LA. limes
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Bikini Islanders Lose Again to Radiation
Continwed from Sth Page
May, “We can show that Eneu is lower (in radioactivity} by a factor of 10 than Bik Island
to move to “public domain” Jand in Rawal or to
testnicuens. which means you can eat the fish
u catch un the lagoon, you can grow any crop.
apparently preferred to remain there. But, he
added, some Wanted to jon the Bilan: remdents
wherever they mught be relocated.
+.» Eneu could be 2 rendenceisland without
"m convinced that these Eneu (lest) crops are
fens to show very much lower levels than the
numbers.”
At the Department of the Interior. Ruth Van
Cleve, chucf of temmtonal affaurs; John DeYoung.
He said the mayonty of those living on Kill
Further tests on Eneu foodstuffs would be re-
quired before the wiand cowd be finally ruled
out Winkel sad. But he was not opumsuc,
And, without quilé spelling it out. he seemed to
her top assistani. and High Commussioner
Winket all thought Eneu was the most accepta-:
distruss the thought of relocauog the Buanaos
By February of this year, it was olficia) poli-
partment “Al we can do at any stage is Listen
to what the experts say—and hope they're
ight,” Mrs. Van Cleve said.
at Uus tune.”
Winkel’s statement to the subcommittee on
In contrast to 1968, the news was not an-
safe for resettlement) were based on avaiable
It was rather quietly passed along t Con.
the same posiuon. The decisions we
makenow wil be based on available know!edge.
to one a day. But they were toid the coconuts
from Eneu were sul safe.
-
The Trust Terntory government initiated a
jeeding program. Exceptfor fish and fowl, the
people were to eat nothutg but US. Department
of Agncuiture surpius food.
ey: Bikini was unfit for people to live on.
pounced to the world by the Premdent of the
gress in the form of a money request. Underse-
ble second choice of the B.karuans,
But now all three were cautious about the
data they were getting {rom the Energy De-
“The decisions of 1967-GB (that Bikini wast
knowledge,” Winkei said. “And now we are in
eretary of the Interior James A. Joseph, in asking Congress for a $15 muilion appropmauion to
the people of Bikim, explained the
in low-key, bureaucratic style:
. But less than two weeks later, there was bad
the plant food chain had been significantly musted in terms of human conswnpticn.. .
ction on the use of coconut products
‘The readings ranged up to 98, nearly double
aH
“lt Deeame evidentthat radionuclide mntake in
ed on Bikini Island for food and export
(it). . . unrealistic as a permanent piace’
g
He wrote that Eneu Island appeared to be the
most feasible alternative piace to resetule the
ns who had earlier imeated they even:
ly wanted to hve on Bilom Island, but added
Uhat a small number would likely choose to re-
main on Kull
“Apalyss.” he wrote ‘reveals that these
ae coconuts can be used for food and
le future copra export.
Joseph proposed that $13’ million be spent to
make Eneu lvabie and §2 million be invested in
inprovins, conditions at Kil
id-March, Rep. Sidney R. Yates (D-IL),
chairman of the House intenor subdcomumtee
on appropnatons, opencd the first of a senes of
hearings on the money bill and the plightof the
At the Apru 12 session of the Yates subeom-
mittee, Trust Termtory officals testified Lnatit
was their belief Bikins [sland would be off tumits
for 3 to 50 years but that Eneu, 10 mules away,
was {likely to be a safe site for pe. manent reset~
Uement.
Adnan Winkel, current high commissoner of
the Trust Terntory, tesufied that, “even know~
ing of the danger.” those already living on Bukini Island wanted lo stay there and thal there
‘waa some indicauon others from Kili wanted to
join them on the condemned home island.
The subcomrattce was told that [inal deter-
mination of whether Eneu was safe for pers
manent relocation could not be made unt
about Jan 1, 1979, when radiaacumty levels of
fruit and vegetables grown in an experunental
Garden plot on the island would be made known
by the Department of Energy.
But the witnesses agreed that the Bikimans
eould remain where lhey were without harm
nti Jan, 1 if they just stuck to the rules and
vefraned from eating the coconuts—unicss,
they added in qualification, the medical tesla
(whole body counts) to be made on the Bianiara iatct in Apni showed aharp pumps in interfal racbation dosage, And nat was nat expected,
McCraw, now chief of special projects Branch
of the Energy Department's divinon of en-
vironmental safety, said in an interview in early
a ooo
the mamniand of the United States.
newt for the Bkanians.
The report on the April whole body counts on
the Bukimans showed a startling increase wi internal radiation doses.
the federal safety mandard of 5 rems.
