"(3) an education and information program to enable the people of such atolls to more fully understand nuclear radiation and its effects; As part of this responsibility the Department of Interior (DOI) requested that the Department of Energy (DOE) prepare for consideration of the Secretary of Interior, a plan for part (2) of the above quoted Taw. This plan is in response to the request from the Secretary of the Interior. 2. Background Information for the Northern Marshall Islands; Historical Development of Marshal? Island Surveys and Programs. The United States conducted the nuclear testing program at the Pacific Proving Grounds of Enewetak and Bikini Atolls from 1946 through 1958. As a result, both atolls were contaminated with a variety of radionuclides; Rongelap and Utirik atolls were also contaminated by radioactive fallout. In addition to these 4 atolls, other atolls downwind of the proving grounds, as well as other geographical areas (i.e. Hawaii, Mainland U.S., Europe (etc.) received low levels of radioactive fatlout. A U.S. moratorium on testing started on October 31, 1958 and marked an end to nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands. Since that time short-lived radionuclides (half-lives less than about 4 years) have essentially disappeared from the atoll environment. Also in the 22 years since the conclusion of the testing program, the atolls and islands have been subject to natural environmental processes and the concentration of some radionuclides has decreased in the marine and terrestrial ecosystems. However, concentrations of ltonger-lived fission products such as 137 Cs and 905, plus other activation products such as 60 Co and the transuranic