FURTHER RELEASE CF THIS REPORT MAY NOT BE IN THE SEST I[NTERES?T OF HE GOVERNMENT FO" SEASONS STATED HEREIN COMPTRCLLER GENERAL'S TO THE CONGRESS ENEWETAK ATOLL--CLEANIN UP NUCLEAR CONTAMINATION The United States acauicec Enewetax Atoll from tne Trust Territory of the Pacific Isiands in i347 to use as a nuclear weapons proving ground. Before the testing oecan, the United States relocatec the people of Enewetak, then numbering 142, to Ujelang Aroll, a smaller less desirable atoll where they still reside. Fortv-three nuclear tests were held at trewetak from 1948 to 1558 leaving contaémin..cec soi. and scrap. The people of Enewetak, displaced now for more shan 30 years because of nuclear contamination on their island, suffered the physical hardship of living on a much smaller atoll with increasing numbers cé people and the osychological harcship cf Deing removed from their traditional land. Lana is importént to the people of the Marshall Islancs because it is the cnly scurce Sf subsistence, social stetus, ana family unity. when asked at a congressional hearing why a monetary settlement instead of returning to Enewetak was not acceptable, Enewetax representatives replied that money was not and never couleé be a substitute for their islands. (See pp. 1 and 2.) , In 1972, precvacec the Uniced States announced it was to release Enewetak Atoll Trust Territory assuming to the it would even- tually be cleaned up and resettled. projzect is underway and is expected This to ce cemrlecec in 1980 at a cost cf about $140 mili2icm tO S105 miliicn. ($42 on. 2 ard :.) in@ ororect new escut $0-cercent com g.¢tec, the Cetense Neclear Acencv i3 orctTectin¢g tnact all méser cleanse corectives t t. on \e 9001 48b oO cr exceecec ) | CE Met "yy th Wlo.