medical care in the Marshall Islands, the fact that valid preexposure health care statistics for the people of the Northern
Marshalls are virtually non-existent thus making it well nigh
impossible to establish a cause-effect relationship for any given
case, and by the intense emotional and psychological insecurity
of the people of the affected atolls who are not conditioned to
Place radiation effects in a proper perspective.
In 1954, 84 Rongelapese were exposed to fallout.
84 original exposed individuals,

50

are still living.

Of these
There are

also some 500 to 600 unexposed Rongelapese, made up of descendants
of the exposed group and the Marshallese who have Rongelapese blood
Or marriage affiliation.

About 500 of the unexposed Rongelapese

have been used sporadically as a "comparison" group to the exposed
population.
The original Utirik exposed group consisted of 158 individuals
of which 120 still are alive.

Another 500 unexposed Utirikese,

made up of descendants of the exposed group and Marshallese with
Uticik blooct oc masriage affiliation, also fall into the Utirik
category.

Some 375 of this larger group have been studied as a

"comparison" group to the exposed Utirikese.
2.

Bikini Atoll and Enewetak Atoll Peoples
A.

The People of Bikini Atoll

Bikini Atoll was the site of 23 U.S. atmospheric tests.

The

170 Bikinians resident there in 1946 were removed from the atoll in

March 1946 prior to start of the testing program.

After several

years of very unsatisfactory resettlement efforts in other parts of
the Northern Marshalls,

the Bikinians were resettled in March 1948

.

Select target paragraph3