Oct 1984 CONTRACTOR RADIATION
LLNL completes the pyrolytic
coconut processing unit and conducts preliminary
runs with Bikini
and control coconuts. These preliminary experiments
indicate that
the oil produced is relatively free of cesium 137
while the residual
charcoal contains most of the element. (450)
17 Oct 1984 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR The PASO issues the Operations Plan, Mission Number 2, FY 1985, for a November 1984 trip to Bikini Atoll as part of the LLNL's program to conduct terrestrial investigations to measure and analyze radionuclides in the environment. (451)
15 Nov 1984 ADMINISTRATION CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP CONTRACTOR RADIATION RELOCATION
The BARC submits Report
No. 1, Resettlement of Bikini Atoll: Feasibility
and Estimated
Cost of Meeting the Federal Radiation Protection
Standards
to Congress. The BARC states that the hazard of resettlement
stems
almost entirely from cesium 137 in the soil. The
BARC concludes
that Eneu may be resettled, but, depending on population
size,
some food may have to imported. Bikini may be resettled
only if
no food is grown or ground water consumed for 80
years. The Bikini-Kili
Council rejects this alternative because Bikini Island
would not
be decontaminated. (452)
30 Nov 1984 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION
To date, DP and the PE technical
people cannot agree on which DOE level of radiation
is an acceptable
risk in regard to the resettlement of Eneu. (453)
10 Dec 1984 RADIATION RELOCATION Prepared by PE for DOE Secretary Donald Hodel, a draft response to the DOI inquiry on the resettlement of Eneu Island states that the DOE is moving to implement the new ICRP and NCRP recommendations. According to the ICRP, exposures that continue year after year for a lifetime should not exceed an average of 100 mrem a year for the highest individual in any age group. The DOE can give no assurance that the resettlement of Eneu Island would be within these limitations. (454)
13 Dec 1984 ADMINISTRATION
The office of Micronesian
status negotiations (OMSN) meets on the status of
the COFA with
representatives from the Department of Justice (DOJ),
DOD, DOE,
DOI, and the Department of State. Because of pending
litigation
and legislation, one of the main issues discussed
is the feeling
of the DOJ and OMSN that any agency responding to
anyone on matters
of COFA should clear the response through DOJ attorneys
and OMSN
officials. (455)
14 Dec 1984 RADIATION
Roger Ray, deputy director
for DOE Pacific Operations informs the high commissioner
of the
T.T. of the results of the LLNL pyrolytic coconut
processing unit
experiments. An additional $30,000 may be available
for further
research, and Ray suggests that the additional funding
be made
available through the Marshall Islands memorandum
of understanding
with PASO. (456)
1985 AGREEMENT MEDICAL RELOCATION In mid-1985 the DOE and the DOI issue a memorandum of understanding to pool their efforts and work jointly on the scientific programs at Bikini Atoll. (457) NV determines that radiological follow-up of the exposed Rongelapese will not be continued after their relocation but that BNL medical examinations will continue. (458)
03 Jan 1985 RADIATION
Ray disagrees with McCraw
on Eneu resettlement. McCraw contends that an unexplained
difference
in the LLNL doses estimated for Rongelap, Bikini,
and Eneu islands
should be resolved before the DOE gives any more
advice to DOI.
Ray states that because current data from Eneu are
being used
to assess radiological safety, the consideration
of resettlement
should not be delayed. (459)
16 Jan 1985- 8 Feb 1985 ADMINISTRATION
Rep. Sidney Yates, chairman
of the House Subcommittee on Interior and Related
Agencies, asks
DOE Secretary Hodel on 16 January to allow the BARC
to carry out
the full scope of its activities as directed by Congress.
The
DOE, DOI, DOJ, and OMSN attorneys take the position
that involvement
by DOE personnel in the activities of the BARC might
be used later
against the government if the lawsuit filed by the
Bikinians is
litigated. (460)
In response to Yates, DOE
Secretary Hodel agrees on 8 February to the importance
of a cooperative
effort between the DOE and the BARC. Because he is
moving to a
new agency, he will bring this matter to the attention
of the
new DOE secretary. (46l)
Feb 1985 RADIATION ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR
The PASO Mission Number 3,
FY 1985, is conducted on Bikini Atoll as part of
the terrestrial
investigations to measure and analyze radionuclides
in the environment
to help formulate dose assessments. (462)
12 Feb 1985 ADMINISTRATION
Ray notifies Dr. W. L Robison
of LLNL, "DOE party chief," that the DOE
has accepted
the recommendation of the chairman of the Micronesia
Interagency
Group and has suspended its direct involvement with
ELARC until
the Bikini litigation has been resolved. (463)
Mar 1985 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR MEDICAL RADIATION
The BNL issues Thyroid Absorbed
Dose for People at Rongelap, Utirik, and Sifo on
March 1, 1954.
This report concludes that the overall thyroid cancer
risk estimate
was in agreement with results published an the Japanese
exposed
at Nagasaki and Hiroshima. BNL scientists also "postulate
that the major route for intake of fallout was by
direct ingestion
of food prepared and consumed outdoors."(464)
1 Mar 1985 ADMINISTRATIVE CONTRACTOR MEDICAL
The PASO issues the Operations
Plan, Mission Number 4, FY 1985, for a March 1985
trip to Ebeye,
Majuro, Utirik, and Rongelap as part of the medical
surveillance
by BNL of persons exposed to fallout in 1954. The
plan includes
the monitoring of a control group of unexposed persons
and provisions
for an expanded health care program. (465)
13 Mar 1985 AGREEMENT RELOCATION
The Bikinians' suit against
the U.S. is settled with the signing of the Memorandum
of Agreement
which, along with the COFA and the Compact Section
177 Agreement
provides the means to accomplish the rehabilitation
and resettlement
of Bikini Atoll. The U.S. pledges to facilitate rehabilitation
and resettlement and to provide funds pursuant to
the Compact
Section 177 Agreement to assist resettlement. The
U.S. also agrees
to assist the HARC to conduct a series of surveys
and studies.
(466) 27 Apr 1985 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR RADIATION
The PASO issues the Operations
Plan, Mission Number 5, FY 1985, for a trip to Bikini
Atoll in
April-May 1985 as part of the LLNL's terrestrial
investigations
to measure and analyze radionuclides in the environment.
This
effort is an integrated mission with the BARC to
use the scientific
work done by the LLNL to complement the Brace's task
of investigating
how radioactive contamination can be reduced while
respecting
the biological and environmental integrity of the
atoll. The DOE
and the DOI are working out a satisfactory arrangement
for the
LLNL BARC arrangement. (467)
1 May 1985 CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
Representing the council and
people of Enewetak before the Subcommittee on Interior
of the
House Committee on Appropriations, David P. Anderson
of the law
firm of Wilma, Culture and Picketing cites increasing
concern
that the transition from territorial status to COFA
will occur
without ensuring the continuation of government programs
on Enewetak
and without compensating the claims of the Enewetak
people. According
to Anderson, the most important Enewetakese concern
is that the
U.S. "adequately provide for the rehabilitation
and resettlement
of Enjebi."(468)
10 May 1985 AGREEMENT MEDICAL
The current strategy of the
BNL medical program required in PL 85-134 includes
an annual cancer-related
examination for the exposed Marshallese. (469)
20 May 1985 RADIATION RELOCATION In response to a DOI inquiry on the habitability of Eneu Island, the DOE advises that resettlement with reasonable care to decrease exposures, such as substituting imported food for a major portion of the local coconut product intake, would not expose individuals beyond the range established by ICRP of 100 mrem a year for life-long exposure. (470)
21 May 1985 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL RADIATION
An outline of the Marshall
Islands program lists BNL responsible for medical,
radiation safety,
and dose reassessment; the LLNL responsible for radioecology
studies,
radiation dose assessment and a radiological data
bank; and H&N
responsible for general support. (471)
22 May 1985 RADIATION RELOCATION
Because of a fear of lingering
contamination, 327 Rongelapese move from Rongelap
to Mejato Island,
Kwa'jawin Atoll. Ray states that radiation levels
on Rongelap
pose no health problems. McCraw protests that the
DOE did not
correct the erroneous high exposure prediction for
the Rongelapese
in the 1982 Marshallese English booklet. (472)
20 Jun 1985 RADIATION RELOCATION Michael Wygant, a Department of State status liaison officer on Saipan; DOE; and U.S. military officials visit the Rongelapese on Mejato Island. The Rongelapese express their displeasure with Mejato Island. Although the Rongelapese publicly state that their new residence is permanent, the U.S. government visitors find indications that this may not be a permanent move. (473)
22 Jul 1985 RADIATION RELOCATION ADMINISTRATION
Analyzing the May 1985 Rongelap
Atoll evacuation, McCraw traces the beginning of
the situation
to the 8-9 December 1982 meeting at Majuro Atoll
on the results
of the 1978 survey. At this meeting the Rongelap
people were told
to make their own decisions regarding the consumption
of food.
Next BNL measurements of whole body exposures in
1982 and 1983
revealed an increase partially caused by the increased
consumption
of food from more contaminated islands at Rongelap.
McCraw believes
that "this appears to have been profoundly disturbing
experience
for some Marshallese and an action that undermines
confidence
in the DOE and the United States. The Rongelap people
followed
the advice they were given, made the judgment to
not accept the
risk, and left their atoll."transfer of the
Marshall Islands
program to DP McCraw believes that "DP's interest
in the
program appears to have primarily the altruistic
interests of
one person who wanted to change radiological rules
used in the
Marshalls, rules that were causing hardships through
the loss
of contaminated land. EP's ignoble interest in transferring
the
program to DP was apparently to get rid of a hot-potato,
and had
nothing to do with Safeguard C."(474)
Aug 1985 RADIATION
Reflecting a change in the
DOE radiation protection policy, William Vaughan
signs a memorandum
that states, "It is DOE policy to follow the
guidance of
the National Council on Radiation Protection and
Measurements
(NCRP) to the fullest extent practicable...."Previously
radiation standards were derived from federal requirements
recommended
by the Federal Radiation Council (FRC) and approved
by the President.
