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US. government data,” adding that
“nongovernment radiation experts”
states that the southern islands are
“relanvely uncontaminated” and safe to
reinhabit. Community facihties and
houses have been built on these islands
and thousands of coconut trees planted.
No houses have been built on the
northern isiands because the Depanment of Energy savs thes are too radioactive for sale habitation for approximately thirty. vears.
In September 1979 the radiological
Information about Enewetak was
presented bs DOE scientists to the people Twoscrentists hired by Micronesian
Leval Services; a U.S. govern-
should be included in all such survevs.
Since deporting a team of indepen-
dent Japanese scientists invited by Marshall Islands leaders to investigate the
radiation problems in 1971, the U.S.
government has steadfastly refused to
aliow independent monitoring of the
Marshallese people or their environ-
ment. To the Marshallese, it 1s ironic
that the United Nations trusieeship
Downwind Danger
representing the
Enewetak people, then testitied that
their studs indicated that @// the islands
were sale for habitation. including
northern Engebe. In fact, the health risks
were so small that “cancer mortality in
by Giff Johnson
A Unned States congressional committee has concluded that the federal
government deliberately corcealed
mated to be less than a single case,” said
Dactors Muichuel Bender and A.
Bertrand Brill.
But the objectivity of the study conducted by Bender and Brill. of the
eovernment-tunded Brookhaven
Nactonal Laboratory, has been questioned Dr. Rosalie Bertell. a consultant
ta the Division of Standard Sctting for
the US Nuclear Regulutory Commisston, said of the study: “They ‘reduced’
the radiition dose of the inhabitants of
1950s and !960s.
the dangers of radiation from people
the Iifetume of the population is esti-
Glenn Alcalay, a former Peace Corps
volunteer on Uttrik Atoll, said the problem ts the “inherent conflict of interest in
having Brookhaven researchers assess
tK
November @ December IGk’
“Years after exposure to radivactive
fallout, residents living downwind
from the test site were found to
exhibit unusually high incidences of
.
Unul independent medical people
become involved in providing medal
care in the Marshalls, the mis- and maltreatment of Marshallese by U.S.
government scientists is unlikely to
change.
O
The report also pointed out that
more than one out of every four tests
conducted since 1951 “released
radioactivity measured off the test
site... .The government’s program
for monitoring the health effects of
effects... was not only disregarded,
but actually suppressed,” the report
that radiation was having harmful
concluded.
As early as 1959, the Atomic
Energy Commission found an abnor-
cancer-related illnesses.”
mally high level of leukemia and
thyroid disease among residents
health hazards associated with expo-
rigidly maintained that the testing
was harmless. The AEC opposed
further research into these health
sure to radioactive fallout... .Be-
health.”
the U.S. refuses their requests for doctors independent of the government to
conduct medical examinations and treat
the people's radiation sicknesses.
.
In its August 1980 report, the congressional commerce commitice Said,
member of a family his or her risk of
fically ridiculous approach to public
agreement Calls on the U.S. to “protect
the health of the inhabitants,” and yet
the tests was inadequate and, more
disturbing, ali evidence suggesting
Fneebe by averaging tn the population
lung cancer is lowered if the other
nonsmoking members are included and
an ‘average’ risk given. Ht ts u scienti-
Eneu
living near nuclear test sites in the
The committee criticized the government, which “espoused the safeness of the atmosphenic nucleurtesting program" while at the same time
“also refrained from advertising the
less exposed. This is like telling one
re
Eonyet
AdrikanS?
Jelele
Boken
Roke
@ Bokaatoktok
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Bokantuak
lomsian
Bokdrolu!
cause the agency charged with
developing
uticar weapons weMore concerned with tna goa! than
with its other mission of protecting
the public from injury, the government totally failed to provide adequate protection for the residents of
the area.”
living downwind of the Nevada test
site. But these reports were quickly
hushed up and the government
problems because of “potential problems to the commission: adverse public reaction, lawsuits and jeopardizing
the programs at the Nevada Test
Site.”
The congressional committee
advocates compensating the victims
of the nucleartesting fairly and without delay.