The Marshall Islands project For further information contact William L. Robison (422-3884). At the end of World War II, the U.S. entered into a Trust Territory Agreement with the six districts of Micronesia, thereby accepting responsibility for the welfare and education of their people. In 1947, the people of the Enewetak and Bikini Atolls (in the Marshall Islands) were relocated to other islands so that the U.S. could conduct nucleartests there. In response to requests from the people for permission to retum to their atolls and in anticipation of the termina- tion of the Trust Territory Agreementin 1981, a series offield surveys and assessment studies have been conducted under the technical direction of LLNL. These studies are designed to estimate potential radiation doses andto allow the U.S. government to make reasonable recommendations on resettlement and land use. Integration of the field studies and the assessment effort has made the program moreefficient. In the 1940s and 1950s, the U.S. conducted nucleartests at the Bikini and Enewetak Atolls in the Marshall Islands. in 1968, the people of Bikini (who had been relocated to otherislands so that the tests could take place) asked to ~ retum. After a limited survey and A ae ie. ieer) ap eStaage onze : es ee de Pe <5 Se ix ue A <Faye m aed Eneu?lsland ~ ih; ee Map of the Bikini Atoll, site of nuclear testing in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1968, the people of Bikini asked to retum to their home atoll, and a limited survey was conducted to evaluate the radiation doses that they might expect to receive. Resettlement of Bikini Island began in 1970. However, as locally grown subsistence foods became available (in late 1976 and eany 1977), body burdens of cesium-137 beganto rise. As a result, the people were movedoff the atoll again in August of 1978. They have since requested to retum to EneuIsland, and we are currently evaluating alternativeliving patterns and refining dose predictions to help in resettlement planning.