Planning and Programming
1
In the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on 22 May1975, ti
matter was discussed at length. Although the moral obligation to pern
the Enewetak people to return to their atoll was a consideration, ti
committee's decision, as noted in their report, was based ‘‘. . -primarily ¢
the premise that the United States could not walk away from a testi
program which cost severalbillion dollars without making a responsit
effort to make the atoll habitable. ” The committee agreed to a one-tin
authorization of $20 million and charged the DOD to accomplish t!
cleanup within that amount, using every possible economy measure. T]
committee insisted that the radiation standards established by ERDA |
met before any resettlement was accomplished. !93
In June 1975, the House Armed Services Committee approve
authorization of $14.1 million for the cleanup program.!94 House ar
Senate conferees met in September 1975 and, after much discussio
authorized $20 million.!95 The conferees expected the DOD to minimi
the total cost through the use of Army engineers and/or Navy Seabeesa:
by limiting the scope of the cleanup as much as possible within tl
constraints of radiation exposure established by ERDA. The $20 milli
total limit set by the Senate was changedto a target amountfor completi:
the project.!96 Public Law 94-107, enacted on 7 October 1975, provid
authorization for DNAto perform the Enewetak Atoll Cleanup Project a
cost of $20 million.!97 However, the appropriation action, which w
necessary to provide MILCON fundsfor the project, did not fare so we
The House Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Representati
Robert L. F. Sikes, meeting in October 1975, denied funding for the proje
because the committee believed the minimum cost had not yet be
presented to the Congress. The committee report recalled that DNA h
requested $14.1 million as the first increment of a program that w
estimated to cost $40 million for cleanup and another $10 million
rehabilitate the atoll for some 450 people. The committee did not believe
prudent to spend $50 million—over $100,000 per person—to reclaim t!
atoll at a time when tax dollars were so scarce. The committee pointed o
that the dri-Enewetak had already been given title to Ujelang Atoll, pl
over $1.3 million in payments for leaving Enewetak. The committ
believed that the American taxpayers had a right to expect that a
additional effort on behalf of the dri-Enewetak be accomplished att!
lowest cost possible. 198
The Senate Committee on Appropriations strongly supported fundii
the project for the full $20 million authorized and did not feel th
uncertainty as to the absolutefinal figure should delay starting the clean:
effort. DNA’s studies had indicated that $20 million might not |
sufficient to complete the project, but Congress would have had amr
opportunity to adjust the funding as the project proceeded.!99 (This was