Sn Rongelap, the white ash formed a layer 1/2 inches thick on the ground; it fell into the drinking water tanks and the children played in the radioactive powder. Development Association tn 1977. ‘The people feel that the ERDA program ts in need of vast changes.” While the Utirik and Rongelap strate that low levels of radiation were not harmful to people. restrict completely the use of r~ danus. breadfruit and coconut er: shalls’ nuclear test program had en- shalls). [In 1968. ten vears after the Mar- populations were experiencing the ded. President Lyndon Johnson effects of direct fallout exposure. the promised the 540 Bikini people a peoples of Bikini and Enewetak permanent return to their home: the were attempting to survive in their radiation had dropped below the U.S.-imposed exile on tiny, tnhospitable islands. danger level. according to the Atomic Energy Commission. In 1969, an aec radiological survey Because living conditions on both stated. “‘There’s virtually no radia- Kili and Ujelang detenorated further tion lett and we can nnd no discernduring the late [950s and early 1960s. ible effect on plant or animallife ton the United Stares instituted small Bikini.” trust funds in an effort to alleviate In the early 1970s the Bikinians some of the problems. For the began slowly returning to thetr atoll Enewetak people the trust fund was to help tn the massive rehabilitation 130.000 and for the Bikinians tt was program. which included therepiant$300,000. both yielding semi-annual ing of more than 40.000 coconut interest payments (approximutely trees and manyother local crops. as >13 per capita for the Bikinians). wellas construction of a newvillage. By the mid-1960s the people were About 100 Bikinians were on the demanding a retum to their home ts- atoll when the Lawrence Livermore itmds. Because the Bikinians and Luboratory conducted ua radiation Enewetakese began to receive extensive international publicity tor their plight, the pressure increased on the United States to return them to Bikini and Enewetak. [n addition. aussesSment in June 1975, The study. “Dose Assessment ut Bikint Atoll.” not released until mid-1977. stated clearly: “All living patterns invoiv- ing Bikini Island exceed federal the Atomic Energy Commission. (radiation) gutdelines for 30-vear which had been increasingly emticized for advocating that there were “permissible levels’” of radia- population doses. A preliminary report issued by Energy Research and Development Association tn tion eXposure, was eager to Jdemon- August 1975 pointed to the need to (a dietary mainstay in the M. Despite these and other warmir Energy Research and Developm Association s Dr. Conard state: short time earlier: “Our medical team has evaluates. the radiation exposure in the peo: who have deen working on Bikini : past two vears. There is some lu: level radiation remaining on the} land of Bikint and measures nave been taken to reduce these levels... . The intemal absorptic of radioactive matenals will be . only slight from terrestrial food pL. sources. Therefore. we do not ex pect Co see anyul effects tn the | kini people or in their offspring fr: the small amounts of radiation tu which they will be exposed.” Caught in the middle ptthese c. flicting statements. in late 1975 Bikinians nled a federal law against the U.S. government manding a complete scientific sur: of Bikini to determine if the is! was indeed safe for habitatior. In late 1977, ERDA monttonn. the Bikinians who had retumed «