* U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFMICK:
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CONCURRMENC ES
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August 21, 1979
Mr. Theodore Mitchell
Executive Director
Micronesian Legal Services
Corporation, Suite 300 —
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1424 Sixteenth Street, N.W.
Washington, D. C.
20036
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Dear Mr. Mitchell:
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The Department of Energy fs pleased to respond to your letter of
August 3, 1979, in which you requested copies of a number of records
pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.
The following responses
are numbered to coincide with your numbered requests.
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Item No. 1. The statement {1s based upon testimony presented by
Messrs. DeBrum, Weissgall, Deal, DeYoung and Mrs. Van Cleve, and others
at Hearings before Subcommittees of the Committee on Appropriations,
House of Representatives, on April 12, May 22, and June 19, 1978.
Copies of pertinent portions of that testimony are enclosed (Tab A).
Additional relevant information is avaflable in the Hearings testimony
conducted by the Subcommittee on July 25, 1978. We do not have a copy
of the final transcript of this testimony.
Reports from Brookhaven National Laboratory indicated that the Cesium-137
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levels of Bikini residents increased with time until 1978, and decreased
thereafter (post-relocation). These data were based upon whole body
counting measurements. A summary of this information is enclosed (Tab B)
This increase in body burden coinctded with increased availability of
locally grown terrestrial foods, particularly coconuts. The Cesium-137
measurements suggest that either the quantity of imported food available
to the people or the quantity of available imported food consumed by the
people was below that level needed to moderate the increase in Cesium-137
body burdens as locally grown foods became available.
Item No. 2.
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The aerial photographs of Bikini Atoll (which I believe
have previously been sent to you) show that the Bikini and Eneu Islands
are separated by approximately five miles of reef. At Tow tide it fs
possible to walk from one island to the other.
Considering the facts
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