UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 401086 20545 James L. Liverman, Director Division of Biomedical and Environmental Research MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF CONGRESS OF MICRONESIA TO DISCUSS AGREEMENT FOR KEIMBURSEMENT UNDER TERMS OF MICRONESIAN PUBLIC LAW 5-52 | A meeting was held at 10:15 a.m. on 6/12/74 between Senator Wilfred Kendall ' , and Representative Joab Sigrah of the Congress of Micronesia, Brian Farley, Advisor to the Congress of Micronesia, Harry U. Brown, Territorial Officer, Department of the Interior, and Drs. Burr, Stuart, and Marks, and Mr. Greenleigh of AEC. The meeting was called to discuss revisions of a draft agreement to provide reimbursement for costs incurred by the Trust Territory under Public Law no. 5-52 of the Congress of Micronesia. AEC had forwarded a draft agreement as approved by Commissioner Larson to the Department of Interior for their comments on January 28, 1974. The draft was forwarded by Interior to the Government of the Trust Territory who turned it over to the Special Joint Committee Concerning Rongelap and Utirik Atolls of the Congress of Micronesia to obtain their response. Suggested revisions with relevant comments by Senator Borja were forwarded by Stanley S. Carpenter, Director of Territorial Affairs, Department of the Interior on March 27, 1974. Mr. Carpenter suggested a meeting in his cover letter; Mr. Brown reaffirmed that suggestion recently. | ' Since Brian Farley and a delegation from the Congress of Micronesia were attending the U.N. Trusteeship Council meeting in New York during the first and second weeks in June, this was considered a propitious time to resolve differences concerning the interagency agreement. | _ During the opening remarks at the meeting the point was made by AEC representatives that our agency is restricted to funding projects that are somehow related to research. Any program of pure medical care for the Micronesians must be sought through either the Department of Iaterior or Health, Education and Welfare. Secondly, the government has now assumed legal liability for damage to the inhabitants of the Marshall Islands. Therefore, AEC can only accept compassionate responsibility as stated in U.S. P.L. 88-485 (August 22, 1964) rather than legal liability for damages resulting from the 1954 thermonuclear test. The program of benefits provided to the people of the Marshall Islands during the past two years was reviewed, This includes the stationing by BNL of a physician in the Marshall Islands to make quarterly visits to Rongelap and Utirik for medical surveillance; the procurement of a 5008454 REPOSITORY poe/PASO COLLECTION DoE/VY DA F 3 L228,KHED“ELIDr 20x no. fsl0—Consed FOLDER O/ ru laf LG FH