and headed toward Utirik Atol? at reduced speed, since it was only about a
6Q-mile trip.
Giaen
sland
Auluck Ate Il
21 September (Tuesday)
The LCU was off Utirik Atoll early in the morning but the captain waited
until the sun was well up before attempting to enter the lagoon through the narrow
pass in the west side of the reef. At 0900 the sun was out of the captain's eyes
and he took the LCU into the lagoon, and by 1030 the LCU was anchored off Utirik
Istand,
Dr. Knudsen and the other BNL and TT medical personnel] attended a meeting
with the Utirik people to discuss questions the Utirik people had about the BNL
medical program. The Utirik people decided that they did not want Or. Knudsen
and the other BNL medical personnel to come ashore to give examinations to the
people exposed to fallout in 1954.
Statements made by Glenn
', the
Peace Corps volunteer on Utirik, to the Utirik people helped them to make their
decision. Glenn feels that the fallout oun-Rongelap and Utirik was possibly a
purposeful experiment by the U.S. Military to study the effects af radiation on
people.
Although Dr.
Knudsen did not go ashore again, most of the exposed people
he wanted to see came to the LCU for their examinations.
sick call on the itstand.
Or. Casino (TT) held
The Utirik protest was only against the BNL medical team; hence, the environmental sampling team of myself, Greenhouse and Naidu were allowed to conduct our
sampling and survey program.
I collected soil and vegetation at six sites on
Utirik Island.
Survey measurements were made by Naidu and Greenhouse.
Utirik Island
Ltibikn Ptoll
$
.
/
Houseoad TF a
> 4 landing
a
a
Sthouce
lagoen
22 September (Wednesday)
Greenhouse, Naidu and I spent the morning on Eerukku Island (E}}uk on some
charts).
This island is about two and one-half miles northwest of Utirik Island
and is the northernmost island with vegetation in Utirik Atoll.
[It is a very
smal? island, with one house {no occupants today).
One soil pit (0-700 cm) was
F3
ae
dug near the center of the island, and coconut and Pandanus leaves and fruits
CF
oe
x¥
J