NOV-@2-1998 14:12 FROM =TS-DOEW 70 DOE HOTRS EH-41 Fg measurements and later confirmed when the collected environmental samples were analyzed. The survey report issued by staff of EG&G who conducted the aerial portion of the Northern Marshalls Survey states that except for Bikini, Rongelap, and Rongerik Atolls, the island average values of external radiation were essentially constant within each atoll. This indicates that no sharp gradients were observed in the radiation levels within these atolls. The islands and atolls along the southern edge of the survey area showed external radiation levele that are very low. The statement is made in this report that it would be difficult with standard survey instrumenta to measure the difference between radiation levels over water or cover land for the southern atolls surveyed, namely, Ailik, Likiep, Wotho, and Ujelang. These atolls have terrestrial radiation levels lower than in the U.S. except that in the U.5. the radiation is due primarily to naturally occurring radioactivity, and that for these coral atolls is due to Cesium-137 from fallout. The Cesium-137 levels in soil of these atolls are comparable to, and consistent with, worldwide fallout levels. After reviewing the survey reports it was my view that we had surveyed the right islands and atolls, and that the geographic extent of the survey was about right, i.e. we had not surveyed islands and atolls that did not need surveying. I am sad that the survey I helped initiate produced a report that hae received so much criticism and ridicule, and long ago tired of waging a losing battle against changing the way these survey results and radiological advice were presented in the Marshalle. The survey report was confusing because it presented estimates of risk and health effects in the next thirty years due to future exposures without saying anything about risks for exposures during the previous thirty years. It appeared that important results were being withheld and that the Marshallese were being required to make important health and safety judgements using piecemeal riek information. The report in reted hypothetical risk and health effects estimates tco literally and pushed their use in health and safety judgements too far. The practice of providing advice based on radiation standards was abandoned. This was a frightening development, particularly for the Rengelap people, some of whom received significant exposure in 1954. The Marshallese have yet to receive an explanation S00%232 and future exposures fit together this total exposure may be chronic exposures (annual dose compare with radiation protection ch r fe ef how estimates of past into total exposure, how evaluated, and how their rates), past and future, standards.