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403289
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
COPY
LABORATORY OF RADIATION BIOLOGY
FISHERIES CENTER
SEATTLE 5, WASHINGTON
September 21,
1964
REPOSITORY
Mr. Peter T. Coleman
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COLLECTION
District Administrator
Trust Territory of the Pacific
Masshalls District
Majuro, Marshall Islands
BOX No.
FOLDER
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Dear Pete,
I am taking the libery of writing to you on a personal,
informal basis regarding the possibility of the agricultural
rehabilitation of Bikini.
It is doubtful that it would be worth starting such a project unless the Trust Territory has interest in a long-term
project and would provide the necessary continuity.
Since you
did express some interest in our conversation in March 1963, I
wonder what your opinion and ideas about the subject are at
present.
As you may remember,
several of us have been thinking for
some time that this would be a worthwhile project from different
points of view.
First,
it would probably demonstrate the feasi-
bility of the rehabilitation of such an area, which would be of
value to some of the "Plowshare" programs for peaceful uses of
nuclear explosions.
Second, replanting and management of areas
that have been stripped of their topsoil would provide information of value in determining practical agricultural practices
on what are now marginal or agriculturally sterile islets at any
atoll.
Thirdly,
established productive groves would be present
if the day should come that Bikini can be reoccupied.
And,
finally, radiometric analyses of the coconuts and other products
would provide direct evidence when and if the time comes to
assess whether or not Bikini Atoll, or parts of it, have become
safe to reoccupy.
As to the last point, I don't think it matters
whether we are talking in terms of years or tens of years.
There is another possibility that may or may not be significant,
Since the levels of radioactivity in copra are among tne
lowest or any plant material,
3
it is likely that copra could be
harvested even before the area could be permanently reoccupied.