2 Ieland and from the northern {falande at Rongelap could be eaten with certain qualifications, and that the people should maketheir ownjudgments based cancer risk estimates and_upon theneed forthefood Yherepres entaves at the meeting recognized thatthis advicewas new andinconsistent unqualified” restrictionsthey fol urged low Yorwary & It was e@tated thatthey preferred insteadadvicethatwasClear and ree of qualifications that waild reqiirethemtomake Judgnenttnwhethet Should eat theFoodThoughthe Marshallese werepolite,aid it is not t way to give affense, even ao, some of their statements to Roger at this point were obviously sarcastic even when filtered through the interpreter. There was an embarrassing moment when Roger asked the Marshallese to belp him explain the advice he had given to then ,Rather_than relax current restrictions on use of cocormt crabs from the porthernislands atRongelap Atoll and“onallfood fromPnjebiYalandat Erewetak Atall, the restrictions need to be strengthened.BodyBurden measurements by the Brookhaven RationalLaboratory, BNL,Guring the past yearatbothatolls have indicated increased levels of Ca-137 someindiVidual 6 whohave been ea ‘food from “restricted locations.BNU's Feports lap needs tobe increasedto ude all foods from the northern ialands._ burdens for females lessthan a@re attached”The restriction at ‘levenyears of ageatRongelap had increased 62% at the time of the last measurement in July 1982. t male burdens were up 56%. Doses are expected to contime to increase to 250 mRem/yr. Relaxing restrictions will iikely cause doses to go even higher. In the past OperationalSafety, deve considered it vital that DOf’s health entationof thispolicyIn theMarshalls protectionpolicyand the imple aprovidea uniform degree of Srotection from atoll to atoll and should be consistent with protection Provided in the 0S. “Because of the uncertainties associated withdose predictions, DOE’s criteria for cleanup of Enewetak that was approved by EPA and by Congress, specified 250 mRem/yr (not 500 mRem/yr), and 4,000 mRem/30 yr (not 5,000 mRem/30 yr). I urge that these lower criteria should apply anywhere in the Marshalls where decisions are to be made based on dose predictions. I would be happy to discuss this further if you wis On several occasions in after-hour discussions during the trip, Roger andI . disagreed on how questions on radiological safety should be handled This is oly a continuation of a difference of opinion between DOE headquarters safety staff and NW staff (at the greatest intensity between Roger and myself) that. began many years ago when NV became involved in Enewetak clean- up. This disagreement has intensified as OP and WV have taken steps to take view is that over EP programs and responsibilities in the Marshalls. agency this new approach to radiation protection will be difficult for thiswhy a others te curious seem It.may to explain and defend in the future. radia~in shift a causes DOE within ties shift in programmatic responsibili this ¢4on protection policy and practice in the Marshalls? pelf. I wonder about Y expect that the Bikinians will quickly recoguize the implications oe this new DOE advice. A logical extension of Roger's advice is that the —Bikinians should make their own decision on whether to return to Bikini Atoll. Doses for Bikini Ieland residents could be 10 times the US gtandard. Such residents may not meet the standards for radiation workers, and this population includes pregnant women and infants. 9001378