(475) 02 Aug 1985 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR
The PASO issues the Operations
Plan, Mission Number 7, FY 1985, for an expedition
to Enewetak
on 7-21 August 1985 by the Marine Science Institute
of the University
of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) to study crustaceans
through
the University of Hawaii's Institute of Marine Biology
(HIMB),
funded by the DOE. (476)
05 Aug 1985 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR
The PASO issues the Operations
Plan, Mission Number 8, FY 1985, for an August 1985
trip to Enewetak,
lcili, and Majuro as part of BNL's urine bioassay
program. (477) Oct - Nov 1985 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL
During the BNL medical team
visit to RMI the team makes its first visit to Mejato
to examine
the Rongelapese who moved there in May 1985. The
scientists determine
that more children than usual were not maintaining
their position
on the growth charts. After comparing the growth
curves with similar
charts of Utirik children, the team suggests possibility
of childhood
malnutrition. (478)
10 Dec 1985 LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
The RMI requests that upon
the enactment of U.S. legislation to implement the
COFA that the
DOE continue the radiological health program for
certain people
of Rongelap and Utirik and USDA continue agriculture
and food
programs for the people of Bikini and Enewetak. (479)
13 Dec 1985 ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
Congress passes P.L 99-239,
which includes approval of the COFA (480)
According to Harry Brown of
the NV, the major provisions of interest to the DOE
in the COFA
are:
* The payment under subsection
177;
* The provision of special
medical care to the exposed peoples of Rongelap and
Utirik;
* Unreimbursed technical and
other assistance for the first five years after the
effective
date for the agricultural maintenance and food programs
for the
Enewetakese and Bikinians and waterbome transportation
of agricultural
products to Enewetak;
* The RMI use of section 177
funds to contract with qualified scientists to review
DOE data
on the habitability of Rongelap;
* A report within a year,
upon the request of the RMI, on the time and circumstances
for
resettlement of Enjebi; and
* The U.S. commitment to restore
Bikini Atoll and funding authorization. (481)
23 Dec 1985 ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT The DOE recognizes goals included in the passage of the COFA. The espousal of claims against the U.S. by the RMI government for damage and injuries resulting from nuclear testing and designation of the U.S. president as the official responsible for deciding which cabinet-level secretary should be responsible for the radiological health care of the Marshallese. (482)
14 Jan 1986 AGREEMENT LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
President Ronald W. Reagan
signs P.L 99-239. (DOE responsibilities outlined
in P.L 99-239
are addressed throughout the chronology.) Issues
are addressed
that are implemented through the Section 177 agreement.
The act
concerns such matters as the restoration of the habitability
of
Ronielap Island and the review of the DOE's data
collected on
radiation on Rongelap, Enjebi Island resettlement,
and Bikini
Atoll cleanup. The act declares that it is the policy
of the U.S.
to fulfill its responsibility to restore Bikini Atoll
to habitability
and authorizes appropriation of the funds necessary
to implement
the settlement agreement in The People of Bikini,
et al. vs. the
United States of America. (483)
15 Jan 1986 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR MEDICAL The current Marshall Islands programs include medical programs conducted by the BNL, environmental sampling and the DOE assessments by the LLNL, bioassay monitoring by BNL, and logistical support provided by the PASO through H&N. (484)
21-25 Jan 1986 ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
Harry Brown travels to Majuro,
Enewetak, and Kwajalein to orient PASO Director Joseph
H. Dryden
with the area. At Majuro Brown and Dryden discuss
approval of
the COFA, and at Enewetak the DOE role at Enewetak
under the COFA.
(485) 6 Feb 1986 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR RADIATION
The PASO issues the Operation
Plan, Mission Number 3, FY 1986, for a February-March
1986 LLNL/BARC
trip to Bikini Atoll and a LLNL trip to Enewetak
and Rongelap
atolls for terrestrial investigations to measure
and analyze radionuclides
and the emulation of dose assessments to individuals.
The LLNL
and the BARC have agreed to collaborate on scientific
field work
on Bikini under the DOE sponsorship. (486)
Mar - Apr 86 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR MEDICAL
The BNL medical team conducts
medical examinations for 353 adults in the Marshall
islands. (487) 22 May 1986 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
The MIPC issues Recommendations
on Post Compact of Free Association Programs by the
U.S. Department
of Energy Relative to Post Nuclear Testing in the
Marshall lslands
that includes recommendations on certain DOE programs
after the
termination of the trusteeship. The MIPG recommends
that the DOE
continue to provide the special health care programs
to those
exposed to Castle Bravo and complete environmental
assessments
and dose predictions for the next three years to
meet COFA commitments.
After three years technical assistance will be available
to the
RMI on a reimbursable basis. BNL proposes to analyze
urine samples
for plutonium by using the new fission track etch
technique. According
to Harry Brown, LLNL researchers have questioned
the reliability
of this method. (488)
late May 1986 ADMINISTRATION CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP MEDICAL RADIATION RELOCATION
Representatives of BARC, LLNL,
PASO, H&N, and NV visit Bikini Atoll to orient
congressional
staff to DOE BARC work at Bikini. At a 28 May 1986
meeting requested
by the Bikinians the congressional and DOI staffs
express the
desire for DOE to finish experiments that will lead
to decisions
on the cleanup. (489)
Jul 1986 ADMINISTRATION Because of the impending termination of the T.T. government the DOE makes a field visit to the field station in Enewetak to review operations, initiate rollup activities, and to discuss matters and plans with the Enewetak Council. (490)
18 Jul 1986 AGREEMENT CONTRACTORS
To protect the Enewetak people,
DOE NV and DNA sign an agreement for monitoring the
Cactus Crater
Storage Structure, which contains radiologically
contaminated
soil and debris on Runit Island, Enewetak Atoll.
The DOE/NV will
provide the services of its contractors to monitor
the storage
facility, and the DNA will reimburse the DOE/NV for
routine and
special monitoring. (491)
21 July 1986 ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT RADIATION RELOCATION The U.S. and the RMI sign an agreement on the resettlement of Enjebi Island. Under the agreement, the Marshall Islands government requests the U.S. to monitor the radiation and other conditions on Enjebi and report back to the Marshall Islands government within a year. The U.S. report will address the question of if and when the U.S. can arrange for the Enjebi people to resettle safely at Enjebi. If Enjebi can be resettled, the report will explain how the radioactive contamination there, including that from consumption of locally grown food, can be reduced or controlled to meet whole body federal radiation protection standards for the general population. Under the agreement if Enjebi can be resettled within 25 years of the enactment of P.L 99-239, the Enjebi Community Trust Fund can be used for community development. If Enjebi cannot be resettled within that time, the agreement calls for the trust fund to be used for resettlement elsewhere of the Enjebi people. The RMI requests the Enjebi monitoring and the DOE agrees that by 20 July 1987 a report will be made. (492) The U.S. and the RMI sign an agreement to assure that lands on Ejit Island remain available for use by the people of Bikini until Bikini is restored and inhabitable. (493) The U.S. and the RMI sign an agreement regarding the implementation of U.S. economic assistance, programs, and services provided in COFA. (494)
Aug 1986 CONTRACTOR RELOCATION
H&N and members of the
Bikini Planning Council conduct a fact-finding visit
to Bikini
Atoll to inspect Eneu Island and existing-facilities
and to develop
preliminary design concepts for the base facilities
and the most
cost-efficient way to develop them. (495)
28 Aug - 13 Sep 1986 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL
The BNL medical team on a
mission to Kwajalein, Uterik, Mejato, Ebeye, and
Majuro conducts
follow-up examinations of the Marshallese. (496)
5 Sep 1986 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR
In the DOE briefings and discussions
with the RMI the current Marshall Islands medical,
environmental,
bioassay, and logistics support programs are outlined.
(497) 30 Sep 1986 CONTRACTOR MEDICAL Edward T. Lessard of BNL presents "Review of Marshall Islands Fallout Studies,"which summarizes the various studies that have been conducted to determine the level of radiological exposures to the Marshallese (498) FY 1987, 1988, 1989 AGREEMENT CONTRACTOR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
The Marshall Island dose assessment
and environmental programs respond to the requirements
stated
in COFA. The three relevant requirements are: a review
of the
Rongelap dose assessments and restoration for rehabilitation
of
Rongelap, if required; a dose assessment of Enjebi
Island; and
recommendations on resettlement and rehabilitation
of Bikini Atoll.
!he LLNL conducts most of these tasks. (499)
10 Oct 1986 AGREEMENT
The agreement for implementation
of the COFA is signed by the U.S. and the RMI. (500)
15 Oct 1986 CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY The DOI and the DOE are directed to develop a plan for providing federal funding for the continuing activities of the LLNL and the BARC on Bikini Atoll after FY 1987. A report on this plan must be submitted to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations by 1 February 1987. (501)
21 Oct 1986 AGREEMENT The COFA becomes effective. (502)
10-15 Nov 1986 ADMINISTRATION CONTRACTOR The purpose of this DOE and H&N trip to Enewetak and Bikini is to discuss with the Enewetak community the uncertainties of the DOE's Marshall Islands program beyond FY 1987; to suggest that the DOI and Enewetak look for alternatives to the DOE H&N for food and agriculture; and to evaluate LLNL BARC progress at Bikini in radiological assessment. (503)
14 Nov 1986 CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY MEDICAL
In P.L. 99-658 Congress approves
and provides for U.S. interpretation of the COFA.
