ACSA To the Chiefs and All People in Utirik Atoll Your letter to Mr. Roger Ray, dated July 1976, has been received by this office. We wish to thank you for sending this letter and bringing your views to our attention. We have carefully considered your views, as presented in your letter, and we appreciate the opportunity to answer your thoughtful questions. Even today, there are many facts about radiation that are not known, despite the large number of scientists that have studied this subject for the past-20--o7 more than 30 years. Even less was known about radia- tion in 1954 at the time of the exposure of the people on Rongelap and Utirik. Based on all available knowledge on radiation at that time, and using the their best judgment, the American doctors determined estimated that the people of Utirik were exposed enly to only a small amount of radiation. Hence, there was general agreement among the doctors that the Utirik people would not, in the future, caused by radiation. show any diseases ill effects Also, since they had-shown- little er-ne effects-oef theix-expesuxe, the relatively low levels of radiation soon disappeared from Utirik, the Utirik people were returned to this-island their island before some of the other populations. Rongelap, however, was more heavily contaminated with radioactivity so the people of this island had to ' 7s 900864 | st 4 OE