3. Conard, R.A., et.al., 1960, Medical Survey Of Rongelap People Five and
Six Years After Exposure To Fallout, BNL 609, pages 6 and 14.
4. Conard,
R.A., et.al., 1967, Medical Survey Of The People Of Rongelap and
Utirik Island@Eleven And Twelve Years After Exposure To Fallout Radiation
(March 1965 an® March 1966), BNL 50029, pages 63 and 64.

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5.

Larsen, €. Acting Chairman of the United States Atomic ‘Energy Commission,

6.

Conard, R.A., 1975, A Twenty Year Review Of Medical Findings In a

1973, Letter to Honorable Olympio T. Borja Chairman, Special Joint Committee
Concerning Rongelap and Uririk, Congress of Micronesia, dated August 21, 1973.
Marshallese Population Accidentally Exposed To Radioactive Fallout, BNL 50424,
pages 96 and 97.
Copies of the pertinent sections of these references are enclosed for
your further examination.
Each reference refers specifically to restriction

on eating coconut crab.

In my search through the reports, I could not locate

any other type of written recommedation such as not residing on the northern
islands of Rongelap Atoll.
One reference, Conard 1975, states that there are

no restrictions on "moving into these islands”. However, I assume the
statement applies to moving onto Rongelap and Utirik Islands, and not specifically to the northern islands of Rongelap Atoll.

Summary of Future Use of the Northern Islands of Rongelap Atoll
Current external exposure rates at each island were estimated on the as-

sumption of a subsiding exposure rate, the reasons for which are as follows.

Redistribution of fallout has occurred due to erosion of soil, weathering and

vertical movement of fallout through the soil.

Weather data and exposure rate

history curves indicate that weathering was responsible for an initial rapid

decline of exposure rate levels for periods of a few years following deposition of fallout. A similar short term rapid reduction was observed on
soils that bordered land and water e.g. intertidal zones. However, the observed vertical movement of fallout through the soils of Rongelap Atoll was

not rapid (He 65). Over the past several years, the exponent associated with

the observed exposure rate reduction has had a value very close to that solely
associated with radioactive decay (-1.0 versus -1.2).
This is true for
Rongelap Island (Le 80) when the declining exposure rate is referenced to
March 1, 1954.

In Table 1 a summary of exposure rates at the islands of Rongelap Atoll
are presented. .The estimated July 1981 values are extrapolated from the 23.2
year or 24 year post Bravo measurement and an exposure rate reduction exponent
of -1.0. Natural background exposure rate may be taken as 3.7 x 107
Roentgens per hour (Gr 77).
Recent data for the islands of Yugui, Gabelle, Labaredj and Gejin are

not available at this time. An interpolation estimate was made for the July
1981 exposure rate for these islands.

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