DRAFT 97 major concern is that this would require the removalofall of the coconut, breadfruit, pandanus, andlime trees and all other vegetation from the island.*’ 23 Oct 89 CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP PLUTONIUM RADIATION RELOCATION Chairman Ron de Lugo of the House Subcommittee on 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, induding analyses of the Rongelap Reassessment Project report and the phase 2 work plan for “Making Rongelap Habitable," a description of Rongelap Atoll cleanup efforts, and information on the DOEtesting of Rongelapese for plutonium or other transuranics.”” 16 Nov 89 ADMINISTRATION CLAIMS CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY RELOCATION Representing DOESecretary Watkins, John L. Meinhardt, DOE principal deputy assistant secretary for defense programs, testifies at the House Subcommittee on Insular and International Affairs oversight hearing on Rongelap. Meinhardt 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 other testing between 1946 and 1958." Emphasizing Watkins’s commitment to environmental, health, and safety matters, Meinhardt states that the DOE Secretary "intends to give the issues raised by the Rongelap people an additional review,” complete the review within six months, and report the results "by next summer." With respect to the Rongelap technical data supporting the current DOE position, Meinhardt affirms, "We stand by these ‘data.".; De. Lugocasks. Meinhardt"totake a message, back to Secretary Watkins, that this subcommitteeis veryappreciative ofthe new approach." Gotin Rudolph and, Harry-Brown. of.DOE, Drs. William AdamsandCharles Meinliold ofBNL; and Dé. William,Robison ofLUNL prepare draft.statementsfor this hearing, but the: DOE leadership. cancels.their testimany and replaces it with Meitihardt's:) tater 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..." Testifying before the same House subcommittee,Sen. Anjain 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 DOE’s past work regarding the habitability of Rongelap. Bernd Franke, Henry Kohn, and Rosalie Bertell testify regarding the Rongelap reassessment project. Robert K. Lane, of P&D technologies, testifies about the phase 2 work plan for an independent study of outstanding radiation and health issues on Rongelap.” SO00H4SS