GOT ag} ‘ -rs te SEE ANE_ , 19? | UNITED STATES RA ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, Rrj A NEVADA OPERATIONS OFFICE ADMINISTRATIVEGtF pvt cas ve ©. BOX 14100 PROJECTOFFICER S VEGAS, NEVADA 89114 PROGRAM SPECIALISTTYG OCT i SEND COPY TO: Jenos L. Liverman, Director 4975 402260 Division of Biomedical and Imvilromentsl Research, HQ | Re | BIQOKHAVEN PROGRAM AT BIKINI —-_ \ H&N — en ees ae E | wae | —— REMARKS: Wat oY fog mercer Word Sesser CREE KES ey ¢Zuar Ate, 74— L ful g e Ag I reported to you following my recent visit to Pili, Majuro and 7/74 Feey Rildni in the Marshall Islends, there are, among even relatively wall 7774" informed citizens of the Marshalls, serious mlisunderstendings of our actions and plens relative to tho returning populetions of Bildni end II, 3 Fnewetsk. The most serlous misumderstending derives from tho associa~ tion through the person of Dr. BR. A. Conard, with our past and current programs involving the populetions of Utirik and Ponzgelap, For elmost 22 years, Dr. Conamt and his colloaguos have provided mocical surveillence, cere end trectment for the Rongclap and Utirlk populations, who ere ackcovledged to have susteined significant . racietion injury as & consequence of the BRAVO event at Bikini on Herch 1, 195k. Usecuse many of the Fongelop peonle have over tha years cisrated to othsr ctolls, Dr, Conard's visitetions havo included these other locations eng his nome hss become moim (gencrally most fevorebly) throughout the Ecrshalls, Zqually wicesproad has besn the _ knowledge of the roal (amd some imagined) radiation relatcd injuries which occurred at Rongclap., The psople of the Marshalls, perheps nore then eny other populetion save thet of Japen, era well sensitized to the dangers of radiction and wlth little herd knowledge and even less widerstanting thoy are quite easily moved to feer amd epprchonsion. In Nay of 1969, fcllowing the decision to return the Bikini people to their hone, a press roleese wos made (Enclosure 1) snnow:cing that Dre Conemd had becn nemed to conduct "routine medical surveillance" of the returning people. Soon thereafter, Dr, Conard visited Ki14 to meet the Bikini people and assure then that they vould be returning under safe conditions end that conditions which micht affect their sefety would be regularly monitored. As TI heve told you, sone of rhet vas sald on that visit was eoperently misunderstood or carricd into a diffcrent context where it eppcered to be in conflict with othcy more recent ENDA stetemonts. We ere texing steps to resolve BEST COPYAVAILABLE ays "59591 Ob nepositony DOL LLASO \ couscron DOLLV BOX Ne. Lx 34H BIKIAM ~ ASC CORBISpe FouwER LEAFAELAS ; . yw \ Ma