The fact that in the Marshall Islands thyroid cancer is more prevalent in people exposed to lower tnan to higher levels of radiation is not widely known in the United States. nearby Rongelap and Utirik atolls, were severely contaminated with ash-like fallout. For many years people have debated whether or not the Marshal- lese were deliberately exposed. The official position is that upper ‘evel winds changed suddenly after the blast. depositing fallout on the tnhabited islands. Admiral Lewis Strauss of the Atomic Energy Commission, at a press conference on his retum from Bikini in 1954, said of Bravo “*. . . at no time wasthe testing out of control.” He added. “"No test is made without a definite pur- pose and a careful determination that is directed to an end result of major impertance....’7!" cancer is actually nore prevalent in the people who received Jow level exposure than in the high level group.?! A questionable decision by the Atomic Energy Commission allowed the Utrik people to retum to their atoll within six months of the Bravo test in 1954 and the Rungelap people after three years. Little radiological cleanup was done on either atoll. but both were declared safe despite **shight lingering radiation. ’**? Some 20 vears later. the Depart- ment of Energy has decided the 1slands were not safe. Shortly after the northern Marshalls radiological survey was finished, Department of Energy Scluntists went to Rongelap in Nevertheless. within hours of early 1979 and told the people that their exposure (at Rongelap. 175 rems. and at Utirik. 14 rems) the people began to suffer from nausea and severe itching of the skin: skin burns and loss of hair occurred in the following weeks. Since then. 19 out of 2? children exposed on Rongelap have had surgery for removal of thyroid nodules. In 1972 a youth. barely a year old at the time of his exposure in 1954, died of myelogen- ous leukemia. A 1977 report by Brookhaven states: ‘Recently about $0°% of the exposed Rongelap people showed hypothyroidism without clinical evidence of thyroid disease. a finding that probably portends trouble ahead.”’!? ‘ **For twenty two years, the people fof Utirik] have heard Dr. Conard and other doctorstell them not to the northern islands in their atoll, which for the past 20 years they have used for food gathering. were too No medical program exists for the people from these islands, but the list of miscarriages. deformed babies, cancers. thyroid nodules and environmental problems from supposedly unexposed atolls is steadily growing. Because Brookhaven does not examine people trom these other islands, the government has been able to deny that any health problems exist on the grounds that there are no data. Even on Utirik and Rongelap, Brookhaven has taken an extremely narrow view of the problems, ac- ‘‘The original purpose ofthe program was to be as broad as possible levels at least equal to. and in some cases higher than. an island at Bikint. Since the 1954 Bravo incident, the United States has stated unequivo- cally that only the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak. Rongelap and Utink were contaminated during the weapons tests. But in 1978, the Department of Energy suddendly reversed itself and reported: “‘In addition to Enewetak. Bikini and Rongelap Atolls. there are eleven other atolls or single islands that received intermediate range fallout from one or more of the megaton range tests.""73 Out of 406 people who live in Likiep. there are documented reports that list nine women who have given birth to babies with severe mental retardation, one woman who 28 high percentage of the popula- tion. "74 miles from Bikini—have radiation that islands in Rongelap—only 125 There is as much thyroid cancer at A 1976 Brookhaven annual report confirmed the finding that thyroid babies that were not normal, a quite cording to Kotrady. In his 1977 cnrituque hesaid: Oneofthese atolis in the northern Marshalls is Likiep. According to a careful reportin the Micronesian [ndependent, June 6, 1980: Utirik as at Rongelap.-*7? human. Also reported among women on Likiep were ten other radioactive to visit. Moreover. the Department of Energy survey shows worry, that the dose of radiation received at the island was too low to cause any harmful effects, However, it has become apparent that the theory was wrong. ... had three ‘strange’ still born babies, one ‘completely unrecognizable as to discover all possible effects... . Over the years, however, data from Various sources and opinionsof experts have assessed what long term effects should be found in the people. Thus the program seemsto operate in a mode of looking for those effects predicted by experts. ... It tends to focus on specific areas, such as the thyrotd and blood, where the scientists expect effects to occur,’ *?5 Much of the information concerning low level radiation in the Marshalls is relevant to the United States. In view of the uncertainty surrounding Three Mile Island. mil- itary personnel cxposed to nuclear tests. and so forth. The fact that in the Marshalls thyroid cancer is more prevalent in people exposed to lower than to higher levels of radiation ts not widely known in the United