project,

I repeat,

is "to assist

[the Bikinians]

decision with respect to resettlement."

in making a

Unless ERI enjoys

the full confidence of the Bikinians and can assure them it
has made an independent assessment of DOE's work, the project
will fail.
DOE has not yet presented its final position as to

the scope of the independent survey.

We hope to resolve this

dispute without further resort to the courts, but the Bikinians
are prepared to reopen this six-year old case in order to

force DOE to live up to its commitment to carry this project
through in a reasonable manner.

Such action,

in our view,

would be successful, but the time and expense involved will
delay even more a final resolution of the question of Bikini's
radiological safety.

In the interim, we urge the Trusteeship

Council immediately to take whatever action it can to urde

the United States to meet its recognized legal obligation to
fund a thorough independent assessment of DOE's radiological
survey, which will serve the best interests not only of the
Bikinians,

but

Iv.

also of the U.S.

U.S. Court of Claims Litigation

Two months ago,
the

Government.

people of Bikini,

the Bikini leaders,

on behalf of all

filed a multimillion dollar lawsuit

against the United States in the U.S.

Court of Claims.

The

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