(7-79) tf DATE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY sone $0, 1981 memorandum REPLY TO ATTN OF SUBJECT To fA » OES 7 Funding for BNL Medical Program Support Reference your letters of May 11 and 15, 1981 W.J. Stanley, Director, PASO As indicated previously (TWX of March 24, 1981, Attachment A), $150K for medical support has been allocated in addition to the budgetary funding level of $100K. By the same TWX it was indicated that this is a temporary and humanitarian response, should not or commitment on behalf of the Department, Department of the Interior (DOI) was being to Interior is attached (Attachment B), as (Attachment C). be interpreted as any obligation and that assistance from the requested. A copy of our letter is a copy of their reply The Department of the Interior's response to our letter clarifies the policy that they have taken re this matter, and supercedes our previous interim guidance. In accordance with this guidance, hereafter all Rongelap or Utirik persons presenting with non-radiation diseases should be referred to the Health Services of the Government of the Marshall Islands for disposition as they deem appropriate. Patients from Rongelap and Utirik with radiationrelated diseases should continue to be referred as medically indicated. Non-radiation related diseases among those Bikinians removed from Bikini Island in 1978 should be cared for in accordance with the Department of the Interior message of 13 November, 1980, to the High Commissioner (Attachment D). appropriate. Unusual situations will be reviewed and considered as These policy changes undoubtedly should result in a decrease in the number of referrals for which DOE is financially responsible. Therefore, funding for this effort is expected to be reduced in Fiscal Year 1982 to the previous budgeted level ($170K). yi? iP Te ow orm ,2°Ft ~ ce (LOE, 0% >= Bruce W. Wachholz Office of Operational Safety, EP cc: w/attachments E. Cronkite, BNL WwW. Adams, BNL R. Ray, NV B. L. Hart, DOI