~2The possibility also exists that land at Rongelap
Atoll and elsewhere in the Northern Marshalls may be
Subject to a land claim.
The best prognosis now is
that no more than 500 acres might be subject to such
a claim.
This would mean adding another $2 million to
the damage amount,
million.
result
making a total of
$6.2
to
$9.6
Should the radiological survey now in progress
in data to support claims
at Rongelap or elsewhere,
be revised upward.
in excess of
500
acres
this figure would need, to
As a practical matter,
we cannot assume such an
analysis would be totally acceptable to the Marshallese.
There are bound to be differences of opinion, and our
negotiator must
have
some
room
to
maneuver.
For
example,
no matter what the hard facts, it is unlikely Eniwetok
will not want some part of a settlement.
Setting an
upper limit in this context is an arbitrary decision.
Nevertheless, for practical as well as psychological
reasons, the figure of $10 million as a boundary makes
sense, subject to possible upward revision, noted in
the preceding paragraph, should the damage at Rongelap
and elsewhere in the Northern Marshalls prove greater
than is now foreseen.