HOR LS

REPOSITORY
COLLECTION
OPERATIONS PLAN

BOX No.

MISSION

FOLDER

FY 1978 #4

BNL MEDICAL SURVEY ~ MAJURO, EBEYE, RONGELAP,

UTIRIK, BIKINI

BNL BIOASSAY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING PROGRAM - RONGELAP,
AND ENEWETAK

UTIRIK

LLL RESUSPENSION EXPERIMENT, GARDEN PROJECT - BIKINI AND ENEWETAK

i.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A.

Brookhaven National Laboratory has conducted medical surveillance
of Rongelap and Utirik persons who were exposed to fallout from
the 1954 nuclear event, Bravo.

A control group of unexposed

persons is also monitored for comparison data.
In addition,
DOE in 1977 in response to requests from the people of
Rongelap and Utirik agreed to supplement TTPI outer island
medical service by providing an expanded health care program
on these atolls.
These visits are made quarterly with one
visit per year (Mission #4 this year)expanded to provide this
additional care.
BNL also conducts environmental sampling on Rongelap, Utirik
and Bikini and performs whole body counting. Additionally, there
will be a urine bioassay for various radionuclides.

B.

Lawrence Livermore Laboratory has undertaken DOE sponsored
projects in the Northern Marshalls to investigate measurements
of radionuclides in the soil,

water and their biota radio-

ecological transport.
The garden project on Enewetak was
extended to Bikini to further these assessments.
Additionally,
LLL has procured and will install air sampling equipment on
Bikini so as to detect the presence or absence of radioactive
airborne particles.
If.

WORK TO BE PERFORMED
A.

BNL ~ Dr. Conard

1,

A team of 20 medical specialists and technicians under
the auspices of BNL and from the TTPI will conduct
complete physical examinations of all people living on
Rongelap and Utirik, and of exposed and control group
people living on Majuro and Ebeye. Also, a thyroid survey
of unexposed Rongelap and Utirik people living on Majuro
and Ebeye will be made.

2.

A two-day "sick call" visit will be made to Bikini.

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