Pes See ee WEAPONS TESTING
1975 APRIL Rongelap: Nelson Anjain
tion.
leet leeateel ttle |
At lower doses, as in the adult
group, a greater number of cells would
be spared for malignant transformation."
of Rongelap Atoll, participates in the
first Conference for a Nuclear Free Pa-
cific held in Suva, Fiji, seeking international support for the Marshallese.
The 93 representatives of 22 Pacific and
Pacific rim countries at the conference
strongly endorse the Rongelap peoples’
attempt to gain independent medical aid.
DECEMBER Utirik: The people refuse to
submit to a quarterly examination by Dr.
Knudsen of Brookhaven. The L.A. Times
points to a "monumental culture clash"
between AEC doctors and the Utirik peo-
ple as the cause of the peoples’ refusal
of the medical examination.
1976 Rongelap/Utirik: A Brookhaven
report shows that to date, 20 out of 29,
or 69% of the Rongelap children who were
under 10 years old in 1954 have developed thyroid tumors. Of the total Rongelap population of 86 exposed in 1954,
30, or 35% have developed thyroid tumors;
at Utirik, 10 out of 157 or 6% of the
people who were exposed in 1954 have de-
veloped thyroid tumors.
Utirik: The people of Utirik, whose
original exposure in 1954 of 14 rads
was less than one-twelfth of the Rongelap peoples’ exposure, suddenly show a
higher rate of thyroid cancer.
This
thyroid cancer took 22 years to develop.
JULY Utirik: The people react angrily to
1977 JUNE Rongelap/Utirik: The U.S.
Congress approves more than $1 million
in compensation for the inhabitants of
Rongelap and Utirik who were exposed to
radiation in 1954. A payment of $25,000
will be made to anyone who has had a
thyroid removed or has developed hypee
thyroidism; to anyone who develops a radiation related malignancy such as leukemia; and $100,000 to the survivors of
any exposed person who dies. $100,000
each is set aside for Rongelap, Utirik,
and Bikini for construction of community
facilities. The law provides that: "A
payment made under the provisions of
this section shall be in full settle-
ment and discharge of all claims against
the U.S. government." $1,000 is to be
this development because for 22 years
provided to each of the original 157
the Brookhaven doctors have told the peo- yryri, people exposed to radiation in
ple not to expect any adverse effects
from their contamination. In a letter to
the Atomic Energy Commission, the
1954,
Utirik people say they "are very dis-
tressed and angry as a result of the
-197 8 AUGUST Northern Marshalls: A
radiation. The people feel that the (AEC) Department of Energy (DOE) report reprogram is in need of vast changes."
veals that in addition to Bikini, Enewetak, Rongelap and Utirik, ten other
Rongelap/Utirik: Brookhaven's 22 year
atolls or single islands "received intersummary of medical findings points out
mediate 1ange fallout from one or more
the reason for a higher amount of thyof the megaton range tests," including
roid cancers in the people exposed to
Ailinginae, Ailuk, Bikar, Jemo, Likiep,
low doses, rather than in those exposed
Mejit, Rongerik, Taka, “‘Ujelang, and
to high doses: "...The thyroid doses in
Wotho.
This information, that at least
the Rongelap children (700-1,400 rads)
1,600 more Marshallese were contaminated §
with radiation, is not released until
a
20 years after the nuclear testing stop- Jj
ped.
4
were high enough to cause many cells to
die...and thus reduce the number of
cells at risk for malignant transforma-
(continued on page 28)
26
am ae oe 2 2s ee es