Ray: Well I know people were drinking it a few years ago but that's when they just did not have enough catchment (water). McAfee: You got any predictions about what the passage of time when restrictions will no longer be necessary? Is it another 30 years or is it permanent? Ray: If we wait just for the passage of times just for the natural processes that are at work to remove these radionuclides, then the half-time is close to 30 years for improvement of the situation by a factor of 2. It's half as bad sometime short of 30 years from now. But there are other things that can be done and especially in the food chain consideration. We believe that there's a good chance that through research and experimentation we can learn ways to keep the uptake into the plant from occurring. It will still be in the soil. It will still be in the ground water but if the plant doesn't take it up then the man doesn't eat it. We have very high hopes for learning how to do that. In fact we're absolutely confident we can make some improvement. But the degree of improvement and how long is still a question and I would guess within 4 or 5 years we'll have some good answers to this. Similarly I guess one might hope to conceive a clever agricultural or irrigation scheme that would bypass or break the cycle here. If you could turn some significant fraction of the island into a catchment and use that for irrigation you would be introducing clean water into the system in selective locations. McAfee: DeBrum: " McAfee: DeBrum: How long is the dry season? In Northern Islands I understand about six months. Six months with no rain at all? Hardiy any at all. Any other questions? If not we want to thank you very much and the-leadership for taking their time and exchanging ideas. These questions and answers with Mr. Roger Ray I think are important. All of us should be aware and be enlightened to the extent possible so that we too understand. Then we can understand the people's problems and then we can help them in any way we possibly can, to alleviate their mental anxiety. Knowing the Bikini people I must admit they are persistent people. The last two times L was there (Kili) they wanted to go right away. Now that they know they have the expratia payment coming ---it's been approved by the United States Congress. It's just a matter of signing by the President. They saw no reason to wait. I had to ask them to wait a little bit until the results of this particular survey could be made. I can understand that. That's their home island. elderly people that want to go back right away. -12- Mostly it's