nuciear
Cover—Up
8
Continued from Page 7
Later in the morning they were startled
atolls and single islands were contaminated |
in the middle of the Pacific, that's whac it
with the radioactive fallout.
In 1978 the
U.S. BOE noted in a study that in addition
to Enewetak, Bikini, Rongelap and Utirik,
S pm that same day," Curbow said.
of the megaton range tests," including:
to see the radioactive ash falling on then.
Baker said “if you can imagine a snow storm
was like.” It began falling about 9:30 in
che morning, "until approximately 8:30 or
intermediate range fallout from one or more
Soon after, many of the more heavily
exposed people developed burns on their arms,
necks, backs and feet and their hair fell
out.
In the years following their exposure
che Marshallese have had an abnormally high
rate of thyroid disease and cancer, miscarriages, stillbirths and other health
problems.
The Americans have suffered a
similar fate.
the people exposed.
The Rongelap and Utirik people are the
only populations to recieve continuous
medical follow up from the U.S. since 1954.
Many Marshallese believe, however, that
this medical program has not adequately
treated their heaith problems.
"When Wwe arrived on Kwajalein
our bodies and people were feeling
dizzy end weak,...After two days
Something appeared under my fingernails and then my fingernails
came off and my fingers bled.
We
ail had burns on our ears, shoul-
Except for their initial examinations
in 1954, Gene Curbow, Donald Baker and the
other military mem who were on Rongerik have
received no medical follow up from the U.S.
government, despite their exposure to a
radiation dose at least 5 times that of the
ders, necks and feet and our eyes
were very sore."
Etry Enos, Rongelap Atoll.
In addition to ignoring the weather
forecasts, the U.S. did not evacuate any
“iarshallese before Bravo as it had evaucated
the Rongelap, Enewetak and Wotho people in
.940 prior to the first atomic bomb blasts
The strength of the “Able” and
“Zaker"” tests in 1946 was about 20 kilotons.
travo was about 1,000 times the strength of
the 1946 tests, yet there was no official
warning of the Bravo test, much less an
evacuation of the people.
Although the Rongelap and Utirik people
and the American military men suffered the
most serious effects from Bravo, many other
{
i
;
}
Utirik people. "We have received very poor
treatment by our government,” said Curbow,
adding that "the Veterans Administration
has a deaf ear to the problems we have...I
have not received any medical treatment nor
compensation from the government in this
case."
Congress of Micronesia Representative
Ataji Balos's statement in 1972 that the
U.S. government “knowingly and consciously
allowed the people of Rongelap and Utirik to
be exposed'"' to fallout from the Bravo test
in 1954, although vigorously denied by the
U.S., has been proved true.
And the
Marshallese and Americans who were exposed
are suffering the consequences.
"I have not been impressed with the assiduity of the...Atomic Energy Commission
physicians. For example, there was a general complaint of dimming vision some
five or six years ago on Utirik, probably due to an increased incidence of
cataracts.
None of the people from Utirik that I spoke to told me that any
physician examined their eyes in such a way as to be able to recognirve cataracts.
Instead I was told that two boxes of eyeglasses were shipped to the island
being of various models and frames, and the people were to come in and choose
whichever eyeglass seemed to help then. And this was the sum of the investigation and treatment of the eye problems -- of what I think is a unique epidemic
of cataracts.
American citizens would not likely tolerate such handling. At
least my patients would not."
|
i
|
Ailinginae, Ailuk, Likiep, Rongerik, Taka,
Ujelang, Wotho, Jemo and Mejit. This
information, that at least 1,400 more
Marshallese were contaminated with radiation
wasn't released until 20 years after the
huclear testing ended. And the DOE has made
no attempts to provide this information to
we started getting burns all over
at Elkini.
10 other atolls andislands had "received
.
-~ Excerpt from a report by Reuben Merliss, M.D. , following a visit to the
Marchall
Tetansnsac
1a
TOBA
aE