4
IVINGTON
&
BURLING
Mr. Wallace O. Green
April 21, 1980
Page Five
States to provide to the people of each such atoll
"a program of medical care and treatment
environmental monitoring for any injury,
or condition which may be the result dire
indirectly of such nuclear weapons testin
d
lness
ly or
program."
The statute mandated the development of a plan by
the Secretary of Interior in consultation with the Cpyernment
integrated,
of the Marshall Islands and others that specifies a
comprehensive health care program including primary, secondary
and tertiary care tailored to the “condition and neeBs of
The Government of thb Marshall
the individual atoll peoples."
Islands cannot assist the Secretary in formulating s uch a
plan until it first determines the current medical cphndition
of the people living on the various affected atolls.
Quite
obviously the intention of Congress cannot begin to be
carried out without first obtaining the answers to:the
questions we pose.
As Congress understood and intended,
must procede immediately.
In Senate Report No.
this
Pffort
96-4 57 the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources clearly ex bressed
the view that it
"expects the Secretary to immediately begi n the
development of the comprehensive health ca e and
environmental monitoring plan as provided fn this
section using existing authorities."
During the House floor consideration of fi nally
approved statutory language, Congressman Burton in © Pferring
to the deadline of January 1, 1981 for submission of this
comprehensive health care and monitoring plan to Con yress,
emphasized the point that
"the committee encourages the Secretary t
commence development of the plan as soon a
possible and to complete it earlier than t
deadline."
Chairman Burton went on to note that
"All costs of planning,
expenses,
including travel a nd other
are to be chargeable to the budg at of
-