LA Times tr3lB
(5)
BikiniIslanders Lose Again to Radiation
Coatinecd from Sth Page
High doses of radiation from these isotopes
are known to cause vamous types of cancer in
man, but scienusts debste the cancer msk from
relatively low doses such as those Lo which the
have been exposed. In general, scien~
tists have found that the lower the dose, the
lower the msk that cancer wil develop over a
of years.
The people living on Bikini were ordered
either to eat no coconuts orto ration themscives
to one a day. But they were told the coconuts
trom Eneu were suil safe.
\ The Trust Temtory government saata
jeeding program.
ept for fish and fowl,
the
people were to cat nouung but U.S. Department
of Agricuiture surpius food.
By February of this year, st was official poliey: Bulani was unfit for people to lve on.
Jn conyast to 1968, the news was not ap-~
pounced to the world by the Premdent of the
United States.
It was rather quietly passed along lo Con»
gress in the form of a money request. Undersecretary of the Intenor James A. Joseph, in asking Congress for a $15 million appropnauon to
relocate the people of Bikim, explained the
in low-key, bureaucratic style:
“It became evndent that radionuclide inteke in
the piant food chain had been significanuly miscalculated in terms of human conswapucn.. ,
The restriction on the use of coconut products
produced on Bikini Isiand for food and export
make (it). . . unrealistic as a permanent piace
of setulement.
He wrote that Eneu Island appeared to be the
most feasible alternative piace to resetue the
500 persons who had earlier inicated they even
tually wanted to live on Bikini istand, but added
Uhat a small number wouid likely choose to re-
main on Kill
“Asaiyns,” he wrote ‘“yeveals that these
beast coconuts can be used for food and
le future copra export.”
May, “We can show that Eneu is lower (in radhoactivity} by a factor of 10 than Bikiy Island
+. Eneu could be a residence island without
estnicuons, which means you can eat the fish
you catch in the lagoon. you can grow anycrop.
"m convinced that these Eneu (test) crops are
ong to show very much lower levels than the
fan numbers.”
At the Department of the Intemor, Ruth Van
Clove, chief of termtomal affairs, John DeYoung,
her top assstant and High Commussioner
Winkel all urought Eneu tas the most acceptable second choice of the Bikunuans,
But now all three were cautious about the
data they were getung from the Energy De-
partment, “All we can do at any stage is Listen
to what the experts siy—and hope they're
nght,” Mra. Van Cleve said.
“The decinons of 1967-68 (that Bilani wast
Safe for resettiement) were based on avadable
knowledge,” Winkel said “And now we are in
the same posiuon The decisions we
Take mow will be based on avauable knowledge.”
. But less chan two weeks later, there was bad
news for the Bikimans.
The report on the April whole body counts on
the Buciruans showed a startling increase in internal radiaion doses.
‘The readings ranged up to .98, nearly double
the federal suicty standard of 5 rems.
Incluchng the externai rad:auon dosage of .2,
the sameas in the past, the top reading was 1.18,
At the same lume, and Just as startungly, pre--
results of lesung on coconuts grown
on Eneu showed radioacunty levels ive to sx
tumes higher than had been expected.
Testulynng at the May 22 session of the Yates
eee
‘We would like you to keep
your promise ta. the Bikini
people, to take care of us.’
Joseph proposed that $13 mullion be spent to
make Eneu bvable and $2 muilon be invested in
ving condiuons at Kili,
REAP
chasrman of the House intenor subcomatree
diate hazard to their health, the peopie must be
remaved from Bikim Isiand wun 90 days.
Second, it appeared that Fru must be ruled out
mud-March. Rep. Sidney R. Yates (D-IL),
0G appropriations, opened the first of 2 serves of
bearings on the money bill and the plight of the
Bikirvans,
At the Apri 12 sesmon of the Yates subcom-
mittee, Trust Temtory officials testified tnat it
was ther belef Bikiny Island would be off hmits
for 30 to SO years but that Eneu, 10 mules away,
was likely to be a safe site (or pe. manentresetUement
- Adnan Winkel, current high commisnoner of
the Trust Terntory, lesufied that “even know-
ing of Lhe danger.” those already living on Bikimy Island wanted to stay there and that there
was some indicauon others from Kil) wanted to
join them on the condemned homeisland.
The subcommuttce was told that final determinauon of whether Eneu was safe for per«
tTanent relocation could not be made unt
about Jan. 1, 1979, when radioactnty tevels of
fruit and vegetables grown in an experumental
garden plot on ine tsiand would be made known
by the Departmentof Energy.
