DRAFT/6/21/79
MEMORANDUM FOR HONORABLE
FROM: Matthew C.
SUBJECT:
ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI
410761
Nimetz
Micronesian Nuclear Claims
This paper
is
in response to the President's
request to
submit a single paper containing the views of all agencies
with respect to the following item:
"--~$10,000,000 one time payment to extinguisk
@)
land claims resulting from the U.S.
nuclear weapons
testing program in the Northern Marshall Islands;
and authorization to continue and extend the U.S.
*,) health care,compensation and monitoring activities’
“undertaken in consequence of that“program.
All agencies recommend approval of this item.
It would
authorize action on the following recommendations of xhe
Interagency Group:
(1)
Land Claims
.
The background to this recommendation is Lbntainea in
the memorandum at Tab A.
The United States
sHould seek to
negotiate settlement of known and definable land claims.
A
figure of $10 million is recommended for the reasons stated
in the attachment at Tab B.
(2)
Compensation for Personal Injury
Public Law 95-134 provided levels of
compensation for personal injury to people from Rongelap and
Utirik exposed accidentally to radiation in 1954.
Without
provision in the Compact, this legislation will expire when
the Trusteeship ends.
The United States should continue the
compensation provided for in Public Law 95-134 in the post-
trusteeship period and extend that coverage
Marshallese.
.
to all
affected
Cost of this program to date has been $1,383,000.
cost of
the
Tab C.
(3)
shed
in
extended program has
Medical
not yet been estimated.
The
See
Treatment
The ‘programs. of..treatment and inspection estabPublic Law_95-134->for Rongelap and Utirik should
be _continued,—and—
—ilater-establysned-medical—evidence ———7~
=
“warrants, such programs should be extended to all radiation-
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