: fe ee litends . 2 CONGRESS OF MICRONESIA "/: SAIPAN, MARIANA ISLANDS 96950 40,295 St L053 u eats SPECIAL JOINT COMMITTEE. -.. May 23, 1975 CONCERNING RONGELAP & UTIRIK ATOLLS Senator Olympio T, Borja, Chairman Rep. John Heglelgam Representative Ataji Batos Dr. James L. Liverman Assistant Administrator for Environment and Safety Energy Research and Development Administration BESTCOPY AVAILABLE Washington, D.C. 20545 Dear Dr. Liverman: "As you may be aware, members of the Special Joint Committee Concerning “Rongelap and Utirik Atolls have been visiting members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, May 13-23, concerning additional . compensation for those Marshallese exposed to radioactive fallout from the March 1, 1954 thermonuclear detonation at Bikini Atoll. In this connection, we are‘attaching a copy of our letter to Mr. Emmett Rice, Acting Director of the Office of Territorial Affairs which we believe is self-explanatory and which summarizes our efforts here in Washington, D.C. As mentioned in this letter, we have have obtained a copy of your August 7, 1974. letter to Mr. Thomas S. Dunmire, Staff Consultant to the Committee on Territorial and Insular Affairs of the House of Representa- tives in which on behalf of the Atomic Energy Commission you indicated that the Agency supported the concept of additional compensation for _,_ the people of Rongelap and Utirik. Our reason for contacting you on this subject is to inquire if the Energy Research and Development Administration as successor to the AEC will also support additional compensation. Therefore we would like to solicit ERDA's response if the position is unchanged, or if it will be. reviewed in conjunction with our request to Interior Department officials for a position and draft legislation.