~ — = ~_ - i a el i we Bal héde whys N: MATOMIGEENERGNACOMMISSIO WAS IMM, tis otiahd No. M-108 -. Tel. - 973-3335 or " 973-3446 - sat70 aster. Bina FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aida h 1 - eee hh SUSIE . a 1969 CONARD NAMED TO MONITOR BIKINIANS The Atomic Energy Commission has named Dr. Robert A. Conard of its Brookhaven National Laboratory to conduct - routine medical surveillance of the people of Bikini as they return to their home atoll. Bikini atoll was 1946 and 1958. the site of nuclear 23 tests between The Bikinians were moved from the atoll in 1946 before testing began. In August 1968, President Johnson announced that the Bikinians would be able to return to their homeland and directed the Department of Defense, the Depart~ ment of the Interior and the Atomic Energy Commission to cooperate in preparing for the return. In naming Dr. Conard, the AEC is following through ona recommendation of its Ad Hoc Consultant Committee which, in 1968, declared the atoll once more safe for human habita-~ tion. The Committee's finding was based on a 1967 scientific survey of the atoll which measured sources of potential internal and external radiation exposure. The Committee also recommended, as a reasonable pre- caution, that a routine surveillance of the Bikinians be set up even before their retuxn and that continual checks be made on their radiation exposure status after they are back on the atoll. ‘Dr. Conard has 15 years of experience in working with the people of the Marshall Islands which iiclude Bikini. He was also a member of the Ad Hoc Conmittee. posed to various levels of 306 us DOE ARCHIVES S ATOMIC RG ComussigREY | ne He has explained his role as that of a monitor. VEveryé one has a certain amount of both natural and artificial radioactivity present in his body and all of us are ex-— external background radiation. (more) . DOE ARCHIVES iC! lectinn DUM = EP FILES Rox G00 “eb tr 71723 PordcrMIRA7 Centwetek| Tose — Nee Pyo Mf