Congress directs
the DOE and the DOI to submit a report to the House
and Senate
Committees on Appropriations each fiscal year that
will detail
how funds were spent during the previous fiscal year
for the special
medical care and logistical support programs for
Rongelap and
Utirik and for the agriculture and food programs
for Enewetak
and Bikini. The reports should also specify anticipated
needs
regarding these programs. Congress states that these
programs
represent "special and continuing moral commitments
of the
United States which will be annually funded to the
extent of the
need of the populations of such atolls for such assistance
(504) 1987 AGREEMENT
The first compensation payments
are made to the people of Bikini, Enewetak, Utirik,
and Rongelap
as outlined in Section 177 subsidiary agreement of
COFA. (505) Jan 1987 CONTRACTOR RELOCATION
H&N issues an engineering
study associated with the first phase of final resettlement
of
the Bikini people. Rehabilitation and resettlement
is expected
to be completed by the mid-1990s. The resettlement
program began
after the BARC determined at the Eneu Island on Bikini
Atoll is
safe for human habitation. (506)
CONTRACTOR
LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
MEDICAL
The DOE DP reports to the
House Committee on Appropriations, as required by
P.L. 99-658,
detailing how funds were spent in 1986 on the medical
program
for Rongelap and Utirik. The medical department of
BNL has responsibility
for the program. The DOE provides or arranges for
logistical support,
and all missions include a representative from the
DOE. Two ship-supported
medical missions were carried out in FY 1986. (507)
2-9 Mar 1987
MEDICAL
RADIATION
Harry Brown travels to Honolulu
and Majuro to discuss with RMI officials the four-atoll
health
plan and the independent review of DOE's assessment
of Rongelap.
(508)
30 Mar 1987
MEDICAL
The NV health, physics, and
experimental division (HPE) recommends that the LLNL
dosimetry
predictions be used in the resettlement decisions
of the Marshall
Islands and that the BNL fission track etch technique
be developed
and validated to measure plutonium levels in urine.
These decisions
are based on recommendations and comments of Marshall
Islands
Dosimetry Review Group (MIDRG) and consultants from
LLNL and BNL.
(509)
06 Apr 1987
RADIATION
The RMI seeks assistance from
the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in identifying
an individual
or organization to review the data collected by the
DOE and the
resulting conclusions concerning radiation levels
and other conditions
at Rongelap. (510)
22 Apr 1987
RADIATION
RELOCATION
John Sieg of the National
Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences
(NRC NAS)
asks Tommy McCraw of DOE about the Rongelap situation
and the
amount of available information because the Rongelapese
have requested
the NRC NAS to advise them on whether they can safely
return to
Rongelap Atoll. (511)
27 Apr 1987 - 23 May 1987
MEDICAL
CONTRACTOR
The BNL conducts its annual
medical mission to Kwajalein Ebeye, Majuro, and Uterik.
During
this trip town meetings are held prior to the examinations
to
describe the work and answer questions. (512)
30 Apr 1987
RADIATION
In comments on the DOE draft order, DOE 5480.XX "Radiation
Protection of the Public and
the Environment," Tommy McCraw questions the
new policy that
would create DOE radiation protection standards "consistent
with the recommendations of the NCRP and the ICRP
and the guidance
and standards issued by EPA." McCraw believes
that, "the
Department needs; Federal Regulations that have been
approved
at the highest levels, not recommendations lifted
from ICRP and
NCRP reports." He recommends that the introductory
statement
for DOE radiation policy should be: "DOE implements
the Federal
radiation protection policy and regulations recommended
by the
EPA and approved by the President for the protection
of the public
and environment. DOE operations will be considered
to be in compliance
with radiation protection requirements when basic
Federal regulations
are met." (513)
15 May 1987
ADMINISTRATION
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
The DOE proposes to provide
and fund in FY 1988 and beyond the medical program
for the Marshallese
exposed to fallout in the 1954 test Castle Bravo.
(514)
20 May 1987
MEDICAL
RADIATION
Tommy McCraw urges that the
DOE should correct its own mistakes and develop a
Marshallese
English report that presents the correct information
on Rongelap
exposures, "one that places this information
in proper perspective
using radiation standards with emphasis on the continuing
need
for restrictions on northern island foods,";
as well as providing
information on medical issues. (515)
10 Jun 1987
ADMINISTRATION
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION
An external review of the
LLNL's Marshall Islands dosimetry, conducted by the
Marshall Islands
Dosimetry Group (MIDG), finds that the dosimetry
is appropriate
and that the BNL technique for plutonium bioassay
is worthy of
continued support. HPE established MIDG to assess
this program.
(516)
01 Jul 1987
ADMINISTRATION
CONTRACTOR
RADIATION
The PASO issues Operations
Plan 87-5, Mission Number 5, FY 1987, for an August
1987 LLNL
BARC trip to Enewetak and Bikini Atolls as part of
their terrestrial
investigations. (517)
10 Jul 1987
ADMINISTRATION
AGREEMENT
DOI Order Number 3119 delegates
the authority of the Secretary of the Interior for
the T.T. to
the assistant secretary, territorial and international
affairs,
who will guarantee that all obligations and responsibilities
under
the 1947 trusteeship are fulfilled. (518)
24 Jul 1987
ADMINISTRATION
AGREEMENT
The DOE agrees to provide
assistance to the DOI and the BARC for the Enewetak
food-related
programs and the ELARC work at Bikini. (519)
Aug 1987
CONTRACTOR
RADIATION
The RMI contracts with Dr.
Henry Kohn, chairman of the BARC, to review the 1982
DOE report
on the risks of resettling Rongelap and to assesses
the adequacy
of the data on which the report was based. (520)
01 Aug 1987
RADIATION
CONTRACTOR
H&N reports that the Runit
concrete dome's structural integrity is not impaired
and there
are no radiation leaks. (521)
07 Aug 1987
MEDICAL
The journal of the American
Medical Association (JAMA) publishes, "Thyroid
Neoplasia
in Marshall Islanders Exposed to Nuclear Fallout"
by Thomas
E. Hamilton, Gerald van Belle, and James P. LoGerfo
from the University
of Washington. Using results from examinations of
7,266 Marshallese
from 14 atolls, including southern atolls, the authors
studied
the risk of thyroid neoplasia in Marshall Islanders
exposed to
radioiodines from Castle Bravo. Their study reveals
that "an
excess of thyroid nodules was not limited only to
the two northern
atolls but extended throughout the northern atolls;
this suggests
a linear dose-response relationship."(522)
25 Aug 1987
RADIATION
RELOCATION
The RMI announces the selection
of Dr. Henry I. Kohn to conduct the reassessment
of the 1982 report.
(523)
27 Aug 1987
ADMINISTRATION
AGREEMENT
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
The PASO issues Operations
Plan, Mission Number 87-6, for a September-October
1987 trip to
Ebeye, Majuro, Utirik, and Meiato as part of medical
surveillance
by BNL on people exposed during Castle Bravo, This
will be the
fifth visit to the Rongelapese on Mejato Island,
Kwajalein Atoll
(524) To enable the
DOE to withdraw as soon Enewetak annual food
supply, agricultural, and other rehabilitation programs
to train
local personnel and set up a system in which the
Marshallese operate
the programs. the DOI will request $2,149,900 worth
of work through
a support agreement made by the DOE. The funds will
provide agricultural-clearing
and fertilization, special studies, a Bikini dock
design, and
a plan for Eneu. (525)
Sep 1987
MEDICAL
CONTRACTOR
BNL conducts a follow-up medical
trip to conduct examinations for the exposed people
of Rongelap
and Utirik. (526)
21 Sep 1987
ADMINISTRATION
Representatives of the RMI,
the U.S. government, and the Enewetak local government
council
discuss the five-year continuation of the Enewetak
agriculture
and food program and establish a working group to
develop recommendations
for the U.S Congress regarding this program in FY
1989 and beyond.
(527)
01 Oct 1987
AGREEMENT
MEDICAL
RADIATION
The DOI reaches an understanding
with the RMI that the target for a full takeover
of the Enewetak
programs will be by the end of FY 1989. The food,
agricultural,
and other programs will be turned over to the Enewetak
government
by the end of FY 1988. (528)
05 Oct 1987
ADMINISTRATION
CONTRACTOR
The PASO issues Operations
Plan 88-1, which outlines a wato, or family landholding
line survey
to identify, mark, and record all wato lines on Bikini
by H&N
from 19-26 October 1987. (529)
12 Oct 1987
ADMINISTRATION
CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
CONTRACTOR
RADIATION
The PASO issues Operations
Plan 88-2, Mission Number 2, FY 88, for a November-December
1987
trip to Bikini, Rongelap, and Majuro by the LLNL
to conduct terrestrial
investigations and to measure and analyze radionuclides
in the
environment. The BARC -Will collaborate on the scientific
field
work at Bikini. (530)
14 Oct 1987
ADMINISTRATION
AGREEMENT
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
RADIATION
The DOE's positions on Bikini
scientific programs are as follows: the medical program
will continue
for the next several years and will include monitoring;
the radiological
safety program conducted by BNL is important to verify
predictions
of exposure to returning Bikinians; and a LLNL Environmental
program
"follow-on" program is necessary to monitor
exposures
in relationship to the predictions. (531)
A memorandum of understanding
between the DOE and the Section 177 Health Plan,
authorized in
the COFA, insures that health care and services are
provided to
the Marshallese exposed to nuclear testing in a unified
coordinated,
and unduplicated manner. The Section 177 Health Plan
is the health
care program for the Marshallese authorized under
P.L 96-205 of
12 March 1960. No portion of the understanding can
be implemented
without the review and concurrence of the RMI Secretary,
Ministry
of Health Services. (532)
14 Oct 1987
ADMINISTRATION
RADIATION
MEDICAL
The MIPG reaches a consensus
that the whole body urine analysis program must be
conducted for
several years to determine dose predictions for Bikinians
and
the Enjebi people. (533)
10 Nov 1987
CLAIMS
The U.S. Claims Court dismisses
three claims cases, Juda vs. U.S., Peter vs. U.S.,
and Nitol vs.
U.S. The Court holds that the COFA withdrew the consent
of the
U.S. to be sued for claims of the Marshall Islanders
arising from
the nuclear testing program. (534)
16 Nov 1987
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
RADIATION
The DOE advocates a whole
body counting urine analysis program for people returning
to work
and live on Bikini Atoll. BNL and the LLNL draft
five-year plans
for the continuation of the medical and environmental
programs
on Bikini'. (535)
01 Dec 1987
ADMINISTRATION
The DOE is not budgeting for
Bikini work beyond FY 1988 on the basis that a resettlement
plan
and appropriations should include the programs as
part of the
overall effort. (536)
1988
RADIATION
CONTRACTOR
Anant R. Moorthy, Carl J.
