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~ Commentary: INTEGRITY OF HEAL
by Jeffrey Jefferson
marshall islands atomic litigation project
The August release of the
"Guinea Pig" report, which
documents the long history of
?
'
f
Islands detonation. in
a
detailed discussion the report
documents instances where
Atomic Energy Commission as
the AEC cut off funding for
scientific research projects
risks associated with low-level
the
a more critical time for the
people of the Marshall islands.
To an unparalleled degree, it
i the people of the Marshall
scientists
tw
falsify field
reports, transferred scientists
false information disseminated
by
the -AEC to their
irreparable detriment. This
security’ any scientific results
lies
and
to
health
coverups
and
by
the
enviromental
radiation, could mot come at
islands who relied upon the
reliance, combined with the
axtensiveness of the weapons
testing program conducted
within the Marshal] islands
have created the most vivid
example to date of not only
the
dangers
radiation,
fundamental
af low-levd
but also
raise
— ~ questions
conceming the vory integrity
of the AEC, and the standard
of conduct by the United
States as trustee under the
United Nations Agreement.
To begin, it is important to
recognize that the report has
as os) focus the nuclear
weapons testing conducted at
the
Nevada
test
site.
However, the conclusions are
drectly applicable to - the
situation in the Marshall
Islands in that the report
establishes,
goverment
through
records,
the
AEC's level af understanding
as to health and enviromental!
risks aS a time prior to the
which raised questions as to
health risks
nuciear
testing,
involved
in
instructed
who woidd not participate in
the coverups, and classified
under the pretext of ‘national
that did not support the
AEC's thesis that nuclear
testing was ‘safe’.
it i here that the report
reaches its most important
conclusion, a conclusion which
relates directly to questions
now facing the people of the
Marshall
Islands. The report
concludes that a conflict of
interest exits between the
AEC's role as the promoter
of nuclear technology, and its
role as the funding authority
for radiation health research.
The report finds the conflict
continues to this day, and
further motes that the AEC's
successor
agencies——
the
Department of Energy, the
Department of Defense, and
the
Nuclear
Regulatory
Commission, are also subject
to ‘this conflict.
,
In light of these disclosures
serious questions must be ask
concerning the implementation
"of the Marshall Islands health
mandated
care
plan
LAW
PUBLIC
24 Ae
WM oe.
fhe he
PERaaM wee
cata
aw.
by
;AEC's
successor
agencies
mist be viewed with not only
a great deal of suspicion but
also with a degree cf alarm.
For only time will show if the
medical monitoring program
established pursuant to the
new Federal Act will be one
designed to meet the bealth
needs of the Marshallese
people, or if it will be one,
the mtent of which, will be
continue to down play
health risks associated with
nuclear exposure.
Recognizing the people from
the
have
various
affected
differing
atnils
solutions
to
many of the nuclear related
issues before them today, and
further
that
the
Marshail
islands Government is now
also involved in these issues
as the representative of an
emerging independent nation,
nevertheless all would seem to °
share a common goal insofar
as
any health monitoring
program is concerned. That
goal must be to ins@e the
integrity of any health care
program so established. Given
the AEC's past record it is
inconceivable
that
this
agency's successors
would
eve
=obe
considered
for
Participation in this task.
While some issues remain -the
subject of dispute among the
involed parties, such as the
scope of the health care
program as evidenced by the
positions taken at the recent
po-20% Washington
DC meeting on
fog
.
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