AQLa2o UNITED STATES ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION ‘ WASHINGTON, D.C. 20545 (a oF L ey ub qi \ By b Mr. Oscar DeBrum District Administrator Marshall Island District Trust Territory Pacific Islands Majuro, Marshall Islands 96960 Dear Mr. DeBrum: In July 1976 the people of Utirik Atoll wrote a letter to Mr. Roger Ray of ERDA's Nevada office. Their letter, a copy of which is enclosed, contained a number of comments and questions about ERDA activities at Utirik. Set forth below, numbered and arranged in the order in which they were asked, are our best answers to the questions which have been raised. We believe it is entirely appropriate that the people receive information of this nature through their District Administrator. AS you are aware, the exposed people of Utirik have been given regular physical examinations by the medical team from ERDA's Brookhaven National Laboratory. During the past six years, special attention has been paid to thyroid examinations on’an annual basis, and al] of the people of Utirik have been encouraged to be examined and treated by the Brookhaven physicians at sick call. From 1973 until September 1976 the ERDA resident physician visited Utirik on a quarterly basis. These quarterly visits have been suspended only because of an expressed request of the people of Utirik. 1. Why is there not a control group in Utirik? A comparison (control) group was selected so that the exposed and non-exposed people could be compared. This comparison group was selected in 1958 from the unexposed people of Rongelap. A separate group of exposed people from Utirik was not considered necessary since the Rongelap group was considered adequate for comparison with both the peoples of Rongelap and Utirik. ENG = fel Zz, Qe Sey » Ree) a Ay S = a