4ele AUG 4 1976 “it Stephen H. Greenleigh Assistant General Counsel for Euviromment and Safety COMMEBTS ON DRAFT BILL “TO PROVIDE FOR THE RELIEF OF CERTAIN BESIDENTS OF THE TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS" We agree with the intent of the b1i11 and have previously provided coments to the staff of the House Committee on Interior and Ineular Affairs on August 7, 1974, copy enclosed. We do, however, have some specific comments in regard to the present bill. We suggest that the basis for compensation or relief be for injuries or inconventence related to radiation exposure but not for the exposure itself. In this connection we recommend that the first paragraph of the bill be modified as fallews: "to compensate persons present on Rongelap Atoll, Ailingnae Atoll, and Utirik Atoll, Marshall Islands, on February 28, 1954 (Universal Time), subjected to injury or inconvenience as a result of a thermonuclear detonation...." Section 2 indicates that the eligible individuals would be ",..to persons resident on Rongelap Atoll and Utirik Atoll, Marshall Telands on March 1, 1954...." We are certain that there is no intent to exclude Rongelap residents who were at Ailingnae, although it would appear that a strict interpretation might conceivably exclude them. Perhaps this should be changed to read “,,.persona present at Rongelap Atoll, Ailiugnae Atoll and Utirik Atoll, Marshall Ielanda, on March 1, 1954,..." or remedied in some other manner, Section 2 appears to be the first section and it is not clear why it is numbered 2. Paragraph B of Section 2 does not seem to be needed. Paragraph A includes any individual who develops a radiation-related malignancy, BEST COPY AVAILABLE