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DRAFT~

.

In spite of extensive and well-intentioned efforts of the United States
to cleanup, rehabilitate, and resettle Enewetak Atoll, the potential
exists for legal and political difficulties for the United States. The
issues include: loss of land, loss of land usage and loss of cash crops
as a result of the testing program, and an absence of long-term agreeExpectation

ments between the United States and the people of Enewetak.

that the United States will soon end the Trust Agreement, coupled with
the uncertainty of the future political status of the Marshall Islands,
of which Enewetak Atoll is a part, further complicates matters. (See p. 15.)

Significant radiological aspects of the clea~’}~portion of the Enewetak
project are not being independently assessed”by organizations having no
connection cr interest in the nuclear test program. (See p. 22.)

“

The Enewetak Atoll cleanup, rehabilitation and resettlement project was
preceded by a similar but less-comprehensive ”project at Bikini Atoll.
Attention recently focused on the Bikini project when abnormal quantities
of radioactive elements were detected in some of W
These discoveries triggered a decision by Interior

people living there.
~0

wuest”$ls

from the Congress to again relocate the people”of.Bikini.

mil~ion

~

(See P.S.)

The people of Enewetak, displaced now for more than 30 years, suffered
the physical hardship of living on a much smaller atoll with significantly
increasing numbers of people and the psychological hardship”of being

“

This latter hardship is the greater
.
.
burden because land is considered all important to the Marshallese ?ea~le.

removed from their traditional land.

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