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49
N-3
The following comments relate to the timing of the ev
of the Rongelap people.
(a) According to C. L. Dunham, Director of the AEC Divisi
Biology and Medicine, (Cronkite et al, 1956), “unexpected
in the wind structure deposited radioactive materials on i
atolls and on ships of Joint Task Force 7, which was condu
tests. Radiation surveys of the areas revealed radiation
above permissible levels:
therefore evacuation was ordere
carried out as quickly as possible with the facilities ava
the Joint Task Force".
(b)
According to Merril Eisenbud (personal communication,
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references) a scientific member of the Task Force, “There
unanswered questions about the circumstances of the 1954 f
It is strange that no formal investigation was ever conduc
There have been reports that the device was exploded despi
adverse meterological forecast.
It has not been explained
evacuation capability was not standing by, as had been rec
or why there was not immediate action to evaluate the matt
the Task Force learned (seven hours after the explosion) t
AEC Health & Safety Laboratory recording instrument on Ron
off scale.
There was also an unexplained interval of nany days
before the fallout was announced to the public”.
(c})
Since the Rongelapese had been evacuated prior to preyi
tests, it is
not clear why the usual procedure was change
88H
February 1954, Dr. Bertell has told me, Magistrate John An
Rongelap was told about the Bravo test, but was not given
He said that "there are no orders from Washington to evacu
people”.
(d)
Rongelap was evacuated on March 3, 1954, approximately
hours after the shot.