insure their radioiogical safety. I was asked to
head up the monitoring program (B-37).
I went to Kili Island in 1969 and explained to
the people that Bikini Island was considered
safe and that our medical team would monitor
them to insure their radiological! safety. Urine
samples then were collected for baseline studies.
The cleanup of Bikini Island began in 1969
with bulldozing of scrub growth and other measures to reduce radiation, as recommended by
the Ad hoc Committee. Thirty workers, camped
on Eneu, began to construct the first 40 cement
houses, provided with water cisterns and privies. Later planscalled for 40 more houses, acouncil house, a church, and a dispensary.
Unfortunately, the recommendation of the Ad
Hoc Committee to begin habitation on Eneu
Island, where radiation levels were much lower,
’ was not followed. New plantings of coconut and
pandanustrees began on Bikini and later on
Eneu. In 1971, several families moved back to
Bikini, and by 1978 there were 145 people living
on the island. The Trust Territory Government
furnished all their food, including powdered
milk. We monitored the people annually, using
the sensitive whole-body counting technique
and radiochemical urine analyses, as used on
the Rongelap and Utirik people; radiological
surveys of the environment continued.
Althoughmedical examinationswere notconducted on ourvisits (excepton’‘one. occasion
referred to below),the medicalteam was available for “sick call*..
Ne ey ays
In April 1974, it wasplanned’ta#eedtin more
people to live in the 40 houses which had been
built on Bikini. However, the people had become
concerned aboutthe radiological safety at
Bikini and declined to return. This refusal was
believed to be partly based on their unhappi-
ness about not having received a $3,000,000
U.S. compensation paymentin their suit
against the United States (B-41,42). They felt
they deserved this payment,since the
Enewetak people had received an ex gratia payment of over $1,000,000. As it turned out, their
refusal to return proved to be to their advantage
in view of subsequent events.
As part of the second phase of rehabilitation
at Bikini, it was planned to build more houses
in the interior of the island. In preparation,
anotherradiological survey was conducted to
obtain more precise radiation measurementain
the interior of the island (A-50,51). The survey
34
CArhneae
showed that the levels of radiation in the interior of the island were higher than had been
reported in the 1967 survey, and that further
housing would haveto be built at nearby Eneu
Island. Furthermore, the well water was found
to be contaminated and consumption of pandanus and breadfruit grown on the island had to
be restricted. Therefore, plans for the immediate return of the people to Bikini were can-
celled.
In August, a meeting was held with the peopie at Kili to discuss the prospects for further
resettlement of Bikini (B-38). Among those pre-
sent were Roger Ray, DOE representative:
Oscar DeBrum,District Administration of the
Marshail Islands; and George Allen from the
Micronesian Legal Services, Inc. The people
expressed disappointmentat not being able to
return to Bikini. Some older people wanted to
return regardless of-radiation exposure, while a
younger group was more vociferousin their
complaints. As an aftermath of the meeting,
Allen instituted a suit for the Bikini people
against the United States, demandingfurther
evidence that Bikini was safe for habitation.
Those families that returned to Bikini
received a complete food subsidy from the Trust
Terntory Government. Before locally grown
fruits (coconuts, pandanus, breadfruit)became
available, radiglogical.monitoring showed that
theievela of absorbedradioactive materials
were in the acceptablerange.Whenthesefruits
became available several years later, the levels
of radioactive cesiumand strontium had
increased and the people weretold not to eat
them. Examinations in April 1978 showed a
sharp rise in body burdensof these radioactive
elements due to consumption of these fruits
(A-15, 54). Since continued habitation on the
island could resuit in unacceptable levels of
these radioactive elements in the people, they
were evacuated from Bikini in August of that
year (B-76). Most of the group moved to Majure
andreceived follow-up examinations bythe
medical team. Manyof the Bikinians expressed
further dissatisfaction with life on Kili and
requestedthat a home be found for them elisewhere, such as Hawaii or Florida. During the
examinations at Bikiniin April, at the request
of the Bikinians, we conducted a medical survey
of the people on the islands. Our examinations
showed no indications of radiation exposure.
Greenhouseet al. (A-51) calculated the dose
equivalent from both internal and external