MUO 1 Ab Le Box 232 Kwajelein, Marshall Islands 96555 Steve Muller Editor Loan Ebeye Rainin Ebeye, Marshall Islands Dear Mr. Editor: . It was very interesting for me to read the story by J.A. in the April 30, 1976 issue of the paper. The facts of what it was like at Rongelap on the morning of March 1, few Eyte ye embetter at athebora alae al May 10, 1976 1954 are new to me. However, there were some statements in the story which were incorrect and I would like to explain. When the people were brought to Kwajalein after that day, they were told to bathe in the lagoon 3 times a day. This bathing was important treatment to remove the rediation powder from their skin and hair. It was this powder touching their skin which caused the blisters like from a burn to avpear on their bodies. The doctors who examined the people at Kwajalein found it importan to take small amounts of blood from the people end test it to see if the radiation had affected it. The blood was not simply poured away. lead Since 1954 a team of doctors for ERDA ( the new name for AEC), by Dr. Robert Conard of Brookhaven Rational Laboratory, r hes examined the Rongelap and Utirik people each year. Some people at Utirik were also affected by the radiation from the bomb test on Merch 1, 1954. There now 18 a doctor who lives at Kwajalein who visits Rongelap and Utirk 4 times a year to examine the peovle. The doctors have found the people to be generally healthy. ‘They have found no poison from the bomb to be still in the bodies of the people. Radiation causes sickmess it is true. Some types of sickness occurred right away like the burns and iosing of hair. Other types occurred Slowly and did not appear for many years like the thyroid nodules, There is no longer any radiation poison in their bodies now causing sickness, It 48 not true that from 1954 unt41 1965 no medicine was availeble. It wes onlp in 1963 that the doctors first learned that the radiation necks, Synthroid 4g not a drug to cure the people. prevents thyroid nodules from developing. . It is a drug that It is not true that the people will die if they stop taking Synthroid. It is not true their lives will be shortened if they forget 4t for 1 day. I thenk J.A. for his story. ‘mistakes, T < Ue/_- I hope this letter explains sone 045 . a7gCOE ihe 2p S003 “s PO eee had caused injury to the thyroid glands of the people. The injury was 50 Blow that it took 9 years for the swelling to appear in the people's