. -24 ’ Followup monitoring of these people and their environment in 1974 produced the first measurements of radioactivity in their bodies. These levels were very low, were not significantly different from people in other parts of the world, and were well' within Federal standards. Repeat body burden measurements of Cesium-137 (a fission product radionuclide similar to Potassium) in 1977 showed a 10-fold increase. These measurements indicated exposures were rapidly approaching the accepted Federal Radiation Protection Standard values. With these findings, officials of the Department of the Interior (DOI) were briefed and recommendations made that local foods grown on Bikini Island should not be eaten. DOI instituted a program for alternate food supplies to be brought to Bikini Island. In April 1978, the third set of body burden measurements indicated a three-fold increase above 1977 values and twelve persons out of about 140 people had body burdens that exceeded the Federal standards. DOI was again briefed and a decision to remove the people from the atoll resulted. The people left Bikini Atoll in late August 1978 and returned to Kili Island to the south where they had lived previously. Removed from a diet of locally produced foods on Bikini Island, it can be expected that the peoples' body burdens of Cesium-137 will be rapidly reduced. This will be checked by a fourth set of measurements. A radiological assessment will be made by DOE of whether Eneu Island, the second largest in the atoll, is an acceptable place for the people to live. late January or early February 1979. This will be ready in Fnewetak Cleanup of Enewetak Atoll is midway to completion. Physical cleanup operations are to be finished at the end of September 1979. Following a seven-month demobilization period, Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) plans to leave the atoll in April 1980. DOI responsibility for rehabilitation, which is in the form of facility construction.and agricultural rehabilitation, will continue. DOE, acting as advisor to both these agencies, will continue its radiological surveillance programs for the returning people and their environment after cleanup and rehabilitation is completed. DOE ARCHIVES DOE provided needed radiological criteria for use in planning cleanup. During the buildup phase at Enewetak, DOE provided advanced technology instrumentation systems for rapidly measuring jevels of transuranium elements and other gamma emitting radio. 4 + , x