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Departmentof Energy
Washington, D.C. 20545
January 22, 1980

Mrs. Ruth G. Van Cleve
Director
Office of Territorial Affairs
U.S. Department of the Interior

Office of the Secretary
Washington, D.C. 20240
Dear Mrs. Van Cleve:

Last May at a meeting in Washington, D.C., Mr. Anton DeBrum presented
to the U.S. Government claims that the people of Likiep Atoll were
experiencing a higher than normal incidence of thyroid disease. At
that time, he requested that the U.S. Department of Interior and the

U.S. Department of Energy investigate this matter.

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responded positively to Mr. DeBrum's request.

Both departments

The Department of Interior periodically has made reference to this
matter in correspondence with President Kabya and other officials of
the Marshall Islands. At present, I am pleased to inform you that
contract negotiations between Brookhaven National Laboratory and
Tabershaw Occupational Medicine Associates, P.A., (TOMA) of

Rockville, Maryland, have been concluded, and that we are prepared to

proceed with the first phase of this inquiry.

The first phase would be completed in two parts.

The first part

would involve examination of available hospital and medical records
at various locations: possibly Honolulu, Majuro, Kwajalein, Guam and,
perhaps, elsewhere. The second part of this phase would consist of a
visit by TOMA personnel to Likiep in order to interview the population as appropriate.
This phase would help to more clearly determine

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and characterize the magnitude and extent of the issues raised by

Mr. DeBrum.

If warranted by the information obtained during the first phase, the

second phase will be initiated, in which a medical team subsequently

will be sent to Likiep for an examination of the relevant
population.

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