Ae Loe
UNITED STATES
ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
NEVADA OPERATIONS OFFICE
P.O, BOX 14100
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 89114
Mr. Oscar de Brum
REPOSITORY —
District Administrator
Marshall Islands District
Trust Territory of the
7
DOE/NV _
2
amie
COLLECTION ——
/ 2a 8.
EX, D4
3
BOXNo.
Pacific Islands
Majuro, Marshall Islands
Doé/PASo_
96960
FOLDER
3/0 — MED, Gy CANAD
Of
FHM
2//9
Ls
‘ FO.
Dear Oscar,
This will confirm and amplify my comments to you in Honolulu in
answer to your letter to me of July 20, 1976.
I recognize your concern about the Bikini food crops which are now
beginning to mature and which do represent a temptation to the
Bikini residents. First, though, let me put your mind at ease by
reminding you of something we have said repeatedly in discussing
the results of our radiation studies in the Northern Marshalls.
When we recommend restrictions on the diet of the people, we base
these recommendations upon the assumption that people will spend
an entire lifetime in the location that is being studied and that
essentially their entire diet will be grown there. Quite obviously
this is not now the case at Bikini, nor would it be for some years
even if you imposed no further restrictions on resettlement. Thus
the fact that there has been occasimal consumption of breadfruit
and pandanus on Bikini Island should not lead you to concern for the
health of the people there.
On the other hand, I think we must both be concerned about this as an
indication of the effectiveness of voluntary restrictions. If the people
are informed of our recommendations and understand them, but then
proceed to ignore them, then perhaps recommendations made direct
to the-people should not be assumed to be effective.
we do?
Maine?
NT
<>
ra a)
g
Cry
Cl3
7?>— . ig?
an
4bh
ERICAN,
“2
gQordtlon
What then can