awn
on a
et
ee Bre
_
b
a Perrin’. as
already moved back to the southern
islands. which the Agency calls
“relatively
uncontaminated.”
Meanwhile. the Department of Energy says the atoll’s northern
islands—where the majonty of the
43 nucleur tests occurred—should be
off limit, for at least 30 years, since
radiation levels are still high there.
Because of the Department ruling,
millions of dollars have been spent
on building houses and community
facilities
and
on_
replanting
thousands of coconut trees in the
southem islands: but no funds have
been used to rehabilitate the northem islands. This has caused problems among the Enewetak people as,
traditionally. they are divided into
two distinct groups: the Dri-Enjebi in
the northem and Dri-Enewerak in
the south. Accustomed to their own
chiefs and land, the Dri-Enjebi are
reluctant to live on another chief's
land.
In September 1979, the radiological information about Enewetak was
presented by the Department of Energy to the people. Michael Bender
and Bertrand Brill, two scientists
hired by Micronesian Legal Services
then testified that their study showed
all the islands to be safe for habita-
tion, including northern Enjebi Island. The chances of adverse effects
were so small, they had concluded,
that ‘cancer mortality in the lifetime
of the population is estimated to be
less than a single case." They asserted that the Department of Energy overstated the nsk: ‘DOE tends
to exaggerate the prablem,”’ said Micronesian Legal Service Director Ted
Mitchell.¢
The Enewetak people have an intense desire to return home, after 33
years on tiny Ujelang Atoll. And on
the basis of this information. the
Enjebi people voted to return to their
island in the north. But the objectivity of the study conducted by Bender
Se werentao.
we Bee
“ot
_ 7
ot
wee,
754) =
aes
3
~or
.
ae
- =
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oe
eee
ate. ae
the
Brookhaven researchers assess U.S.
government data... . The historyof
the U.S. testing program was one of
repeated
mistakes
and
miscalculations.’’ In his view, ‘‘nongovernment radiation experts”
should be included in all such surveys.®
government-funded Brookhaven
National Laboratory, has been
questioned. Dr. Rosalie Bertell. a
consultant to the Division of Stan-
Office report cautioned that ‘‘because of uncertainty of the long term
effects of exposure to lowlevel radi-
and
Brill,
whose
base
is
dard Setting for the Nuclear Regu-
latory Commission, said of the
study:
“The population of Enewetak has
the nght to know that a value judgment has been made for them,
namely that induction of cancer is
their only concern. They may, if informed about hypothyroidism, ap-
lastic anemia. premature aging. benign tumors and other such dis-
orders, make a different judgment.
They ‘reduced’ the radiation dose
of the inhabitants of Enjebi by av-
¢raging in the population less ex-
A May 1979 Genera] Accounting
ation, it is possible that the people of
Enewetak could receive doses in excess of current standards.’ It also
urged an independent assessment of
Enewetak by “experts who have no
direct connections with the nuclear
testing program or the Enewetak
cleanup project .. . before resettlement of the people begins.“° This
report wasinitially withheld from the
Marshall Islands government for
political reasons.
Since deporting an independent
team of Japanese scientists invited
by Marshal! Islands leaders to in-
vestigate the radiation problems in
posed. This ts like telling one
1971, the United States has stead-
nonsmoking membersof the family
people and their environment.
President Lyndon Johnson an-
member of a family his or her risk of fastly refused to allow independent
monitoring of the Marshallese
lung canceris lowered if the other
are included and an ‘average’ nsk
given. Itis a scientifically ndiculous
nounced in [968 that Bikini—site of
fecting the lives of 500 people on the
Bender and Brill inadequate health
exile since 1946.
In 1969, the Atomic Energy Com-
approach to public health.
Basing a resettlement decision af-
assessment would be extremely imprudent.”*”
23 bomb tests—would be returned to
its people, who had been living in
mission said: ‘‘({there ts] virtually no
radiation left on Bikini’’ and “the
exposures to radiation of the Bikini
Glen Alcalay, a former Peace people do not offer a significant
Corps Volunteer in the Marshalls. threat to their health and safety.-''®
said the problem is “the inherent
conflict of interest in having
A small-scale cleanup and re-
December 1980
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 25
habilitation program was begun and
eee