Schopfer, and Sujit Banerjee of BNL publish, "Plutonium
from
Atmospheric Weapons Testing. Fission Track Analysis
of Urine Samples."
This article concerns a more accurate technique for
measuring
plutonium in urine and describes the analyses of
Marshallese urine
samples for plutonium levels that began at BNL in
1983. When analyzed
with the 1983 method, Photon Electron Rejection Alpha
Liquid Scintillation
Counting the samples appeared to contain higher rates
of plutonium
than when analyzed with the more accurate 1986 fission
track analysis.
According to BNL, earlier high plutonium results
from urinalyses
of Marshallese resulted also from contamination during
collection.
With the new method BNL expects to satisfy islanders'
plutonium
concerns. (537)
07 Jan 1988
ADMINISTRATION
CONTRACTOR
RADIATION
RELOCATION
The LLNL recommends potassium
treatment of the soil for the uptake of cesium 137
in the northern
Marshall Islands. (538)
The DOE/NV and the DOI sign
an amendment number one to a memorandum of agreement
for the establishment
of a base camp at Bikini Atoll. This amendment revises
the scope
of work for the Bikini Atoll Resettlement Project
to allow DOE
to hire an independent scientific consultant to review
the work
and provides the DOI with strengthened oversight
and accountability
for the funds. (539)
12 Jan 1988
ADMINISTRATION
MEDICAL
The office of emergency response
and program analysis is established as part of a
NV reorganization.
Harry Brown, Marshall Islands program manager, is
designated deputy
project manager of that office. This move necessitates
a review
of NV's management responsibility of the DOE's Marshall
Islands
programs. Brown retains his position as Marshall
Islands program
manager overseeing the BNL and the LLNL efforts.
He is also designated
the principal contact point for policy matters with
the headquarters
program office, other federal agencies, and the RMI
government.
The PASO is to participate more actively in policy
making. (540)
Representatives of the DOE
and the 177 Health Plan sign a memorandum of agreement
that describes
the various medical responsibilities of each organization,
including
the individuals eligible for each program; the coordination
of
medical referrals; and the exchange of medical information.
(541)
26 Jan 1988
RELOCATION
Sens. James A. McClure and
Bennett Johnston write to President Ronald W. Reagan
to express
concern over the Bikini Atoll cleanup and resettlement.
To fulfill
the U.S. commitment, McClure and Johnston urge that
the President
"seize this opportunity and work closely with
the Bikinians
on developing a plan, as anticipated under the 1985
settlement,
to meet our government's commitments and to resolve
ongoing or
potential litigation."(542)
16 Feb 1988
ADMINISTRATION
Because of the obligations
of the U.S. under the COFA, there is uncertainty
regarding the
state of the Marshall Islands programs, according
to Brown, deputy
program manager of the DOE office of emergency response
and analysis.
He recommends that NV should continue as program
planner and overseer
and that PASO should have an increased role.(543)
Mar 1988 - Apr 1988
ADMINISTRATION
CONTRACTOR
RADIATION
The PASO issues Operations
Plan 88-4, Mission Number 4, FY 88, for a March-April
1988 trip
to Enewetak and Bikini by the LLNL to conduct terrestrial
investigations
and to measure and analyze radionuclides. The BARC
will collaborate
on the scientific field work at Bikini. (544)
11 Mar 1988
RADIATION
MEDICAL
CONTRACTOR
The BNL's approach to determining
the body count of Pu 239 in Rongelap and Bikini people
is to collect
and analyze urine samples. BNL scientists interpret
the plutonium
levels after accounting for exposure patterns. Edward
T. Lessard
of BNL suggests that "the focus of the program
should be
to attempt to develop estimates of annual intake
for each age
group based on excretion of Pu 239."Lessard
urges that urine
sampling begin immediately of former residents of
Bikini and Rongelap
before they return to their former islands. (545)
Apr 1988
CONTRACTOR
RELOCATION
H&N issues a preliminary
plan for the rehabilitation and resettlement of Rongelap
Atoll.
(546)
15 Apr 1988
ADMINISTRATION
CONTRACTOR
RADIATION
According to Harry Brown,
DOE NV, the DOE does not plan to fund a field effort
for the LLNL
in the Marshall Islands beyond FY 1988. The DOE also
recommends
a scaled-down field and analysis effort at Bikini
and Enewetak
for the next few years and is willing to provide
technical assistance
to the RMI on a reimbursable basis. (547)
20 Apr 1988
CONTRACTOR
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION
RELOCATION
In his Rongelap reassessment
study, Kohn concludes that Rongelap Island may be
resettled if
certain conditions are met. The study also states
that the measurement
of plutonium excretion in the urine of Rongelapese
shows a great
variation and should be studied further and that
radiation doses
of infants and small children are of potential concern.
(548)
28 Apr 1988
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
RADIATION
According to the BNL's director
of the Marshall Islands medical program, by providing
operating
funds, the DOE has permitted an extension of the
medical program
to cover many aspects of health care unrelated to
radiation exposure
and to offer medical services to a great number of
unexposed persons.
(549)
29 Apr 1988
MEDICAL
CONTRACTOR
During the BNL spring missions
to the Marshall Islands a 177 Health Plan physician
accompanies
the medical team as part of a joint effort, but no
DOE liaison
officer is present. (550)
01 Jul 1988
ADMINISTRATION
CONTRACTOR
RADIATION
The PASO issues Operations
Plan 88-5, Mission Number 5, FY 1988, for an August
1988 trip
to Bikini and Rongelap by the LLNL to conduct terrestrial
investigations
and to measure and analyze radionuclides in the environment.
The
BARC will collaborate on the scientific field work
at Bikini.
(551)
22 Jul 1988
RELOCATION
The BARC concludes that on
the basis of current federal guidelines Eneu Island
may be resettled
and can serve as the base of operations for the rehabilitation
of Bikini Island. (552)
01-26 Sep 1988
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
BNL conducts a sampling bioassay
mission to Rongelap and Utirik. (553)
14 Sep 1988
CONTRACTOR
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION
Bernd Franke, a consultant
of Kohn's for the Rongelap Reassessment Project,
writes RMI Senator
Hiroshi Yamamura to make him aware of the problem
of plutonium
levels in urine of the Rongelapese. Franke believes
that the plutonium
concentrations on Utirik should be reinvestigated.
(554)
23 Sep 1988
AGREEMENT
MEDICAL
The DOE officials propose
that for FY 1990 the RMI provide matching funds of
$2 million.
Combined DOE and RMI funding would pay for whole
body counting
and bioassay medical studies; environmental assessments
of the
long-range effectiveness of the preventive technologies
used at
Bikini Atoll; logistical support for the DOE operations;
and a
program of radiological education. (555)
FY 1989
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
RADIATION
The Marshall islands program
includes medial surveillance provided by the BNL,
environmental
studies conducted by the LLNL, and whole body counts
and other
bioassay procedures pertaining to the Rongelap and
Utirik people
by the BNL. (556)
Oct 1988
CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
RADIATION
A House concurrent resolution
is introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives
stating that
it is the sense of the House that funds be appropriated
for the
phase 2 comprehensive radiation and health study
at Rongelap Atoll.
(557)
07 Oct 1988
AGREEMENT
MEDICAL
The RMI states that it is
not in a position to match the funds for the DOE
programs in FY
1990. Out of concern for the well-being of the people
of Bikini,
Enewetak, and Rongelap, the RMI hopes that the U.S.
government
VVIII obtain sufficient funding. (558)
21 Oct 1988
CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
RELOCATION
Reps. Miller and Udall and
Del. de Lugo submit House Congressional Resolution
395 that expresses
the sense of Conitress regarding the habitability
of Rongelap
Atoll. The resolution concludes that the DOE and
the DOI should
make funds available to the RMI to contract for a
comprehensive
study of the habitability of Rongelap. (559)
26 Oct 1988
RADIATION
In response to a RMI request
to provide recommendations as to how to decrease
the uptake of
cesium 137 in food crops, the DOE suggests applying
1200 pounds
per acre of potassium chloride. This process is used
on Eneu through
the DOI. (560)
02 Nov 1988
RADIATION
In a draft proposal the DOE
outlines a radiological education program for the
Marshallese.
(561)
01 Dec 1988
ADMINISTRATION
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
RADIATION
The DOE has conducted two
ship-supported medical missions in FY 1988. The FY
1989 program
is similar in scope to the past year. (562)
08 Dec 1988
CLAIMS
The U.S. Court of Appeals
sustains the U.S. Claims Court dismissals of Peter
vs. U.S. and
Nitol vs. U.S. in ruling on the People of Rongelap
and other Marshall
Islands vs. U.S. The claimants in Juda vs. U.S. also
appeal but
move to dismiss the suit following the enactment
of special legislation
which appropriates funds for the Bikini people. (563)
23 Jan 1989
MEDICAL
CONTRACTOR
The BNL issues Medical
Status of Marshallese Accidently Exposed to 1954
Bravo
Fallout Radiation: January 1985 through December
1987, which
reports no significant difference in the survival
rates among
the exposed Rongelapese and Utirikese and unexposed
Rongelapese.
(564)
Feb 1989
RADIATION
The LLNL's study, Estimates
of Radiological Dose from Ingestion of C-137 and
Sr-90 to Infants,
Children, and Adults in the Marshall Islands, concludes
that the
estimated integral dose equivalent for adults is
a conservative
estimate for infants and children. (565)
17 Feb 1989-09 Mar 1989
ADMINISTRATION
RADIATION
RELOCATION
Harry U. Brown of NV recommends
on 17 February that a meeting with Rongelap representatives
state
that the DOE should take no official position on
phase 2 because,
according to the law, the reassessment of the habitability
of
Rongelap Island is RMI's responsibility. Further,
he asserts,
"We maintain Rongelap Island is habitable. (566)
At the 8 and 9 March meeting
of officials of Rongelap, the RMI, and the DOE to
foster better
relations and discuss the resettlement of Rongelap,
the DOE's
positions are that Rongelap is radiologically safe
and that the
dose assessments are correct as stated at the meeting.
