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