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ABSTRACT

The

Bikini

were removed

in

people
1946

wish

to

to

make

resettle

way

for

a

Bikini

Atoll,

from

U.

nuclear

weapons

S.

which

they

testing

program.
The

hazard of

radionuclide
crops.

The

resettlement

in the soil
waters

Strontium-90

the lagoon

a

almost entirely

which may contaminate

of

plays

stems

minor

and

role,

but

the

ground water and

surrounding
some

from cesium-137, a
ocean

details

are

are

food

"clean".

stil?

under

investigation.

a

Contamination aside, only two of the atoll's 23 islands are physically
and historically suitable for permanent settlement,

Bikini

(2.4 km),

the

traditional site, and Eneu (1.2 km<) which has been an ancillary one.
On

the

basis

islands

may

be

of

the

visited

Federal

now.

radiation

Eneu

may

be

protection
resettled,

but

depending

on

have to

during the initial years of resettlement.

Bikini may be resettled with the

period

of

80

foods

years,

are to
by

be

which

grown

time

imported,

all

population size some food at least would

proviso that no

be

standards,

especially

nor ground water consumed

spontaneous

decay

will have

for a
reduced

cesium-137 to permissible levels.

The Bikini-Kili Council
that

the

foregoing

has informed the Committee (August 14, 1984)

alternatives

are

unacceptable

because

Bikini

Island

would not be decontaminated.
The Committee has considered courses of action that attack the problem
directly by removing the top 30 cm of Bikini's soil.

The spp il

would be

disposed of either by the creation of a narrow, peripheral

land strip on

the

crater -in

seaward

lagoon.

5000006

side
The

of the

island,

execution

of

or

such

by

dumping

plans

it

would

into
take

a

2-4

years

the
and

Select target paragraph3