: UNITED STATES ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON, D.C, 20595 Poel Ht eteee ¥ To the Chiefs and All People in Utirik Atoll Your letter to Mr. Roger Ray, dated July 1°76, has been received by this office. I wish to thank you for sending this letter and bringing your views to my attention. TI have carefully considered your views, and appreciate Even today, there are many facts about radiation that are not known, despite the large number of scientists that have studied this subject for more than 30 years. Even Jess was known about radiation in 1954 at the time of the exposure of the people on Rongelap and Utirik. Based on all. available knowledge on radiation at that time, ite ae as presented in your letter, the opportunity to answer your thoughtful questions. and using their best judement, so the people of this island had to live elsewhere for about. . three. years. before they could return to, their homes. wt ‘ Fee nceetnttinMwant ertAeeee eeu sp bemabelelcene ee cnestecs the American doctors estimated that the people of Utirik were exposed to only « small amount of radiation. Hence, there was general apreement among the doctors and they told the Utirik people that they would not, in the future, show any ill cffects caused by radiation. Also, the relatively low levels of radiation at Utiril soon diminished sufficiently to permit the peuple to return to their atoll before some of the other populations. Rongelap, on the otner hand, was more heavily contaminated with radioactivity ms we ee ‘Tn reviewitte the data that led to the conclusion thet’ the, Ucirik people were exposed to considerably less yediation than the people “Of:Rongelap , one’ mustconc Rude. that they arc essentiolly+COLESEL Tois conclusion is based in part ‘on he dose oem ‘iWedasutementé on the teqand:: Even. wore’ iniportarite: | Utirik people. showed, only very nivor, if aq: 9008605