2S 0See 0 ee WEAPONSTESTING Se 1954 continued halted and that the Bikini and Enewetrak people be compensated for their islands. "When we were returned to our home island, the U.S. gave us four large pontoons filled with drinking water and bores of C-rations...They left and told us not to eat or drink any- thing from the island. We were quite suprised that they did not clean the cement water catchments which contained poisoned water. When we ran out of water in the pontoons, someone tasted the water in the catchments and found it to be okay, and so then we all drank this water.” Kel Toel, from Ttirikx Atoll. CONTAMINATED BY HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT FROM THE BRAVO TEST, THE RONGELAP PEOPLE ARE CHECKED FOR RADIATION WITH GEIGER COUNTERS. Navy Photo. MAY cnewecak: Cperation REDWING beging ii MAY Rongelap: After three montns of ex ominations and treatment at the Xwaia1 i ein Navy >Sase, the Rongelap veovle are resettled temporariiy on Ejit isianad i: Majuro Atoll, as high radiation levels on Rongelap prevent their return. mM ct (tirik: . - rm Fy Receiving wnat the AEC Zo ‘small’ amounts (14 rads) JUNE Bikini: Radioactive contamination 130 times above normal levels is detected at 1 testing point 312 miles west of Bikini. A Japanese governmentsponsored scientific team sampling ocean water and marine life reports radioactive contaminants are ‘Mav 3) at Enewetak is listed as 40 xilotons. Three hydrogen bombs are tested at 3ikini: Cherokee (May 21) listed at ‘several megatons;" Zuni (Mav 78) at 3.5 megatons; Tewa (July 21) at found 1957 JULY Rongelap: A Brookhaven resort for the AEC states that “in spite of slight lingering radioactivity" Rongelap Atoll is safe for habitation. The people exposed in 1954 return home, along with nore than 200 Rongelap peo- ple who had been away from the atoll during the Bravo test. Brookhaven doctors call this unexposed group “an ideal comparison population for the studies.” in the ocean from the northern Marsnalls vwestward almost to the Mariana Uririk: On the gounds that the lower ex- Telands. posure of 7.000 miles away. the Utirik people is less ha- zardous (14 rads compared to 175 for the Rongelap people) Brookhaven doctors ex- an Cc c> rf cm ta This test se- ries includes 17 atomic and hydrogen Domos through July. The Lacrosse test 5 megatons: information on the other “ests remains classified. of siation from Bravo, the Utirik De return home from Kwajalein. Zrooknaven “oetors siate: “Their isiane «as oniv siigntly contaminated and considered sare for nabitatzion.” that at Enewecak and Bikini. amine the Utirik people oniv once every 1955 three vears. MARCH 9 United Nations: Mar- shall Islands representatives again petition the U.N. Trusteesnip Council requesting that the nuclear testing be Sr RB eB Ee eB eee 1958 Rongelap: Stillbirths and mis- (continued on page 14) 12 SVR eSB See ae eee SS