3. REASSESSMENT With the foregoing as background, let us now attempt to answer the: questions which the Congress has asked: Were the doses used by DOE-1982 correct (Robison 1982b)? Does it follow that Rongelap is habitable? If not, what should be done [Note 5)? 1982. It should be noted that the technical position has changed since More data have been accumulated so that the original meager sanpling has become more robust. In addition, we shall consider the findings of the Brookhaven National Laboratory, using an important method which DOE-1982 did not consider, and also our own findings.* The data base employed by DOE-1987comprised the results of the Northern Marshall Islands Survey of 1978 (September-Novenmber) which had been planned as an aerial reconnaissance to map external gamma-ray exposure rates (normalized to 1 meter above ground level) (Tipton & Meibaum,1981). Two helicopters were employed, operating from a major support vessel, the U.S.N.S. Wheeling. Subsequently the Livermore Laboratory program was added to obtain soil, water, vegetation and fish samples at each atoll "as time and facilities might permit" (Robison et al, 1981, Part 1). The time spent at Rongelap Atoll permitted 7 days for 9 islands, of which the major one was Rongelap. Operating from a large ship that had to cruise at a considerable distance offshore, and whose primary function was aerial reconnaissance, restricted the terrestrial work significantly. The radionuclides dealt with were five: cesium-137, which is distributed throughout the body; strontium-90, a bone seeker; and the very poorly absorbed plutonium-239.-240 and americium-241, which have very long half-lives and which are tightly bound by bone, liver and testes (Table 3 #1). The Livermore group took soil samples from some 25 scattered jocations on Rongelap Island whose averages (picocuries/gram) for 0-10 cn depth were: cesiun-137, 12; strontium-90, 7.1; plutonium-239,-240, 2.6; americium-241, 0.9 (Table 3 #2). These 1978 levels were about twice those for Eneu, Bikini Atoll. This soil contamination provided the basis for human exposure in two ways. Radiations that emanated from the ground or standing vegetation led to external dose. Radiations that emanated from food and water after entering the human body were responsible for internal dose. " B. Franke states that the enabling legislation calls for study of only the original findings and report. A second committee should consider subsequent findings, and a third group should execute its recommendations. 5000b2b