With respect to the testimony presented by the Department of Energy in May and June, 1978, we are unable to confirm that the Department of Energy made references at that time ". . . that Eneu Island would have to remain off-limits for 20-25 years . . ."" While both Mr. Hollister and I were aware of the subject being discussed at the hearings in question, we were not aware of the above statement being made. Even if such a statement had been made at that time, however, presumably the additional information and analyses which have become available during the past 2 1/2 years would permit revision of opinion expressed on the basis of information available at that time. The Department of Energy did testify that the cesium concentration in coconut on Eneu Island was 5-6 times higher than was anticipated from the very limited amount of relevant information that was available prior to 1978. The data reported at the hearing was the first "new" data which had just become available in early May, 1978; this limited "new" information raised questions as to the suitability of Eneu Island as a site of residence. The Department of Energy also testified that some of the water wells may have been in excess of Environmental Protection Agency standards. This statement was based on the fact that during different years the radionuclide content of the water varied from being above Environmental Protection Agency standards to being below Environmental Protection Agency standards. The implication of this was unknown at the time, but since then has been determined to be a relatively minor contributing factor with respect to the overall potential radiation doses. To my knowledge, the above is the extent to which the Department of Energy testified. However, given the facts as known in mid-1978 that (a) the cesium levels in coconuts were higher than expected, (b) an imported food supply system had just demonstrated its lack of effective- ness, and (c) subsistence foods were available on Bikini Island but, except for coconut trees, not on Eneu Island, it seems a reasonable assumption for the Department of the Interior to have made at that time that relocation from Bikini Island to Eneu Island was not advisable. The more recent dose estimates include a considerably expanded data base compared to that which was available in past years. These data have resulted from the continuing Department of Energy environmental studies at the Bikini Atoll, and in part from information obtained through the | Northern Marshall Islands Radiological Survey. Nevertheless, our recent radiation dose estimates confirm the above conclusions in showing that without a diet consisting of approximately 50% imported foods, plus other restrictions as identified above, United States radiation standards would be exceeded by residents on Eneu Island for approximately 20 years.