The RMI
Sen. Anjin expresses his desire for another opinion
regarding
the habitability of Rongelap. (567)
Mar 1989
ADMINISTRATION
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
RADIATION
The FY 1990 program includes
medical surveillance of the individuals exposed to
nuclear testing
various environmental studies, and whole body counting
and other
bioassay procedures pertaining to the Rongelap and
Utirik people.
The projected FY 1991 program continues the medical
program and
the whole body counts and bioassay procedures only
to a level
of basic capability but includes no additional environmental
field
work unless the RMI requests and funds such work.
(568)
01 Mar 1989
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION
RELOCATION
In an amended version of his
Rongelap Reassessment Project Report,
Kohn concludes that
Rongelap Island is safe for habitation by adults
if the diet consists
of local and imported foods. He also recommends that
the plutonium
excretion in the urine should be studied because
of great variations
in the measurements of Rongelapese. (569)
8-9 Mar 1989
ADMINISTRATION
A DOE Rongelap meeting is
held to foster better relations and discuss issues
relative to
the resettlement of Rongelap. (570)
14 Mar 1989- 14 Apr 1989
MEDICAL
CONTRACTOR
During the BNL medical mission
to the Marshall Islands the DOE also holds informational
meetings
for the Marshallese prior to their medical examinations.
(571)
23 Mar 1989
ADMINISTRATION
CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
RADIATION
Oscar de Brum, the RMI Chief
Secretary, writes to Rep. Samuel B. Thomsen to request
technical
assistance from the DOE to outline options and costs
for conducting
a nationwide survey of radiological conditions. EG&G
later
conducts this feasibility study. (572)
Apr - May 1989
RADIATION
RELOCATION
In April the DOE publishes
Talleb In Iet Melele Ko Kin Enjebi, Enjebi
Information
Summary, Kemelelen Eniebi Island Dose Assessment
Ilo Kajin
Majol Im Ukot Ilo Kajin English An Interpretation
in the Marshallese
Language (with English Translation) of UCRL 53805
Eniebi Island
Dose Assessment. The summary is an instructional
and briefing
aid for the people of Enjebi regarding the resettlement
of Enjebi
Island. (573) This
work is a report in layman's language of LLNL
studies by William Robison and associates of potential
radiation
doses to people living on Enjebi. Roger Ray, retired
from the
DOE, has written the text in layman's language with
the assistance
of Alice Buck, an American fluent in Marshallese,
and two Marshallese.
The document explains that The Enjebi people can
eat food from
the food-bearing trees on Eniebi however, it would
be good for
about half of the food they eat to come from other
islands ...
and from boats or airplanes that bring food. If the
Enjebi people
want to eat only food from Enjebi ... the amount
of radiation
they will receive will be more, unless they wait
30 years to resettle.
(574)
07 Apr 1989
ADMINISTRATION
CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
MEDICAL
RADIATION
DP submits a report to Congress,
as required by P.L. 100-371, that outlines DOE's
health and environmental
programs for 1989-1991.The programs will continue
at their current
level until 1991. In FY 1991 the medical program
will function
at its current level until it can be integrated into
the Marshall
Islands health care program; the environmental studies
will be
concluded and no additional field work will be conducted;
and
the radiological safety program will be continued
only at a level
of basic capability. (575)
12 Apr 1989
AGREEMENT
RADIATION
P&D Technologies issues
to the Rongelap Atoll local government a recommended
phase 2 work
plan for a comprehensive and independent radiation
study of the
Ron lap Atoll as set forth in P.L. 99-239 and the
COFA. The report
addresses unresolved health, radiation, and habitability
issues
raised by the Rongelap people, such as uncertainty
about their
health; lack of information about radiation levels
throughout
the atoll; the issue of plutonium in their bodies;
conflicting
U.S. policies about food; uncertainty about the habitability
of
Rongelap for children; confusion about the map in
the 1982 DOE
radiation report; the DOE use of averages in its
reports and studies;
confusion about radiation dose guidelines; and uncertainty
about
the future economy of Rongelap. It sets forth a work
plan focusing
on the preparation of personal medical record files;
a baseline
health survey; a radiological survey; a bioassay
sampling monitoring
and diet survey; dose assessment; an economic and
environmental
study, sociological/cultural support; and recommended
decontamination
and resettlement strategies. The plan calls for access
to and
use of the DOE data with the DOE assistance and involvement
but
with control and direction of the study completely
independent
of the DOE. (576)
01 May 1989
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION
According to David L Wheeler,
senior health physicist at NV, the DOE uses the standards
developed
during the Enewetak cleanup for transuranics cleanup.
This criteria,
the removal of soil with contamination in excess
of 4OOpCi/g,
was developed during the Enewetak cleanup because
no authoritative
criteria existed. Consequently, states Wheeler, there
is no reason
for the Rongelapese not to return to their island
because the
Rongelap Island contamination levels do not exceed
EPA guidelines.
(577)
02 May 1989
RADIATION
After testimony that raises
questions about the habitability of Rongelap, House
Interior Appropriations
Subcommittee Chairman Morris Udall, Subcommittee
on Insular and
International Affairs Chairman Ronald de Lugo, and
Rep. George
Miller introduce House Con. Res. 90 calling for a
comprehensive
survey of radiation and other effects on Rongelap.
The subcommittee
plans to examine closely the DOE 1989 report and
other material
pertaining to the Rongelap situation. (578)
04 May 89
CONTRACTORT>
MEDICAL
PLUTONIUM
Wheeler visits BNL to discuss
the urine analysis for plutonium content of Marshall
Island samples.
Recently BNL has sent samples to the University of
Utah for a
comparison study between laboratories. (579)
01 Jun 1989
RADIATION
According to DOE Secretary
James Watkins, at his request the NAS establishes
on this date
a standing Committee on Radiation Epidemiological
Research Programs
to provide independents scientific advice to the
DOE. The committee
will advise DOE on the status of its epidemiology
program, the
creation of a comprehensive epidemiological data
repository, the
development of protocols for the use of this repository,
and the
granting of independent research proposals. (580)
05 Jun 1989
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION
All of the Rongelap and Utirik
urine samples, except one, taken by BNL in May 1989
show plutonium
at background levels. (581)
10 Jul 1989
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
PLUTONIUM
In the report, "The Radiological
Dose From Pu at Rongelap Island,"William L.
Robison, Casper
Sun, and Charles B. Meinhold state that the estimated
committed
dose equivalent from plutonium at Rongelap Island
is very similar
for both the environmental and urine analyses. BNL
and LLNL agree
on the plutonium dose on Rongelap Island. (582)
10 Jul 1989- 12 Aug 1989
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
PLUTONIUM
The BNL conducts whole body
counting and urine sampling of Enewetak, Medrin,
Rongelap, and
Utirik people. The eight team members collect 976
whole body counting
records to reconfirm the radiological safety of the
Marshallese
and 209 urine samples to monitor the Marshallese
uptake of plutonium.
Precautions are taken during this mission to ensure
the minimum
amount of contamination of the samples because of
the probability
of contamination of the 1981-1984 samples during
handling. (583)
02 Aug 1989
ADMINISTRATION
In testimony before the Senate
Committee on Governmental Affairs DOE Secretary James
D. Watkins
announces the establishment of a special advisory
committee to
conduct an independent evaluation of DOE epidemiological
activities.
Watkins expects the committee also to provide guidance
on restructuring
and enhancing the DOE epidemiological program, which
he finds
"understaffed, underfunded, and underutilized.
"He
has appointed Kristine Gebbie, administrator of the
Oregon Health
Division, as the committee's chair. (584)
07 Aug 1989
RADIATION
The RMI forms a panel to consider
if another radiological survey based on the DOE's
1978 effort
is necessary. (585)
30 Aug 1989
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
RADIATION
RELOCATION
William L. Robison of LLNL
and Sun and Meinhold of BNL disagree with statements
made by Bernd
Franke in "Is Rongetap Atoll Safe?"They
believe that
Rongelap is safe for resettlement. To substantiate
their statements,
they present data obtained in 1985-1987.(586)
All estimated doses
for Rongelap Island based on data obtained in 1978,
1985, 1986,
and 1987 and compared with the U.S. and worldwide
background doses
are within a safe range. (587)
01 Sep 1989
ONTRACTOR
RADIATION
The Rongelap community is
invited to send representatives to observe the DOE/LLNL
work to
be conducted 18-27 November 1989. (588)
20 Sep 1989- 10 Oct 1989
MEDICAL
CONTRACTOR
William D. Jackson, PASO program
liaison specialist, learns during the fall BNL medical
mission
that DOE and the Nuclear Claims Tribunal of the RMI
government
are planning to discuss a Marshall Islands radiological
survey
sponsored by the tribunal. (589)
17 Oct 1989
CLAIMS
LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
MEDICAL
A decision by the DOI associate
solicitor for general law concludes that the provisions
of COFA
preempt Section 104 of P.L. 95-134. Therefore, the
DOI will not
accept any more medical claims from the residents
of the RMI.
(590)
18 Oct 1989
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION
William L. Robison of LLNL
submits a paper to Harry U. Brown stating why he
does not believe
that the "Tru Clean"soil decontamination
plant at Johnston
Atoll should be used to decontaminate Rongelap soil
of plutonium
concentrations. His major concern is that this would
require the
removal of all of the coconut, breadfruit, pandanus,
and lime
trees and all other vegetation from the island. (591)
23 Oct 1989
CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION
RELOCATION
Chairman Ron de Lugo of the
House Subcommittee on Insular and International Affairs
invites
DOE Secretary Watkins to testify at the 16 November
oversight
hearing on the health of the Rongelap people. De
Lugo submits
three pages of matters for the DOE to address at
the hearing including
analyses of the Rongelap Reassessment Project report
and the phase
2 work plan for "Making Rongelap Habitable,"a
description
of Rongelap Atoll cleanup efforts and information
on the DOE testing
of Rongelapese for plutonium or other transuranics.
