The Honorable Wallace 0. Green Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Territorial & International Affairs August 8, 1980 Page Four Rongelap and Utirik, injury, DOI appears to contemplate that every illness or condition of such people will be eligible for treatment regardless of whether it is established that such injury, illness or condition "may be the result directly or indirectly of such nuclear weapons testing program." In contrast, as to the people of other atolls in the Marshall Islands, DOI appears to contemplate that the people of all other atolls are entitled to treatment under test #1 but that a particular injury, illness or condition will only be eligible for treatment if it is established that such injury, illness or condition "may be the result directly or indirectly of such nuclear weapons testing program." The Government of the Marshall Islands completely agrees that, in addition to the people of Bikini, Enewetak, Rongelap and Utirix, the people of all other atolls of the Marshall Islands are entitled to the medical care provided for in the statute. Section 102 of Public Law 96-205 clearly states that medical care and treatment and environmental research and monitoring shall ke provided to the feopnle of "such other atolls as may be found to be or to have been exposed to radiation from the nuclear weapons testing program. (emphasis added) The Department of Energy has repeatedly asSerted and confirmed that every atoll of the Marshall Isiands was exposed to radiation from the nuclear weapons testing program. Consequently, the people of every atoll must be entitled to care under the terms of the statute. The Government of the Marshall Islands also agrees that, in keeping with the intention of Congress to provide a comprehensive health care program in an efficient manner for all eligible individuals, the most logical, cost effective and technically feasible way to proceed is not to require that a particular eligible individual seeking treatment establish that his injury, illness or condition may relate directly or indirectly to the weapons testing program. have been advised by several medical experts that it is We virtually impossible to establish medically that any particular injury, illness cr condition of an individual residing anywhere in the Marshall Islands may not be radiation related or, more broadly, related to the "nuclear weapons testing program." Moreover, the cost to procure and utilize sophisticated equipment and personnel necessary even to