..”.

Foreign Secretary Anton DeBrum asked for the floor and said
he wished to congratulate the Department of the Interior and
the Loma Linda contractor for coming up with a realistic health
care plan. There were areas in the proposal with which the
Government of the Marshalls takes exception and these will be
pointed out in MIG’s written comments and recommendations.
In
general, MIG is pleased that the contractor, given the
constraints of time under which he operated, was able to
produce such an outstanding job.
Mr. Jonathan Weisgall, Legal Advisor for the people of Bikini,
He believed
stated that he would provide comments in writing.
that the plans as presented, have shown the problems of the
legislation (P.L. 96-205). He noted, though, that it was the
people of Bikini and Enewetak who were moved from their home
atolls and the peoples of Rongelap and Utirik who were exposed
to fallout. These groups deserve special treatment.
He commented also on Section 177 of the Compact of Free
Association which contemplates that the U.S. Government will
have a continuing responsibility for nuclear problems in the
There will still be an obligation on part of the
Marshalls.
U.S. after the termination.
He noted also that if you provided direct care to the “affected
peoples” you would have to go beyond the “affected atolls”
He wondered what would be the
since many people have moved.
costs if different levels of assistance were provided, i.e.~
direct care, and secondary and tertiary care, for the peoples
who are on the affected atolls (or as in the case of Bikinians
on Kili =d Ejit since they can’t, as yet go back to Bikini)
but not providing special primary care if former residents or
kin have settled, by their own volition, in places such as
Majuro, Ebeye~ Ailuk# etc., or other parts of the Marshalls.
While this would provide differing types of health care on
various islands and to special groups, costs might not be as
great as set forth in the Loma Linda Four Atoll proposal.
Mr. Mitchell (Enewetak) reiterated that he would like to see a
budget based specifically on special care for the people Of the
four atolls only. He objected to the figure of $7-$8 Mllllon m
the Four Atoll Plan to upgrade the hospitals at Ebeye and
Maj uro. The “affected peoples” should be provided secondary and
tertiary care at Kwajalein or in Honolulu not in hospitals
operated by the Marshall Islands Government.
He pointed out
Mr. Gerry (MIATLp) took issue with Mr. ‘itchell*
that the statute “refers to the people q the affected atolls
and people of the four named atolls. Many of these people
now are scafiered, throughout the Marshalls and by the statute
they are entitled to special care. He referred again to the
lack of reports on the Northern Marshalls Radiological Survey

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