Senator Church:
Rongelap
What is
the population on Rongelap
Island, approximately?
Mr. Kabua:
Approximately at the present time it is about 10
people.
Senator Church:
These were,
you will recall,
Senator,
the
people that were exposed to sone radioactive fall-out. some years
ago and
the purpose of
the bill is to confer damages
for
the physical
effects of that fall-out.
Senator Walters:
Mr. Kabua:
Did any of them die as a result of this?
Well, according to the report by the Administration,
Sir, no one has died of the effects from the fall-out.
They died of
other causes, but not directly because of the fall-out.
Senator Church:
Many were sick for an extended period and
there were evidences of burns, as [ understand it, and Loss of hair
and this kind of thing, but the full extent of the injury has not been
finally determined by the medical people.
tir.
Kabua:
That-is
Senator Church:
correct,
Is that not correct?
sir.
We have a medical survey of the situation,
the latest one is published in January 1963, Senator, of the medical
effects of the fall-out.
Senator Nelson:
In this bill, “Mr. Chairman, [ have not glanced
at it, the one we are talking about provides for an allocation of
compensation to individuals directly?
Senator Church:
establish
We have the bills passed originally which would
a trust whereby the funds would be administered by the
Seeretary of the
Interior through
-?0-
me 50515
the Department,
and we have a substitute