15 3. REASSESSMENT With the foregoing as background, let us now attempt to an er the questions which the Congress has asked: Were the doses calcula d by DOE f not, for 1978 correct? Does it follow that Rongelap is habitable? what should be done? It should be noted that the technical position has changed since 1982. More data have been published so that the original meage sampling has become more robust. In addition, we shall consider the findi the Brookhaven National Laboratory, using an important method wii DOE-1982 failed to consider, and also our own findings.* The data base employed by DOE-1982 comprised the results o Northern Marshall Islands Survey of 1978 (September-November) wi been planned as an aerial reconnaissance to map external gammaexposure rates (normalized to 1 meter above ground level) (Tipt Meibaum,1981). Two helicopters were employed, operating from a support vessel, the U.S.N.S. Wheeling. Subsequently the Livermore Laboratory program was added to soll, water, vegetation and fish samples at each atoll "as time facilities might permit" (Robison et al, 1982, Part 1). The ti at Rongelap Atoll permitted 7 days for 9 islands, of which the was Rongelap. Operating from a large ship that had to cruise a considerable distance offshore, and whose primary function was reconnaissance, restricted the terrestrial work significantly. The radionuclides dealt with were five: cesium-137, whichfis distributed throughout the body; strontium-90, a bone seeker; plutoniun-239.-240 and americium-241, which have very long half which are tightly bound by bone, liver and testes (Table 3 #1). The Livermore group took soil samples from some 20 scatte locations on Rongelap Island whose averages (picocuries/gram) f depth were: cesium-137, 12; strontium-90, 7.1; plutoniun-239,- americium-241, 0.9 (Table 3 #2). This soil contamination provided the basis for human expo Ways. Radiations emanated from the ground or standing vegetati to external dose. Radiations that emanated from food and water entering the human body were responsible for internal dose. * B. Franke states that the enabling legislation calls for rudy of only the original findings and report. A second committee should consider subsequent findings, and a third group should execute fits recommendations.