UNCLASSIFIED UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION WASHINGTON 25, D, C. June 8, 1955 Dear Mr, Key: In your letter of May 2, 1955' you asked the Commission to advise the Department of State of any data additional to that provided in our letter of December 2, 1954recarding steps taken to fulfil the U. S. Government's commitments to the Marshall Islanders adversely affected by the March 1, 1954 nuclear weapons test in order that the U. S. Delegation to the Sixteenth Session of the U. N. Trusteeship Council can give a full and satisfactory report on the subject. As you know, the Commission's letter of December Secretary Dulles outlined in some detail the status of major programs being undertaken to assist the Marshall Since that time the Commission has constructed a radio 2 to several Islanders. transmitter and receiver on Uliga Island in Majuro Atoll and a radio trans- mitter and receiver, six family units and two storage buildirgs at Jebor Island in Jaluit Atoll, It was also originally pianned to erect a radio transmitter and receiving station as well as build a storage house and repair two others on Kili Isiand., It was later determined by the High Commissioner, however, that there was no longer a need for a Kili radto station. Construction and repair of the storage houses on Kili Island was not undertalen by the Commission because adverse weather conditions did not The permit landing of material and personnel on the Isiand, material for this construction was left on Jaluit, and we understand that the Government of the Trust Territories now feels that there would be definite advantages to having Kili inhabitents construct the buildings themselves, In Jenuary 1955, the Commission conducted a radiological survey of Rongelap Island and exemined soil samples, crabs, shellfish end foodfish, and such edible flora as coconuts, pandanus and arrowroot, In our letter of December 2, the Commission stated it was our view that the residuel level of radicectivity would decay to insignificance allowing the resettlement of the netives on their heme island by May 1955. This hes not been pessible, nowever, because tne shellfish and crebds, wnich constitute an important part of the netives' diet, still contain unsafe emounts of radicactivity. Furthermore, the northern islands of the Atoll are still sufficiently radioactive so that persons living on them would receive radiation exposures somewhat above those recommended by the National Committee on Radiation Protection and the International Commission on Radiological Protection, I am attaching for your further information on this point copies of letters exchanged by the Deputy High Commissioner of the Trust Territories and the General Manager of the Atomic Energy Commission, Secretariat Notes: ~Circulated as AEC 125/19. **Circulated as AEC 125/15. 7” 2 - . moe t “. J8