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UNITED STATES
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ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
NEVADA OPERATIONS OFFICE
.
P, O. BOX 14100
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 89114
:
US DOE ARCHIVES
$26 US ATUMIC EN
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James L. Liverman, Director
COMtecray
The SUIUIN
Collection DBM -EP FILES
Division of Biomedical and
Environmental Research, HQ
Box 6060 Tob 7723
BROOKHAVEN PROGRAM AT BIKINI
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eer Wed Dee 19975
As I reported to you following my recent visit to Kili, Majuro and
Bikini in the Marshall Islands, there are, among even relatively well
informed citizens of the Marshalls, serious misunderstandings of our
actions and plans relative to the returning populations of Bikini and
Fnewetak.
The most serious misunderstanding derives from the association through the person of Dr. R. A. Conard, with our past and current
programs involving the populations of Utirik and Rongelap.
For almost 22 years, Dr. Conard and his colleagues have provided
medical surveillance, care and treatment for the Rongelap and Utirik
populations, who are acknowledged to have sustained significant
radiation injury as a consequence of the BRAVO event at Bikini on
March 1, 1954. Because many of the Rongelop people have over the
years migrated to other atolls, Dr. Conard's visitations have included
these other locations and his name has become known (generally most
favorably) throughout the Marshalls. Equally widespread has been the
knowledge of the real (and some imagined) radiation related injuries
which occurred at Rongelap.
The people of the Marshalls, perhaps more
than any other population save that of Japan, are well sensitized to
the dangers of radiation and with little hard knowledge and even less
understanding they are quite easily moved to fear and apprehension.
In May of 1969, following the decision to return the Bikini people to
their home, a press release was made (Enclosure 1) announcing that
Dr. Conard had been named to conduct "routine medical surveillance"
of the returning people. Soon thereafter, Dr. Conard visited Kili
to meet the Bikini people and assure them that they would be returning
under safe conditions and that conditions which might affect their
safety would be regularly monitored. As I have told you, some of
what was said on that visit was apparently misunderstood or carried
into a different context where it appeared to be in conflict with
other more recent ERDA statements.
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