# and headed toward Utirik Atoll at reduced speed, since it was only about a
7 60-mile trip.
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21 September (Tuesday)
The LCU was off Utirik Atoll early in the morning but the captain waited
until the sun was well up before attempting to enter the lagoon through the narrow
pass in the west side of the reef. At 0900 the sun was out of the captain's eyes
an he took the LCU into the lagoon, and by 1030 the LCU was anchored off Utirik
iStand,
Dr. Knudsen and the other BNL and TT medical personnel attended a meeting
with the Utirik people to discuss questions the Utirik people had. about the BNL
medical program.
The Utirik people decided that they did not want Dr. Knudsen
and the other BNL medical personnel to come ashore to give examinations to the
people exposed to fallout in 1954. Statements made by Glenn
', the
Peace Corps volunteer on Utirik, to the Utirik people helped them to make their
decision. Glenn feels that the fallout on~Rongelap-cand Utirik was possibly a
purposeful experiment by the U.S. Military to study the effects of radiation on
people. Although Dr. Knudsen did not go ashore again, most of the exposed people
he wanted to sea came to the LCU for their examinations.
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sick call on the island.
Or. Casino (TT) held
The Utirik protest was only against the BNL medical team; hence, theenvironmental sampling team of myself, Greenhouse and Naidu were allowed to conduct our
sampling and survey program.
I collected soil and vegetation at six sites on
Utirik Island.
Survey measurements were made by Naidu and Greenhouse.
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22 September (Wednesday)
Greenhouse, Naidu and I spent the morning on Eerukku Island (E1]uk on some
charts). This island is about two and one-half miles northwest of Utirik Island
and is the northernmost istand with vegetation in Utirik Atoll.
It is a very
small island, with one house (no occupants today).
One soil pit (0-100 cm) was
dug near the center of the island, and coconut and Pandanus leaves and fruits
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