117)
Mr. Yares. Were the Bikini people under Feders! radiation
signdards?
Gerace They were but the radiation dose from intake of food
gun to rise.
Mr yamEs Did any go over the top?!
n
'
D
r.
Dar. None of the
je have
gone over the top as far as the
cestim levels. They are veryclose to’the maximum. allowabh dose
from the maximumof permissible armounts of cesium.
;
people living in the houses along the road!
Mr. Yates. Are the
Dis. Yes. and they are getting the radioactivity in their bodies
from their diet, from eating the Jocally grown foods.
.
;
In retrospect, this is probably the big mistake made in the begin-
ning of the resettlement program in that we made recommendation-
which turned out to be impractical in the sense that to have gardengrowing but then tell the people not to eat the products.
i.
Mr. Yates. Was he told to grow his garden and eat that food! Wehe told that he could dothat ?
.
:
. The original recommendations prohibited eating ceriain
Did vou bring in outside food from the start !
Mr Dray, Yes.sir.
CUREEXT FEEDING PROGRAM ON BIEINI ISLANDE
Mr. Y..res. I guess outside food is still being brought in.
Mr. peYotne. It was not unti) early last year, Mr. Chairman. that
the tree o~>- and some of the other vegetable crops began to become
fully productive. So up until 1977 they had been existing primarily
on food products that were brought in from the outside. Some of these
were surplus agriculture) commodity foods plus the local marine food
which had been certified to be suitable.
MONTTORING OF BIBIN] ISLAND
Mr. Yates. When did they get the cesium then?
;
Mr. peYorxe. As Mr. Deal indicated, when this high level of cesium
was revealed, 2 series of analyses were carried out.
Mr. Yates. When was it revealed !
Bir. pe Youxs. in 1976,
Mr. Yates, Then the Departmen{—were you stil] the AEC in 1976!
Mr. Dear,We were ERDAin 1976.
Bir. Yates. So you became a little more alarmed than when vou were
the Atomic Energy Commission. In 76 you first encountered this kind
of a test. Isthis annualthat you had been making of the people
He Dra L Ye Bir,
I. ares.Whe!month]s,semianpualls. every four
morfhs ot or
a sos
TETRNR
Mr.
of the loca, foods.
.
Mr. Yarzs. This is mght. But I think I read here the’ houses were
buil( on pads of coral) and that they were told not to eal the coconut
crab. You say vou brought in outside foods at the initial stages.
Was this to cut down on the possible intake of radiatior. residuals?