(592)
16 Nov 1989
ADMINISTRATION
CLAIMS
CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
RELOCATION
Representing DOE Secretary
Watkins, John L Meinhardt, DOE principal deputy assistant
secretary
r defense programs, testifies at the House Subcommittee
on Insular
and International Affairs oversight hearing on Rongelap.
Meinhardt
declares, "We, as a country, accept full responsibility
for
compensation to the citizens of the Marshall Islands
resulting
from the Bravo event as well as other testing between
1946 and
1958."Emphasizing Watkins's commitment to environmental,
health, and safety matters, Meinhardt states that
the DOE Secretary
intends to give the issues raised by the Rongelap
people an additional
review,"complete the review within six months,
and report
the results "by next summer."With respect
to the Rongelap
technical data supporting the current DOE position,
Meinhardt
affirms, "We stand by these data."De Lugo
asks Meinhardt
"to take a message back to Secretary Watkins,
that this subcommittee
is very appreciative of the new approach."John
Rudolph and
Harry Brown of DOE, Drs. William Adams and Charles
Meinhold of
BNL, and Dr. William Robison of LLNL prepare draft
statements
for this hearing but the DOE leadership cancels
their testimony
and replaces it with Meinhardt's.) Later both de
Lugo and Sen.
Anjain refer to Meinhardt's review statement as a
"fresh
look,"which Anjain says Watkins "promised"over
the objections of the DOE program managers... (593)
Testifying before the same
House subcommittee, Sen. Anjain urges that the independent
study
of Rongelap promised in P.L. 99-239 "be promptly
initiated."
(594)
According to a letter by John
C. Tuck, DOE, of 2 May 1990, Rudolph expresses the
Secretary's
desire to have an outside review of DOE's past work
regarding
the habitability of Rongelap. Bernd Franke, Henry
Kohn, and Rosalie
Bertell testify regarding the Rongelap reassessment
project. Robert
K. Lane, of P&D technologies, testifies about
the phase 2
work plan for an independent study of outstanding
radiation and
health issues on Rongelap. (595)
21 Nov 1989
AGREEMENT
RADIATION
RELOCATION
Del. Ron de Lugo of the House
Subcommittee on Insular and International Insular
Affairs, commends
Secretary of Energy Watkins for Making a commitment
to take a
"fresh look"at the issue of the radiation
contamination
at Marshall Islands and the people of Rongelap Atoll.
De Lugo
requests to DOE to address in the promised additional
review the
extent of information disclosed to the Rongelapese
and Congress
on Rongelap radiation, safety, and health issues
and whether radiological
surveys and a cleanup were conducted on the atoll.
(596)
07 Dec 1989
ADMINISTRATION
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION
The RMI requests assistance
from the DNA in completing the cleanup of Runit Island
at Enewetak
Atoll. (597)
Acting RMI President Kunio
Lemari asks for Admiral Huntington Hardisty's assistance
in arranging
for the DNA to complete cleanup of Runit Island.
He requests that
the plutonium mining plant being used at Johnston
Atoll to extract
plutonium from soil be used at Runit once cleanup
is completed
on Johnston Atoll. This request is passed on to the
American embassy
in Majuro. (598)
08 Dec 1989
ADMINISTRATION
AGREEMENT
The DOE PASO and DOI sign
an informal agreement outlining financial arrangements
and program
management under which the DOE will, on a cost reimbursable
basis,
support certain DOI programs in the Marshall Islands.
(599)
28 Dec 1989
RADIATION
RELOCATION
RMI Sen. Jeton Anjain testifies
before the DOE Secretarial Panel for the Evaluation
of Epidemiologic
Research Activities (SPEERA). He relays current Rongelapese
concerns
and submits recommendations based on the interim
report. He recommends
that the Rongelap people have access to the Rongelap
medical and
related records; that the phase 2 comprehensive and
independent
study of Rongelap mandated under the COFA be initiated;
and that
the DOE should Conduct a study to determine the feasibility
of
transferring medical funds to a hospital in the Marshall
Islands.
He alleges that because the DOE weapons played a
part in radiological
contamination, DP cannot be objective in the management
of the
Marshall islands program. (600)
03 Jan 1990
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION
Because of the results of
a study of samples collected in summer 1989 to assess
the plutonium
background in the RMI areas, the BNL concludes that
the urine
samples collected from 1981 to 1984 were contaminated
during field
collections. (601)
The BNL submits the first
40 plutonium results from the urine samples taken
from people
who had previously high plutonium results in the
summer of 1989.
The data confirm the speculation that the urine samples
collected
from 1981 to 1984 were contaminated during field
collections.
The new fission track etch procedure has improved
the quality
assurance of the process. The new data show that
the people measured
have no greater than 100 attocuries of plutonium
in their urine
and will not receive greater than 1 mrem/yr from
plutonium. (602)
08 Jan 1990
CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
MEDICAL
RADIATION
In draft comments on S. 1802,
the "Department of Energy Nuclear Facilities
Act of 1989,"
the DOE officials advise that "Title V, Monitoring
of Health
and Radiological Conditions in the Northern Marshall
Islands,"
is unnecessary because these actions already are
being undertaken.
(603)
09 Jan 1990
ADMINISTRATION
RADIATION
In response to Acting RMI
President Kunio LeMari's request for a cleanup of
Runit Island,
Chief of Mission Samuel Thomsen of the American Embassy
requests
that the DOE and the DOI coordinate with the DNA
to determine
the best means of completing decontamination of Runit.
Citing
the favorable comment received by the DOE for its
decision to
reexamine the safety of Rongelap, Thomsen comments
that attention
paid to Runit would have similar political and humanitarian
benefits.
(604)
13 Jan 1990
MEDICAL
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION
The DOE informs a Marshall
Islands government resident scientist that the results
of the
plutonium analysis reinforce the-belief that plutonium
is not
a health hazard at Rongelap. (605)
19-21 Jan 1990
ADMINISTRATION
CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
CONTRACTOR
A five person LANL team and
William Jackson, the PASO program liaison specialist,
travel to
Maloelap Atoll to make arrangements with the atoll
leadership
for LANL to conduct a scientific experiment in August
and or September
1990. Jackson accompanies a House Appropriations
Committee staffer
to Enewetak and Bikini to brief the residents of
the DOE's activities
at both places. While at Enewetak Jackson relays
the DOE's desire
to terminate its role at Enewetak by 30 September
1990. (606)
22 Jan 1990
ADMINISTRATION
RADIATION
RELOCATION
The DP replies to the testimony
by Sen. Anjain at the 28 December SPEERA meeting
that medical
radiation records are already available to the Marshallese,
although
general policy is that they do not unevaluated data;
that the
comprehensive and independent study of Rongelap Island
would be
authorized if the independent study of the DOE's
data by Kohn
concluded that the DOE data did not support the habitability
of
the island; and that the organizational assignment
to DP has no
influence on its technical content or scientific
results. (607)
24 Jan 1990
ADMINISTRATION
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION
The Marshall Islands Nitijela
(legislature) passes a resolution commending DOE
Secretary Watkins
for his support of a second look at Rongelap issues
and urging
him to implement a phase 2 study of Rongelap Island.
(608)
In a draft response to the
American Embassy in Majuro regarding cleanup of Runit
Island,
DNA states that any attempt to start cleaning Runit
now would
be premature. DNA is still testing mining methods
as a means for
cleaning plutonium from the soil, and the scope of
cleanup required
on Runit is more difficult and costly than that being
done on
Johnston Atoll. If technology questions are resolved
at Johnston
Atoll, a Runit cleanup is two to four years away.
DNA recommends
beginning long-range planning and coordination for
Runit cleanup
and starting with the planning meeting to identify
a lead agency
and assign critical tasks. (609)
2 Feb 1990
CONTRACTOR
RADIATION
In response to the desire
of the Marshallese to perform their own radiation
measurements
throughout the Marshall Islands, W. John Tipton,
assistant operations
manager for aerial measurements operations of EG&G,
recommends
that the islanders purchase three or four hand-held
survey meters
for each atoll and that two or three people on each
atoll be trained
in the operation of the instruments. He offers to
furnish limited
use of EG&G's germanium in situ system resources,
provided
that EG&G takes the measurements if quantitative
data on other
atolls is needed to tie in with results of the 1978
survey. (610)
16 Feb 1990
ADMINISTRATION
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
The PASO issues the Operations
Plan, Mission Number 90-2, FY 1990, for a medical
surveillance
trip to be conducted by BNL at Ebeye, Majuro, Utirik,
and Mejato
in March-April 1990. (611)
18 Mar 1990- 13 Apr 1990
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
During the spring medical
mission to Ebeye, Majuro, Utirik, and Mejatto the
BNL team conducts
339 full medical examinations of the Marshallese.
The doctors
examine nearly fifty referrals from the Marshall
Islands health
care system and see problem cases at the Majuro hospital.
The
pediatrician treats 160 children at islands sick
calls. (612)
26-27 Mar 1990
CONTRACTOR
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION
Established by the BNL department
of nuclear energy to obtain an external scientific
assessment
of BNL's Marshall Islands radiation safety program,
an independent
scientific review committee meets at BNL. The committee
reviews
the two radioanalytical methods and the dosimetric
models used
by BNL to estimate radiation dosages. The committee
concludes
that the analytical data from urine collected in
1988-1989 are
valid. The group also advises that urine samples
collected prior
to 1988 should be discarded because of flaws in the
previous analytical
method and protocols for urine collection which did
not protect
against contamination. The committee finds that whole-body
counting
procedures were within acceptable guidelines of technical
excellence
and conformed to recognized standards. It recommends
further quality
assurance procedures and guidance for intake and
dose estimates.
(613)
27 Mar 1990
ADMINISTRATION
DOE Secretary Watkins directs
the consolidation of medical surveillance, epidemiology,
and other
health matters into the new office of health. This
order includes
the Marshall Island Program. (614)
18 Apr 1990
ADMINISTRATION
CONTRACTOR
RADIATION
The PASO issues Operations
Plan, Mission Number 90-4, for the standard LLNL
terrestrial investigations
to be conducted at Bikini. (615)
Harry Brown notifies W. H.
