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already moved back to the southem
islands. which the Agency calls
“relatively
uncontaminated.”
Meanwhile. the Department of Energy savs the atoll’s northern
islands—where the majority of the
43 nuclear tests occurred—should be
off limits for at least 30 years, since
radiation levels are still high there.
Because of the Departmentruling,
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 objectiv-
ity of the study conducted by Bender
and
Brill,
whose
base
is
the
government-funded Brookhaven
National Laboratory, has been
questioned. Dr. Rosalie Bertell, a
consultant to the Division of Stan-
aaaacs
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ee
bs
o
ae
a
Brookhaven researchers assess U.S.
govemment data. .. . The historyof
the U.S. testing program was one of
repeated
mistakes
and
miscalculations."’ In his view, ‘*nangovernment radiation experts”
should be included tn all such surveys.§
A May 1979 General Accounting
Office report cautioned that ‘‘be-
millions of dollars have been spent
on building houses and community
facilities
and
on_
replanting dard Setting for the Nuelear Reguthousands of coconut trees in the latory Commission, said of the
southern islands: but no funds have study:
been used to rehabilitate the north**The population of Enewetak has
erm islands. This has caused prob- the night to knowthat a value judglems among the Enewetak people as,
ment has been madefor them,
traditionally. they are divided into
namely that induction of cancerts
two distinct groups: the Dri-Enjebi in their only concern. They may, if inthe northern and Dri-Enewerah in
formed about hypothyroidism, apthe south. Accustomed to their own lastic anemia. premature aging. be-
cause of uncertainty of the long term
effects of exposure to low level radiation, 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
reluctant to live on another chief's
land.
political reasons.
chiefs and land, the Dri-Enjebi are
nign tumors and other such dis-
orders, make a different judgment.
They ‘reduced’ the radiation dose
cleanup project .. . before resettle-
ment of the people begins.‘ This
report wasinitially withheld from the
Marshall] Islands government for
Since deporting an independent
team of Japanese scientists invited
by Marshall Islands leaders to in-
In September 1979, the radiologi- of the inhabitants of Enjebi by avcal information about Enewetak was eraging in the population less exvestigate the radiation problems in
presented by the Departmentof En- posed. This is like telling one
1971, the United States has steadergy to the people. Michael Bender member of a family his or her risk of fastly refused to allow independent
and Bertrand Brill, two scientists
hired by Micronesian Legal Services
then testified that their study showed
all the islands to be safe for habitation. including northern Enjebi Isjand. 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.""5 They asserted that the Department of Energy overstated the nsk: **DOE tends
to exaggerate the problem,’’ said Mic-
ronesian Legal Service Director Ted
Mitchell.*
lung canceris lowered if the other
nonsmoking members of the family
are included and an ‘average’ nsk
given. It ts a scientifically ndiculous
approach to public health.
Basing a resettlement decision af-
monitoring of the Marshallese
people and their environment.
President Lyndon Johnson an-
nounced in 1968 that Bikint~site of
23 bomb tests—wouild be retumed to
its people, who had been hving in
fecting the lives of 800 people on the
exile since 1946.
In 1969, the Atomic Energy Com-
prudent."”’
radiation left on Bikini'' and “the
Corps Volunteer in the Marshalls.
said the problem is ‘‘the inherent
threat to their health and safety.”'°
A small-scale cleanup and re-
December 1980
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 25
Bender and Brill inadequate health
assessment would be extremely im-
mission said: ‘(there is} virtually no
exposures to radiation of the Bikini
Glen Alcalay, a former Peace people do not offer a significant
conflict
of interest
in
having habilitation program was begun and
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