&!$BaIIe!Ie Pacific Northwest P.o. Box Rich[and. Telephone . September Washingon U.SA 993S2 (509) Telex 1S-2074 Facsimile IAoratories 999 375-2421 (509) 37332-TS 10, 1988 Dr. William L. Robison Terrestrial & Atmospheric Sciences Lawrence Livennore National Laboratory University of California P.o. Box 808 Livermore, CA 94550 Dear f3ill: This is to confirm our discussion of the origin of the dose data used in the 1982 publication, “The Meaning of Radiation for Those Atolls in the.Northern Part of the Marshall Islands That Were Surveyed in 1978.” The dose data were taken from your report, UCRL 52853. “ The 30-year bone marrow doses” and the 30-year whole body doses used in our publication were those you calculated on the basis of the Brookhaven National Laboratory Community A & B Survey Diets. .We used the higher of the two values. We did not do any independent dose calculations: Thus, Dr. Kohn’s report is incorrect on page 40 when he says, “DOE-1982 stated that the diet on which its reported doses were based consisted only of local foods from That statement is”incorrect.” Rongelap Island. The 1982 publication states clearly, “If 233 people live on Rongelap Island and eat local food only from Rongelap Island.” It does not say, “eat only” We were very careful about that point because we did nocwant 10CZi~ food.” to misrepresent the doses you calculated. I recognize that the statement in the book could be misinterpreted if it were not read carefully. However, the information I sent Dr. Kohn on October 8, 1987 was clear about that point. In the tables of calculations a footnote to the dose columns indicatea that the highest dose values were used based on BNL Community A or 8 Surveys. I also included copies of Tables 21 and 22 showing the origin of the data. In Table 22 the values used for Rongelap were marked, they were based on the B Diet Survey. I am enclosing a copy of the}~1987 letter to Dr. Kohn. Because of problems in translating from English to Marshallese, we could not In retrospect, a few words about include a lot of detailed explanation. imported foods supplementing local food would have been useful. However, we were writing for the Marshallese and not the scientific community. Me assumed those interested in the dose details would go to you.