The p. sibility also exists tha‘
and at Rongelap
Atoll and elsewhere in the Northern Marshalls may be
subject to a land claim.
The best prognosis now is
that no more than 500 acres might be subject to such
a claim.
This would mean adding another
$2 million
to
the, damage amount, making a total of $6.2 to $3.6
million.
Should the radiological survey now in progress
result
in data
to
support claims
at Rongelap or clsewhere,
be revised upward.
in
excess of
500 acres
this figure would need to
As a practical matter, we cannot assume such an
analysiswould be totally acceptable to the ‘Marshallese.
“Thereare.bound: to” be Tdbft ferences -of:‘opinions. lard - Our =),
negotiator must have some room to maneuver.
For exanple,
no matter what the hard facts, it is unlikely Eniwetok
will not want some part of a settlement.
Setting an
upper limit in this context is an arbitrary decision.
Nevertheless,
for practical
as well as psychological
reasons, the figure of $10 million as a boundary makes
sense, subject to possible upyvard revision, noted in
the preceding paragraph, should the damage at Rongelap
and elsewhere in the Northern Marshalls prove greater
than is now foreseen.
a=
SOtibbod