Including the external rad:auon dosage of 2,
the same as in the past, the top redding was 1.18
At the same Ute, and just as startlingly, pre-Limunary results of tesung on coconuts grown
on Enev showed radoacuvity levels ive to sx
times higher than had been expected.
Tesufying at the May 22 session of the Yates
SEE
‘We would like you to keep
your promise to. the Bikini
people, to take care of us.’
subcomumitiee, birs. Van Cleve said the latest
ured
i
sne
aithough tnere was no unmediate hazard Lo their health, the people must be
removed from Bilum [sland wittun 90 days.
Second, it appeared that
must be ruled out
as the alternative nte of
t
the permanentreset-
the same sesnon, at the head of a small
delegation of Bian: leaders, was Magistrate Tomaki Juda, son of the man who was chiet in
1946 Although born on Bukuni, the 36-year-old
Tomak) was too young to remember details of
the first removal, Bul he had heard stones of
that tmeall huslife.
He repeated one now to the subcommittee:
‘When the naval officer had toid the people they
must leave the sland a generation ago, he had
corn]
them “to the children of {sraet whom
the
saved from their enemy and ied inlo
the promused land.”
it had not worked out that way.
“We are more akin to the children of Israel
when they teft Exypt and wandered throush
the desert for 40 years.” the dark-skinned, dig-
tufied Bikinian said “We left Bikini and have
wandered through the ocean for © years, and
we will never return to our promised land.”
In fact Tomaki was back on Bikins on June 1.
along with Eigh Commusaoner Winkel, bub
only to break the news to the peopte and to discuss with them where incy wanted to go.
Wunkel’s recommendauans were read {nto
the record at the June 19 meeung of the Yates
subcommuttee. He noted that those living on Bikind Leland told him that if they could not remain there, or at least on Eneu, icy preferred
in Hawaii or on the
ad
“On the bans of ali the factors,” Winkel
summed up,“it is my decision that the peapie of
Bikin: Island should be relocated wo Kuli Isiand
the Buumans’ preferences was accurate as far
asitwene
But, from Times interviews with more than a
dozen Buomans on thew condemned island last
month, it was apparent the ugh commusnoner
failed to convey the depth of thew feelings,
especially them reiuctance to be resettled in the
Marshails, paruculariy on Kui “Kul.” they said
again and again, “1s bad, Kili is no good.”
With only one excepuon, they said they
wished to be resetded in Hawad or Florida.
Muton Anien, born on another island but
marned into 2 Budra family, put xt Uus way:
“We would like to be with you in America al-
ways. We like you We would Lke you to keep
your promise to the Bikini people, to take care
of us,
“You made a promise to the Bikini peopte, so
we would Ike to come live with you —and you
can support the people of Bikiru as much as you
can~live with vou so the American doctors caf
watch me and my family because I worry about
the radiation, Worry about the radiauion mght
after night... . Everybody here says thus.”
Magistrate Tomas Juda, appeanng before
the subcomumultce once again, said Lbal although
there was deep sorrow and bitterness among his
people and although “Life on Kuli is difficult.” he
concurred in the bigh commusmoner’s decision
relocate them at least temporaniy on chat s-
}
Then he suggested pracucal measures which
he sad were necessary to make Kil lvable—
constructuon of 2 2.000-foot arstmp and an ali-
weather, all-season pier, establishment of 2
medocal disp
¥, anew schooi, renovation of
homes and community facuites, Considerauon
also should be given. he said, to relocauing some
of the people on JabworIsiand at Jalint AtolL
The Buuni jeader also made :¢ clear that in
addiuoa to relocating the peonle, and makung
the new homeland livable, the Unuted States
had furtherfinancial obligations,
It was too soon to discuss details, he said, but,
“we feel Unat our poopie. especially the elderiy
ones, are enutied lo campensauion from the
Unvted States, for Cieu removai from Bueinj and
for the virtual destrucuen of Blunt and olber
islands.”
Congress has now anproved the $15 mullion
for relocaung the Bramans, and Sulding
materials are beug purchased for the temporary housing for them on Kili
Plans arc undee way for the Kill pier, although some persons famuliar wth the surf conditions do not beheve it og feanbdle.
oe
Planning also gots ahead for the final remoyal of the people from Bikint next month
Ome fast matter; Ruth Van Cleve said in
Washington that, although old Andrew Jakeo
cannat continue to lve on Bikins, it is possible
that after hus death he could be buned there
with hus ancestors.
But she added, “If think we would wantto get
firm word on that (rom the enienusta,”