STARE COMMENTS It is expected that the results of dose estimates for use of Eneu as a village island wil] depend to a considerable degree ou the assumptions reparding Lond use and diet. The task of providing additional advice to DOI is further complicated by observing that while we have a chanee to correct past mistakes , the problem of Limiting exposurcs in an atoll environment is more Oifficult than recognised earlier. Though the residency limitations of the return to Bikini Atoll were never well understood by the Rikinians and any vnderStanding they may have had has been further dimmed by time, the fact is that the AEC recommendation to President Johnson for their return to the atoll and the subsequent plans for cleanup and rehabilitation of the atoll, were based primarily upon radiological consideratious. First, that the U.S. radiation protection standards for exposures of individuals will be used to der rmine what is "safe."* Second, that any restrictiors to limit exposurcs be simple «nd casily understood by the Bikinians, and three, that ej involved parties maintain a spirit of cooperaticn to achiewe the goal of the Bikinians again living in safety on their atoll. These parties include the people, their advisors, the Trust Territory Covernnent, and agencies of the Federal Governnent. In addition, past judgements and recomnendations have been based on dose estimates using the average contamination level of land and food as opposed ta "worst case" conditions. We believe this approach is still valid. . *Thére is no documentation that a numerical balunce or tradeoff was made between the benefits of the Bikiniens fe eure ang. the risks of radiation exposurc. As stated in 1968, the predicted exposures "do not offer a significant threat to horlih and safety." In our strict application of Federal radiaticn standards for a similar decision to return the Mnewetakese to their atoll, EPA considcred the numerical vajlucs of these standards as upper limits.