By 1957, radiological surveys indicated that, in spite of slight lingering radioactivity, Rongelap Atoll was safe for habitation. A completely new village was constructed, andin July the Rongelap people, more than doubled in numberbythein- flux of relatives, were taken there on an LST with all their personal belongings, bed mats, andlivestock. After arrival ceremonies they happily settled downto life in their new village. In March 1958 the survey was carried out for the first time at Rongelap; subsequent annual examinations have been done mostly at Rongelap with supplementary visits to other islands. The Utirik people, after the initial examinations, were next examined on their homeisland in 1957. They have since been examined only about once every 3 years because their fallout exposure was minimal. The American servicemen have not been seen by our medical team since the initial examinations. During recent years the Rongelap and Utirik peopie have moved in large numbers to the district centers at Majuro and particularly Ebeye (Kwajalein Acoll), where many are employed by the Kwajalein Missile Range. This had necessitated examinations at Majuro and Ebeyein addi- tion to their homeislands. (Table 1 shows the present geographical distribution of the people.) The manystudies that have been done on the Marshallese are directly or indirectly related to possible radiation effects. Often a single blood sample drawn for routine hematology has been used for many tests. Multiple blood sampling has been avoided whenever possible. C. 1970-1974 SURVEYS During the past 5 years a numberof problems have arisen: thyroid abnormalities continued to develop in the exposed Rongelap peoplein spite of hormonetreatment; an exposed Rongelap boy died from leukemia that may or may not have been related to radiation exposure; transportation deteriorated; and political interference was started which has been particularly frustrating and has threatened to put a stop to the medicai supervision and care provided to the exposed people by the medical team. In 1972, following the death from leukemia, the decision was made that more frequent hematological examinations of the exposed people were needed, and therefore such examinations were instituted every Septemberin addition to the March survey. Also in 1972, the decision was made to place a resident physician in the Marshall Islands. An increasing number of exposed Rongeiap people were developing thyroid nodules, most of which required surgical intervention, and many of them were not adhering strictly to the thyroid treatment program, which is considered extremely important, especiaily after surgery. A resident physician would be able to monitor this program and, since the Trust Territory was short on medical personnel, could assist in general health care of the Rongelap and Utirik people. The pian is for such a physician to alternate between BNL and the MarshailIs' lands every two years. Thefirst one has just completed a 2-year term, and anotheris taking his place soon. Transportation has always been a major problem for the medical survey teams. Air transportation to the Pacific improved greatly with the advent of the jet plane, but travel by ship amongthe Marshal} Islands (several hundred miles betweenatolls through roughseas) has remained difficult. The travel problem has been magnified by the need for the resident physician to visit Rongelap and Utuink quarterly, and by the added responsibility of the medical team, since 1971, for radiation monitoring of Bikini and more recently of Eniwetok, since the people displaced by the bombtesting program are Table | Location of Rongelap and Utirik People, 1974 Rongelap exposed Rongelap unexposed Utinik exposed Toral 2006101 Rongelap Utirik Majuro 31 37 - 41 3. 14 43 68 41 62 Ebeye Bikini Other Torl 24 65 22 - 6 8 10 66 131 116 itt 7 24 313