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AOR ES
REPORT OF THE MEETING BETWEEN
THE UNITED STATES ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
AND
“
THE TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS
REGARDING MEDICAL CARE OF THE RONGELAP AND UTIRIK PEOPLE
KWAJALEIN, M. I., FEBRUARY 4-5, 1977
The United States Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA),
formerly AEC, has for more than 20 years conducted a program of medical
surveillance of the people of Rongelap and Utirik who were exposed to fallout
from a weapons test in 1954.
In the course of this activity,
and with the
knowledge and consent of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
the ERDA medical teams have
(TTPI),
provided limited medical care for the people
at Rongelap and Utirik.
The veople living on Utirik and Rongelap,
have recently and separacely
expressed a desire for changes in the type of medical care under the ERDA
program.
Specifically,
they have addressed requests to ERDA for more
comprehensive medical care for all the people living on these islands.
It is recognized that general medical care of the people of the
Marshall Islands is a responsibility of the Administration of the TTPI.
It is in the interést of both the TTPI and the US (ERDA) to explore ways
in which medical needs can best be met by cooperative efforts of both
parties within the framework of their respective responsibilities.
In response to a Trust Territory request,
the ERDA representative
reported that the US (ERDA ) is prepared to continue its assistance to
the TTPI in the discharge of its health care responsibilities to the
people living on Rongelap and Utirik.