Adams and C.B. Meinhold at BNL; W.L Robinson at LLNL;
Joe Dryden
at PASO, NV; and Roger Ray of potential changes in
the management
of the Marshall Islands program. The Brown notification
follows
charges by Rongelap leaders that DP cannot be objective
in the
conduct of its work in the Marshall islands and recommendations
by SPEERA that DOE's management of the Marshall Islands
program
be reassigned to the DOE deputy assistant secretary
of health.
Brown states that the latter office may assume program
control
directly with BNL and LLNL and that NV may have no
program management
function and may only provide logistical support.
He asks the
addressees to assist program transition to minimize
disruption
of work. (616)
30 Apr 1990
ADMINISTRATION
CONTRACTOR
Dr. Charles B. Meinhold of
the BNL department of nuclear energy, radiological
sciences division,
responds to David Weiman's questions concerning the
organization,
management, and scientific approval processes at
BNL Weiman is
a lobbyist for the Rongelapese. Meinhold remarks
that in terms
of determining priorities for program study, "DOE
determines
the overall need. Brookhaven determines the best
way to proceed."
He describes the program approval and review processes
for the
bioassay program. (617)
May 1990
RADIATION
Bernd Franke of the Institute
for Energy and Environmental Research, a Takoma Park,
Maryland
institute, "Why the Rongelap Reassessment Project
Did Not
Fulfill Its Mission, Rongelap Versus Eniwek and Bikini:
Equal
Treatment?"to the Rongelap Atoll local government.
The report
alleges failures of the Kohn report and discusses
the varying
criteria for the assessments of Bikini, Enewetak,
and Rongelap.
(618)
01 May 1990
RADIATION
WEAPONS TESTING
David Weiman meets with Joseph
Karpinski, DOE principal deputy assistant secretary
for congressional
and intergovernmental affairs; Gary Palmer, special
assistant
to the under secretary, and Gary Knight, deputy assistant
secretary
for House liaison, prior to Senator Anjain's testimony
before
the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior
and Related
Agencies (Yates Committee). Weiman provides DOE Secretary
Watkins's
office with Assistant Secretary Roser's 23 March
1982 memorandum
and a 14 April 1982 memorandum from J. W. Thiessen
to A. W. Trivelpiece
regarding the transfer of Marshall Islands programs
from EP to
DP. He raises three sensitive new matters of concern:
a DOE radiation
double standard at Rongelap; questionable applicability
of traditional
DOE dose standards to the exposed people of Rongelap;
and Safeguard
"C"and the subordination of health and
safety programs.
Weiman states that "Senator Anjain and Rongelap
believe there
is a reasonable and easily attained solution to the
overall matter"
and that Anjain and Weiman are "Willing to work
to work with
the Secretary to resolve it". (619)
02 May 1990
RADIATION
DOE Under Secretary John C.
Tuck requests that the NAS undertake an independent
review of
all data available regarding the radiological status
and habitability
of Rongelap. This review should consider the views
the people
of Rongelap, DOE, and those who conducted the initial
review pursuant
to the COFA. He requests that members of the review
panel be selected
in a manner that assures impartiality so that the
conclusions
will be acceptable to the people of Rongelap. (620)
04 May 1990
ADMINISTRATION
MEDICAL
RADIATION
WEAPONS TESTING
Sen. John Glenn (D-Ohio),
chairman of the Senate Committee on Governmental
Affairs, requests
DOE Secretary Watkins to support an independent "Phase
II"
assessment of the radiological contamination of Rongelap
Atoll
and provide humanitarian assistance so that the Rongelap
people
may resettle where they will have access to food
and medical care.
(621)
Sen. Aniain issues a statement
to the Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies
on behalf
of the Rongelap Atoll local government and the Rongelap
people.
He states that the Rongelap reassessment project
created new questions
rather than resolving them and demonstrated that
there is "a
significant lack of knowledge concerning the environmental
and
radiological conditions on Rongelap and the health
and medical
condition of the Rongelapese. According to Anjain,
sections of
the COFA designed to deal with the Rongelap situation
are not
working, and Dr. Kohn's Rongelap reassessment project
recommendations
contradict provisions of the COFA. Anjain charges
that the U.S.
uses a radiation double standard in the application
of radiation
guidelines; that DOE and AEC have subordinated all
Marshall Islands
medical and environmental programs to defense readiness
status
for the resumption of weapons testing (Safeguard
"C");
that the DOE is creating unnecessary barriers to
medical records;
and that the DOE's definition of habitability is
distorted and
unreliable. (622)
07 May 1990
CONTRACTOR
Harry Brown of NV reissues
his invitation to David Weiman and the Rongelap leadership
to
visit BNL and LLNL to see first-hand how the scientific
process
works. He states that the people of Bikini and Enewetak
found
this helpful in their decision-making process. (623)
11 May 1990
CONTRACTOR
WEAPONS TESTING
The Rongelap Atoll local government
directs H&N to answer whether they are or
ever were under
contract to the DOE for any aspect of Safeguard "C".
(624)
18 May 1990
RADIATION
Responding to Under Secretary
Tuck's request for a review of the radiological status
and habitability
of Rongelap, Frank Press, chairman of the NRC, writes
that the
NRC will consider organizing such a study and will
develop and
submit to the DOE a formal proposal for performance
of the study.
(625)
20 May 1990
POLICY
The Rongelap Atoll local government
council passes a resolution that the DOE and its
contractors,
with the exception of the BNL Marshall Islands medical
program,
are denied access until the DOE provides the council
with a full
and complete accounting of the relationship to and
management
of the DOE DP program "Safeguard "C,"which
requires
the U.S. to maintain the ability to resume atmospheric
nuclear
testing. (626)
08 Jun 1990
ADMINISTRATION
DOE Secretary Watkins notifies
House Subcommittee Chairman de Lugo that he is transferring
the
management of DOE's Rongelap activities from DP to
a new office
of health under the assistant secretary for environment,
safety
and health. (627)
J. H. Dryden, director of
PASO, notifies Stella Guerra, DOI assistant secretary
for territorial
and international affairs, that the DOE is planning
to initiate
action to phase out the operations of the field office
at Enewetak.
This program is funded on an interagency agreement
between the
DOE and the DOI. (628)
02 Jul 1990
ADMINISTRATION
Stella Guerra of DOI notifies
Harry Brown that she believes that Congress will
appropriate funding
to continue the program at Enewetak. (629)
03 Aug 1990
ADMINISTRATION
The current DOE medical and
environmental programs relating to the Marshall Islands
are shifted
to EH by an amendment to the DOD authorization bill.
The amendment
focuses on management consolidation and is meant
to insure continuity
of Marshall Islands program activities in the overall
reorganization
of health and safety matters at DOE. Activities formerly
conducted
through DP will be conducted through EH. (630)
06 Aug 1990
ADMINISTRATION
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
The PASO issues Operation
Plan, Mission Number 90-5, BNL's annual follow-up
mission for
medical examinations on Mejato, Utirik, Majuro and
Ebeye. (631)
27 Aug 1990
CONTRACTOR
MEDICAL
PLUTONIUM
The University of Utah analyzes
29 samples of Marshallese urine furnished by BNL
and finds two
samples which show definite evidence of plutonium
239. (632)
6-28 Sep 1990
ADMINISTRATION
AGREEMENT
MEDICAL
During the BNL fall medical
mission, William D. Jackson, the DOE field representative
on the
trip, reaches agreement with the administration of
the 177 Heath
Plan on a renewal of the existing Memorandum of Understanding.
He reports that BNL and 177 Health Plan professionals
established
productive lines of communication during the trip
and agreed upon
techniques and means for coordination and sharing
information.
(633)
10 Sep 1990
ADMINISTRATION
Joseph H. Dryden of PASO notifies
Brown that, due to lack of funding, he is closing
down the field
station at Enewetak until PASO receives FY 1991 funding.
(634)
05 Oct 1990
AGREEMENT
RELOCATION
The DOI and the Kili/Bikini/Ejit
local government sign a memorandum of agreement regarding
the
rehabilitation and resettlement of Bikini Atoll,
including public
land use payments and other budgetary matters. (635)
25 Oct 1990
ADMINISTRATION
Stella Guerra of DOI reacts
to statements by House and Senate appropriations
subcommittees
that Congress expects the DOI and the DOE and its
contractor to
continue to work together to establish a plan to
turn over the
Enewetak food and agricultural maintenance program
to the local
government at the earliest possible time. She recommends
that
the DOI and the DOE and its contractor meet at PASO's
Honolulu
office to coordinate the development of plans to
carry out this
work. In the meantime, she suggests operating the
program under
the existing DOE/DOI agreement under the level of
funding in the
continuing resolution. (636)
26 Oct 1990
Harry Brown writes to Oscar
de Brum of the RMI, to provide consolidated recommendations
as
to how the RMI might treat the soil of islands to
mitigate the
uptake of cesium 137 into food crops. The DOE suggests
initial
application of 1200 pounds per acre of potassium
chloride. Islands
that might be considered for this treatment are:
Eneu; Bikini;
the six planted northern islands at Enewetak; Enjebi,
if replanted
and resettled; Rongelap, and Arbor. (637)
06 Nov 1990
ADMINISTRATION
AGREEMENT
The DOI approves the extension
of the agreement dealing with the operation of the
Enewetak food
and agricultural maintenance program until the DOI
can determine
if it should revise the agreement. The DOI authorizes
funding
for DOE through 31 December. (638)
PUBLIC LAW 99-239 Joint Resolution
to approve the "Compact of Free Association,"and
for
other purposes. January 14, 1986
COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION
SECTION 177
A. The U.S. government accepts
responsibility for compensation owing to citizens
of the Marshall
Islands or the Federated States of Micronesia for
loss or damage
to the property and person of the citizens of the
Marshall Islands
or the Federated States of Micronesia resulting from
the nuclear
testing program, June 30,1946 - August 18, 1958.
B. In a separate agreement
the governments of the Marshall Islands and the U.S.
will set
forth provisions for settlement of all claims; for
the continued
administration by the U.S. government of direct radiation
related
medical surveillance and treatment programs and radiological
monitoring
activities and for additionally agreed upon programs
and activities;
and for the assumption by the government of the Marshall
Islands
of responsibility for enforcement of limitations,
developed in
cooperation with the U.S. government on the utilization
of affected
areas With mutually agreed upon assistance by the
U.S. government.
