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Summary Notes on December 10, 1980
Meeting on Marshalls Health Plan
P.L. 96-205, 10:00 a.m.
Secretary ‘s Conference Room

Roster:

See Attachment

Some 75 individuals representing various government agencies,
the people of the affected atolls, their legal advisors and
consultants, Government of the Marshall Islands officials,
The Government of the Marshalls
etc., attended the meeting.
was represented by Secretary of Foreign Affairs Tony DeBrum/
Cabinet Minister Tom Kijener, Senator John Anjain, five
additional members of the Nitijela, Dr. Jack Helkena representing the Ministry of Health, and various other government
officials.
Each of the four named atolls had two official
representatives plus legal counsel and other advisors present.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Ruth Van Cleve (TIA)
opened the meeting by requesting each delegation or agency
head to identify members of the respective groups. She,
then, outlined procedure to be followed, i.e.~ 15-20 minute
presentatiions of each of the three aspects of the overall
plan called for in P.L. 96-205 with appropriate discussion
She announced that
periods to follow each presentation.
written comments would be accepted up to 5:00 p.m. on
December 17, 1980.
Assistant Secretary Ruth Clusen of DOE spoke briefly on the
two plans prepared for DOI by DOE, i.e., the Education and
Information Proposal and the Environmental Monitoring Proposal.
She then introduced Dr. Bair of Pacific Northwest Laboratory,
Battelle Memorial Institute, who briefly outlined the way in
which- the Radiation Education and Information Program plan had been
developed.
Dr. Carl M. Unrah then explainea the plan using
charts and slides.
The plan contemplates a program to enable the people of Bikini,
Enewetak, Rongelap, and Utirik, and the people of other atolls
or islands found to be or have been exposed to radiation from
the nuclear tests, to better understand nuclear radiation and
its effect. The basic elements of the plan are direct, faceto-face communication with the people of the four affected
There would be close
atolls and others that may be affected.
communication with officials of the Government of the Marshalls
Local Marshallese individuals would be trained to
as well.
carry out the education and information program through training
courses both in the Marshalls and the United States. Pretaped
radio programs, presented in both Marshallese and English~

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