DRAFT
major concern is that this would require the removal of all of the
pandanus, and lime trees and ail other vegetation from the island’
a7
nut, breadfruit,
23 Oct 89
CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION
RELOCATION
Chairman Ron de Lugo of the House Subcommittee Jon Insular and
International Affairs invites DOE Secretary Watkins to testify at the 16 November
oversight hearing on the health of the Rongelap people. De Lugo submits three
pages of matters for the DOE to address at the hearing, including analyses of the
Rongelap Reassessment Project report and the phase 2 work plan for “Making
Rongelap Habitabie," a description of Rongelap Atoll cleanup efforts] and information
on the DOEtesting of Rongelapese for plutonium or other transurgnics.*”
16 Nov 89
ADMINISTRATION
CLAIMS
CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY
RELOCATION
Representing DOE Secretary Watkins, John L. Meinhardt, DOG principal deputy
assistant secretary for defense programs, testifies at the House
Subcommittee on
Insular and International Affairs oversight hearing on Rongelap. Mainhardt declares,
"We, aS a country, accept full responsibility for compensation to the
citizens of the
Marshall Islands resulting from the Bravo event, as well as otherjtesting between
1946 and 1958.". Emphasizing Watkins's commitment to environmental, health, and
safety matters, Meinhardt states that the DOE Secretary "intends t@ give the issues
raised by the Rongelap people an additional review,” complete the feview within six
months, and report the results "by next summer.” With respect fo the Rongelap
technical data supporting the current DOE position, Meinhardtaffirngs, "We stand by
these data." De Lugo asks Meinhardt "to take a message back to Sqcretary Watkins,
that this subcommittee is very appreciative of the new approach.” (Jg@hn Rudolph and
Harry Brown of DOE, Drs. William Adams and Charles Meinhold pf BNL, and Dr.
William Robison of LLNL prepare draft statements for this hearing, but the DOE
leadership cancels their testimony and replaces it with Meinhardt’s§ Later both de
Lugo and Sen. Anjain refer to Meinhardt’s review statement as a "fresh look," which
Anjain says Watkins "promised...over the objections of the [DOE program
managers..."°"9
Testifying before the same House subcommittee, Sen. Anjai® urges that the
independent study of Rongelap promised in P.L. 99-239 "be promptly initiated."
According to a letter by John C. Tuck, DOE, of 2 May]1990, Rudolph
expresses the Secretary's desire to have an outside review of DDE’s past work
regarding the habitability of Rongelap. Bernd Franke, Henry Kohn, arg Rosalie Bertell
testify regarding the Rongelap reassessment project. Robert K.[ Lane, of P&D
technologies, testifies about the phase 2 work plan for an indep@ndent study of
outstanding radiation and health issues on Rongelap.**