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BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY
ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES, INC.
Upton, New York 11973
Safety & Environmental Protection Division

(516) 345- 4210

September 30, 1980

RECEIVED
OCT

7 1980

W. J. BAIR

Mr. W. J. Bair
Manager

Environment, Health & Safety Research Program
Batelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories

P.O. Box 999
Richland, Washington

99352

Dear Bill,
I sincerely apologize for taking such a long time in replying to
your letter.

An educational program must first establish what the goal will be.

In the case of the program that will be developed for the Marshallese

under PL:96-205, I presume, the goal will be to:
a.

develop an understanding for radiation and its effect

b.

relate this understanding to their environment and therefore

c.

indicate that such radiation exposure as they would receive

the effect of such radiation on their continuing to live on
islands/atolls which have above then normal radiation

can be kept to a minimum, that they could avoid undue exposures,

that they will be in a position to make value judgements on

their desire to return to some of their islands/atolls inspite

of the fact that there is residual radiation on their islands
from the nuclear test in the past.

The above may not necessarily be the goal(s) in your program but that
was and is my perception based on my experience with the Marshallese while

staying with them in their homes during 1977 and 1978.

(See Enclosure).

This opportunity of living with them for extended periods permitted me to
develop an educational program precisely tailored to:
a.

develop an atmosphere of trust

b,

correcting the misconception of radiation and its effects
especially as they saw it in reference to their own experience

c.

their mode of learning which is primarily through story-telling
rather than text-book learning

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