. . 71 L N-4B The following National letter is from Dr. W. H. Adams of Brookhaven National Dr. Roger Ray of DOE. Laboratory to — 21(!3 ~ly 10, 1985 Mr. Roger Ray for Pacific Deputy Nevada Operations Operations Office Department of Energy P.o. Box 14100 89114 Las Vegas, NV Dear Roger: In view precipitated have reviewed that supports of Rrmgelap, which of the recent evacuation residual radioactivity by concern about harmful our medical records to see if there 1s any this conclusion and course of action. appears on cllnical to have been the ato~l, we evidence Since 1957 an unexposed population of Ilarshallese of Ronqelap ancestry has been examined periodically by the Urcokhaven medical team. This population (the Comparison group) is similar in age and sex distribution to The reason for examination of the unexposed the exposed people of Rongelap. group has been to obtain baseline lncidences of diseases in the general Narshallese population as an aid in detection of previously unfdentlficd radiation hazards which might affect the exposed group. Collected data on the unexposed people are effect of residence.on Rongelap (since 1957) on and blood counts. We have done a retrospective records; 133 of the group are living and 54 are selected for analysis the following dlvislons of sufficient to assess the longevity, thyroid neoplasia, analysis of their medical We have arbitrarily deceased. on years of residence Rongelap: Short-term Intermediate Long-term The place - <3 years (averages 1.0 years) years (average, 7.5 years) 14 - 4 >15 years (average, 20.9 years) of residence for a given year is received his medical examination. individual mfgratlon of Marshallese among the atolls, always be the same as the site of residence. be a good correlation between the two. defined as the place where an Since there is considerable the site of examination may not OveralJ, however, there should