But the witnesses agreed that the Bikinians
eould remain where Lhey were without harm
unui Jan 1 uf they just stuck to Lhe mules and
Terained from ealing the coconuts~unicss,
they added in qualthcation, the medical testa
(whole body counts) 19 be made on the Bikani~
@he later in Apri showed sharp pumps in mterfal rabation dosage. And Unt was not expected,
McCraw, now chief of special projects branch
of the Energy Department's divunon of environmental safety, said in an inuernew in early
subcommitiee, Sirs. Van Cleve
mults
required 2
She Sal
overs
B
as the alternauve mite of
t
the permanentreset-
the same sesnon, at the head of a small
dejegation of Bikuru leaders, was Magistrate Tomaka Juda, son of the man who was cuef in
1346. A{though born on Buunt, the 3o-year-ald
Tomaki was loo young to remember details of
the furst removal. But he had heard stones of
that ume ail his hfe.
He repeated one now to the subcommuttee:
When the naval officer had toid the people they
must leave the island a gcnerauon ago, he had
com
them “to the children of Israel whom
the
saved from Lheir enemy and led into
the promised land.”
It had not worked out that way.
“We are more akin to the children of Israel
when they left Exypt and wandered through
the desert for 40 years.” the dark-skinned, dig-
tufied Biamian said “We left Bikini and have
wandered through the ocean for IO years, and
we will never return to our promised jand”
in (act Tomaki was back on Dikint on June 1,
atong with High Commusaoner Winkel, but
only to break the news to the people and to discuss with them where Uncy wanted to go.
Winkel's recommendauons were read into
the record at the June 19 mcetung of the Yatcs
subcommttee. He noted that those living on Bifund Island told hura that if they could not remain Urere, of at least on Eneu, they preferred
to move to “public domain” land in Hawani or ta
the mainland ol the United States.
He said the majority of those living on Kili
apparently preferred Lo remain there But, he
added, some wanted to join the Biiam rendents
wherever they mught be relocated.
er tests on Enew foodstuffs would be requred before the island could be finally ruled
out Winkel said But he was not optumsuc.
And, without quite spelling it out, he seemed to
distruss the thought of relocaung the Bulanans
in Hawa or on the maniand.
“On the basis of ali the factors.” Winkel
sumamed up, “it is my decsion that the people of
Buuns [stand sbauld be relocated to Kuli isiand
at Uus ume.”
Winkel’s statement to the subcommuttee on
the Bucmans’ preferences was accurate as far
asit went
But, irom Times interviews with more than a
dozen Buaruans on thew condemned island last
Month, it Was apparent the ugh commusnoner
failed to convey the depth of thefeelings,
especially ther reluctance to be resetued wi the
Marsbalis, paruculariy on Kul “Kili.” they said
again and agan, “is bad, Kili is no good.”
With only one excepuon. they said they
wished to be resettled in Hawai or Plonda.
Muton Amen. born on another island but
marned into a Buon famuy, put it this way:
“We would lke to be with you in America al-
ways. We like you We wouldlike you to keep
your promise lo the Buani peopie, io take care
of us.
“You made a promise to the Bildni peopie, so
we Would like to come live with you —and you
can support the peopie of Bikiu as muck as you
can-—live with you so the Amencan doctors can
watch me and my lamily because J worry about
the radiation, worry about the radiation night
after mght.. . . Everybody bere says ulus.”
Magistrate Tomaks Juda. appearing before
the subcommuttce once again, said thal although
there was deep sorrow andbitterness among hus
people and although “Life on Kuli is difficult.” he
concurred in the high commissioner's dec:sion
to relocate them at least temporaniy on Lbat asjan
Then he suggested practical measures which
he said were necessary to make Kil Lvable~
construcuion of a 2,000-foot airsenp and an ailweather, all-season pier, estabushment of 2
medical dispensary, a new school, renovauon of
homes and community facities, Consderauon
also should be given, he Suid, Lo refocaung some
of Lhe poopie on JabworIsiand at Jaiunt AtoiL
The Buc Jeader also made st clear that in
addiuon to relocauing the peoole, and mang
ther new homeland livable, the Unmted States
had further financial obligauons,
It was too soon to discuss detals, he said, but,
“we feel that our peopic. especially the elderiy
ones, are entitled to compensation from the
United States, for the removal from Bua and
for the virtual destrucven of Bik and other
islands.”
Congress has now aoproved the $15 mulion
for relocaung ‘he Bikamans, and Swuilding
matenals are being purchased for the tempora-
ry housing for them on Kili,
Plans are under way for the Kill mer, although some persons familiar with the surf conditions do mot believe it is feasible.
vo
Planning also goes ahead for the final removal of Lhe peopie from Bikini next month.
One fast matter, Ruth Van Cleve said in
Washington that, although old Andrew Jakeo
cannot continue to live on Bika, it is possible
that after hus death he could be buned there
with bus ancestors,
But ahe added, “I chink we would want to get
firm word on that (rom the ecienusts.*