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Mr. Richard D. Copaken
.. Covington & Burling
* 888 16th Street, N.W.
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Washington, d. C.
20006
Dear tr. Copaken:
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| Please excuse the delay tn replying to your tetter of Aprt} 25, 1980, as I
have only recently returned ‘to the office after a prolonged {Tiness.
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During the meating of Apri”23, 1980, I questioned your statement that the
eee atolls of the northern Marshall Islands had been viewed by the United
States as ... uncontaminated by radfoactive fallout from the nuclear
weapons testing ...," and I stated that I was not aware that the Department
of Energy had ever made that statement. This does not seem to be quite the
same statement that you attribute to me fn your letter, f.e., “ ... that
the Department of Energy has always recognized the fact that every atoll in
athe Marshall Islands was eropsedto radiation from the ... testing program.*
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further, reference to my statement (above) outside of the context {n which
Etwas discussed {s misleading. You also may recall) that the reference
Statement was the first of several statements I made which clarified that
fallout from the U.S, {and other nations’) nuclear weapons testing programs ~.
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could be discerned not only fa ‘the fslands of the northern Marshall Is-
Jands, but also {n 6ther areas of the North Pacific basin, the North
"American mainland, Europe and other continental Yand masses, and {n much of
v
oo she oceans and ocean _Sedtnents eround the world.
oe “Rithough specific analysts a have toawait thedetatied results «ef the mo
als radtological survey of the
forthern Marshal] Islands, with the exception of
Sg” the atolls of Rongelap, Utirik, Allinginae, Rongertk, Bikini and Enewetak,
‘view Qt present the fissfon product contamination Jevels in the northern wl. .... Marshall Islands appear fo be near or betow sintlar fallout contamination
29.7. Tevels on the ma{niand 6f the United States. This statement {s based upon ©
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very preliatnary data from monitoring the external radfation levels fn the
- _°.. . gorthern Marshall Islands as 2 ‘part of the survey, and upon a limited
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anount of published results of:‘gof]s analyses carried out over the past
several years. . These radiation levels are ‘related to certain long-lfved
padfonuclfdes from the nuclear tests
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that reside fn {sland surface soils;
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_ these Same radionuclides are also fpundGn the u.S. maintand.
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