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United States Department of the Interior

401744

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240

Honorable Ruth C. Clusen
Assistant Secretary for

MAY 17 1979

Environment

Department of Energy
Washington, D.C. 20545
Dear Ms. Clusen:
Enclosed is a set of the medical forms that Mr. de Brum left with
me at the end of our meeting yesterday afternoon.
Dr. Victor Bond took a
set with him, but I thought you, too, should have a set available to you.
:
Mr. de Brum said that those forms under Tab "A" are from Utirik
people who have been seen by Dr. Conard.
They apparently, however, are not
listed among the "exposed" people.
Tab "'B'" represents people from several
atolls who have some Likiep or Utirik connection (some, apparently, had
attended the Catholic school on Likiep).
Tab "C' represents Likiep people.
Mr. de Brum stressed that the survey is not complete, the information is still coming in, and he will forward it to us (unclear as to

whether you or me, or both).

At least on the surface it would appear that there may be a problem
on Likiep, in particular, that goes beyond the normal expected incidence of
such medical problems. I believe that a follow-up, systematic medical survey
should be made as soon as possible, enlisting the aid of the Marshallese
Government informants so as to overcome the possibility of concealing
problems or symptoms from the medical survey team, as allegedly happened
in the past.
The survey should cover Wotje, Mejit, Ailuk, and Utirik, as
well, since these islands were also cited as having a high incidence of
medical problems and they are within or close to the intermediate fallout
contour from the Bravo test.
Lib was also mentioned as an island that may
be.suspect.
A second medical problem was surfaced that needs to be covered.
This is the medical monitoring of the people formerly living on Bikini who
are not living on Majuro.
You will recall the question raised by Mr. Henchi
Balos to the effect that the Brookhaven medical team is checking the former
Bikini people on Majurc, but not those on Kili.
At the time of the move
from Bikini, Department of Energy witnesses before the House Appropriations
Subcommittee and again at the recent March 22, 1979, hearings, made a firm
commitment to provide regular medical monitoring of the former Bikini people.
Originally, it was thought all of them would be relocated to Kili.
The check
scheduled for mid-winter 1978 for the Bikini returnees resident on Kili was not

Beat”

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