AOL ED Wa l feeWeggee Lecetts | July 29, ~ 1977 BEST COPY AVAILABLE Dr. Hal Hollister Seputy Assistant Administrator Office of the Assistant Administrator for Environment and Safety Energy Research and Development Administration Washington, D.C. 20545 Subjects Dear fr. Rehabitation of Enewetak and Bikini and Hehavioral Response to Safety Recommendations Hollister: Or. William 3, Yair, Manager of Battelle’s Pacific Northwest invironmental and Safety Research Laboratory, strongly rec~ ommended that EI cerrespond with you concerning current rehabiLtation effarts accurring on the Enewetak and Bikini atolls in the Marshall Islands, Processes and consequences of relocation and rehabitation of communities, especially culturally diverse croups, have concerned me for some time, As I emphasized in my enclosed overview, the culture and life style of relocateeas are dra-~ matically altered. Home and work patterns must be adjusted to accommodate life styles in the new community. Internersonal conflicts typically emerge causing emotional difficulties. Admittedly, issues of this kind are complex, and frankly, not well understood by social scientists. The status of Marsnall Island grouns on Fnewetak and Bikini appears to fit this pattern and we fully expect long-term adjustment problems to occer. . Rehabitatton of the Marshall Island communities on Enewetak and Bikini presents unique difficulties not ordinarily experienced by people returning to their homelands. Specifically, the racdlation fallout resulting fron the 46 different nuclear tests in the late forties and fifties are introducing problems with attendant biological risks. Monitoring of radiological levels by ERDA indicates that "hot spots“ still exist. Purthermore, many forms of existing flora and fawna are considered nonedible thereby restricting the diet of the natives. 1 Variable levels of radioactivity have already created sone prohlems <t for a small number of Bikinians, ' Tests revealad Ayes that many had increasad bog@y burdens of casium-137 caused hy wm a: e O he romto ~”