DRAFT The people of Utirik Atoll wrote a letter, dated July 1976, to Mr. Roger Ray containing a series of questions about the medical program on their island. <A copy of this letter is attached. The following comments concerning this Letter were prepared by members of the staff of Brookhaven National Laboratory and ERDA, Following the accident in 1954 the American physicians and scientists involved, based on knowledge of human radiation effects available at that time, did not believe that the dose estimated to have been received by the Utirik people would lead to diseases caused by radiation. Also, since they had shown no acute effects and only a slight statistical depression of platelet counts, they were returned to their home island. However, it was considered prudent that the Utirik people should be examined at regular intervals and they were given complete physical examinations in 1957, 1963, 1966, 1969, 1972 and 1975, 1959, During the past six years speciai atten- tion has been paid to thyroid examinations on an annual basis and all of the people on the island have been encouraged to be examined and treated by the BNL physicians at sick call. Since 1973 the BNL resident physician has visited Utirik ona quarterly basis. Dr. Kotrady was employed by Brookhaven National Laboratory to continue and expand the program initiated by Brookhaven and first carried out by Dr. Knudsen. In conducting the medical examinations on the Marshallese, a comparison (control) group was selected so that could be compared. the exposed and non-exposed people This comparison group was selected in 1958 from the unexposed people of Rongelap. <A Separate unexposed group of comparison people from Utirik was not considered necessary since the Rongelap proup was considered adequate for comparison with both the peoples of Rongelap and Utirik. and The slight genctic difference between the two exposed populations differences in doses received DRAFT were not considered sufficient reasons to