or. Berpert Vetter. === iw ™ June 22,. 1979wo, ore a — 1 Page two ‘Cleanup and rehabilitationof Bikins began in 1969 in preparation for resettlement, and the AEC continued to woniter Bikini's safety. One AEC official .tated in 1969 that "there is: virtually ino radiation left, and we can find no Giscernable effect on eitheri plantor: animal life.* In 1971, the Director of AEC's Division of Operational Safety reported that well water: samples had been:taxen from several locations on Bikini Island over.a period gf time and” that, "from& radiological viewpoint, the water:‘ie safe to Grink.* : Despite these: assurances, the: Bikinians expressed increasing concern over the atoll's safety, and in 1975 they sreught @ court action to seekahorder directing the United States te conduct a thorough radiglogical survey of the atoll to measure. and assess,its safety: In the court complaint, ths Bikinians ‘openly concededtheir ignorance as ‘to Bi ‘s eafety: eS2 us to nake an intelligent decision té * Yesettle Bikini Atoll, 'we must be able to *weigh our desire and return against the Fadioclogical risks or returning. . We have | mot been pripvided with that’ informetion . in a form that we can understand. * After severalyears: of: litigation and settlement discussions, the United States agreed te conduct a thorough radiol cal study, including aeriel radiation surveys and: terrestrial and marine studies, of Bikini and: thirteen other islands amd atolis in the northern Marshall Islands that received fallout fron one or more of the ‘U.S. nuclear tests in ithe Pacific. ‘The survey: yas conducted in. late 1978, and some of the results from: the aerial surveys have been released. Before the Survey WAS even conducted, however, medical examinations conducted in April, 1978:o0n the: 14s people 'who had been mowed back to Bikind in the early 1970's showed body burdens so high that it was necessary to move them’off Bikini Island. | ' Based on these medical examinations and preliminary results from. the radiological survey, the United State has announced that Bikini; Island will be off 2imits for habitation or agricultural use for approximately 60 years and that Enau isiand dn Bikini Atoll} will be off limits for at leaat 20-25 youars. | the Bikiniabs, who!are confused by the conflicting information they: have ‘received over the years, do not under- stand oy earlier surveys ofBikini. were ‘axrpneous. : ot | ‘ They