C. The U.S. government shall
provide the government of the Marshall Islands a
grant of $150
million to be paid and distribute according to the
separate agreement.
Agreement Between the Government
of the United States and the Government of the Marshall
Islands
for the Implementation of Section 177 of the Compact
of Free Association
Sections of Particular
Interest to the DOE
ARTICLE II - DISTRIBUTION
OF ANNUAL PROCEEDS
Section 1 - Health, Food,
Agricultural Maintenance and Radiological Surveillance
a. $30 million is distributed
to the RMI in amounts of $2 million for 15 years.
The RMI is to
use these funds to receive technical assistance,
on a reimbursable
basis from agencies of the U.S. government. The U.S.
shall provide
technical assistance including contractor services
to assist the
RMI to include health-care programs and services
related to the
consequences of nuclear testing in its health care
system.
*The full texts of these documents
are in Document nos. D105 and D113. Technical assistance
shall
include, at RMI request, a whole body counter, to
be located in
a facility supplied by the RMI, and the training
of its operator.
Technical assistance may include professional personnel
services
and dosimetry and bioassay services.
d. At RMI request, the U.S.
is to provide technical assistance, programs and
services, on
a reimbursable basis, to continue the planting and
agricultural
maintenance program on Enewetak and to continue the
food programs
of the Bikini people and the Enewetak people for
as long as is
required.
e. $3 million to the RMI to
conduct medical surveillance and radiological monitoring
activities,
are to be disbursed in average amounts of $1 million
for a three-year
period commencing when the agreement goes into effect.
The results
of the medical surveillance and radiological monitoring
are to
be filed with the Claims Tribunal.
Section 2 - The People of
Bikini
$75 Million to the Bikini
Distribution Authority in payment of claims arising
out of the
nuclear testing program for loss or damage to property
and person
of the people of Bikini, are to be disbursed in quarterly
amounts
of $1.25 million for the fifteen-year period commencing
one quarter
year after the agreement goes into effect.
Section 3 - People of Enewetak
$48.75 million to the Enewetak
Distribution Authority in payment of claims are out
of the nuclear
testing program for loss or damage to property or
person of the
people of Enewetak, are to be disbursed in quarterly
amounts of
$812,500 for the period commencing one calendar quarter
after
the agreement goes into effect.
Section 4 - People of Rongelap
$37.5 million to the Rongelap
Distribution Authority in payment of claims arising
out of the
nuclear testing program for loss or damage to property
and person
of the people of Rongelap, are to be disbursed in
quarterly amounts
of $625,000 for the fifteen-year period commencing
one calendar
quarter after the agreement goes into effect.
Section 5 - People of Utirik
$22.5 million to the Utrik
[sic] Distribution Authority in payment for claims
arising out
of the nuclear testing program for loss or damage
to property
and person of the people of Utirik, are to be disbursed
in quarterly
amounts of $375,000 for the fifteen-year period commencing
one
calendar quarter after the agreement goes into effect.
Section 8 - Bikini, Enewetak,
Rongelap and Utirik Trusts
The people of Bikini, Enewetak,
Rongelap and Utirik shall establish trusts with all
or a portion
of the annual proceeds from this Agreement in order
to provide
additional long-term means to address consequences
of the nuclear
testing program.
ARTICLE VI - RESETTLEMENT
OF BIKINI ATOLL AND CONVEYANCE OF PROPERTY IN RESPECT
TO BIKINI
Section 1 - Resettlement
The U.S. reaffirms its commitment
to provide funds for the resettlement of Bikini Atoll
by the people
of Bikini at a time which cannot now be determined.
ARTICLE VII - UTILIZATION
OF LANDS
The U.S. is relieved of responsibility
for, and the RMI shall have responsibility for, controlling
the
utilization of areas in the Marshall Islands affected
by the nuclear
testing program.
ARTICLE VIII - NORTHERN MARSHALL
ISLANDS RADIOLOGICAL SURVEY
The U.S. has concluded that
the northern Marshall Islands radiological survey
and related
environmental studies represent the best effort accurately
to
evaluate and describe conditions on the Marshall
Islands. This
survey and related environmental studies have been
made available
to the RMI and can be used to evaluate the food chain
and environment
and to estimate radiation-related health consequences
of residing
in the northern Marshall Islands.
ARTICLE IX - CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES
If loss or damage to property
and person resulting from the nuclear testing program
are discovered
subsequent to this agreement's becoming effective,
which make
its provisions manifestly inadequate, and such could
not reasonably
have been identified before its becoming effective,
the RMI may
submit to Congress a request for the U.S. to provide
for such
injuries. Congress is not committed to authorize
and appropriate
the funds.
ARTICLE X - ESPOUSAL
Section 1 - Full Settlement
of Claims
This Agreement constitutes
the full settlement of all claims, past, present
and future, of
the government, citizens, and nationals of the Marshall
Islands
relating to the nuclear testing program against the
U.S., its
agents, employees, contractors, citizens, and nationals.
Section 2 - Termination of
Legal Proceedings
The RMI shall terminate any
legal proceedings in the courts of the Marshall Islands
against
the U.S., its agents, employees, contractors and
"citizens
and nationals"involving claims arising out of
the nuclear
testing program.
ARTICLE XI - INDEMNITY
Subject to Article IX the
RMI shall indemnify and hold harmless the U.S., its
agents, employees,
contractors, "citizens and nationals,"from
all claims
set forth in Article X, and all future actions on
behalf of the
RMI in any court arising out of the nuclear testing
program. The
indemnification shall not exceed $150 million.
ACBM (AEC) Advisory Committee
for Biology and Medicine
AEC Atomic Energy Commission
AES (DOE) Assistant Administrator
for Environment and Safety
AFL University of Washington
Applied Fisheries Laboratory
AFSWP Armed Forces Special
Weapons Project
AGMMA Assistant General Manager
for Military Application
AMO Assistant Manager for
Operations
ANL Argonne National Laboratory
BARC Bikini Atoll Rehabilitation
Committee
BNL Brookhaven National Laboratory
CINCPACFLT Commander-in-chief
of the U.S. Pacific Fleet
COFA Compact of Free Association
D Democrat
DAF Department of the Air
Force
DASA Defense Atomic Support
Agency
DBER (AEC) Division of Biology
and Environmental Research
DBM (AEC) Division of Biology
and Medicine
DMA (AEC) Division of Military
Application
DNA Defense Nuclear Agency
DOD Department of Defense
DOE Department of Energy
DOES (DOE) Division of Operational
and Environmental Safety
DOI Department of the Interior
DOS (AEC) Division of Operational
Safety
DP (DOE) Defense Programs
DRS (AEC) Division of Radiological
Safety
DWMT (AEC) Division of Waste
Management and Transportation
E.O. Executive Order
EG&G Edgerton, Germeshausen,
and Grier, Inc.
EH (DOE) Office of Health
Physics
EPA Environmental Protection
Agency
ERDA Energy Research and Development
Administration
ERSP (DOE) Enewetak Radiological
Support Project
FPDB Fission Product Data
Base
FRC Federal Radiation Council
FY Fiscal Year
GAO General Accounting Office
GPO Government Printing Office
H. Con. Res. House Concurrent
Resolution
H. J. Res. House Joint Resolution
H&N Holmes and Narver
Construction Company
HASL (AEC) Health and Safety
Laboratory
HPE (DOE) Health Physics and
Environmental Division
ICRP International Commission
on Radiological Protection
ISA (AEC) International Security
Affairs
JCAE Joint Committee on Atomic
Energy
JTF-7 Joint Task Force Seven
LANL Los Alamos National Laboratory
LASL Los Alamos Scientific
Laboratory
LFMER Lovelace Foundation
for Medical Education and Research
LLL Lawrence Livermore Laboratory
LLNL Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory
LRB Laboratory of Radiation
Biology
LRE Laboratory of Radiation
Ecology
LST (DOE) Litigation Support
Team
MAC Military Air Command
MH&S (AEC) Medicine, Health
and Safety
MIDG Marshall Islands Dosirnetry
Group
MIDRG Marshall Islands Dosimetry
Review Group
MIPG Marshall islands Planning
Group
MLSC Micronesian Legal Services
Corporation
MPPIL Mid-Pacific Research
Laboratory
mr milliroentgens
mrem millirem
NARA National Archives and
Records Administration
NAS National Academy of Sciences
NEPA National Environmental
Policy Act
NIH National Institutes of
Health
NTIS National Technical Information
Service
NMRI Naval Medical Research
Institute
NRDL Naval Radiological Defense
Laboratory
NRC National Research Council
NSC National Security Council
NV (AEC) Nevada Operations
Office
NYOO (AEC) New York Operations
Office
OGM (AEC) Office of the General
Manager
OMB Office of Management and
Budget
ORNL Oak Pidge National Laboratory
P.L. Public Law
PACE Pacific Cratering Experiment
PAG Protective Action Guide
PASO (DOE) Pacific Area Support
Office
PE (DOE) Office of Policy,
Plans, and Analysis
PNL Pacific Northwest Laboratories
PPG Pacific Proving Ground
R Republican
R, r This abbreviation is
copied as it appears in the original
documents and may be rem,
rad, or roentgen
RARG Radiological Assessment
Review Group
REECO Reynolds Electrical
and Engineering Company
RMI Republic of the Marshall
Islands
SAIS School of Advanced International
Studies
S. Con. Res. Senate Concurrent
Resolution
SECY (AEC) Secretariat Staff
Paper
SFOO (AEC) Santa Fe Operations
Office
SIO Scripps Institute of Oceanography
SPEERA Secretarial Panel for
the Evaluation of Epidemiologic Research
Activities
SSC Safety, Standards, and
Compliance
T.T. Trust Territory
TTG Transuranium Technical
Group
U of W University of Washington
USGS U.S. Geological Survey
USPHS United States Public
Health Service
WERL Western Environmental
Research Laboratory |