Marshall Islands Radiological Safety Program and Rongelap/Utirik Dose Reassessment Project - A Historical Synopsis From the mid.1940's to 1958, the United States conducted its’ high-vield nuclear weapons tests at Sixini and Enewetak Atolls in the tropical Pacific. These remote grouos of small isiands lie about 2,500 miles southwest of dawaii, and are part of the Marshall Islands District of Micronesia. At that tine, most of “ficronesia was the political ward of the United States which acted as trustee under a United Nations nandate establishing the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Micronesia) after World War II. this region, known as the Marshall Islands, Currently, intends to enter into a Compact of erz2 Assoctation with the United States. The largest of the nuclear tests was the “BRAVO” event which took place at 3ikini Atoll on March 1, 1954. Radioactive fallout from this detonation was carried eastward by prevailing winds, and resulted in radiation exposures to Marshallese people living at Rongelap and Utirik Atolls a few hundred oiles away. The exposed population of these atolls plus a comparison population are frequently examined by Brookhaven National Laboratory Medical personnel to de- tect and care for long-term health effects due to their exposure to radiation from the weapons testing program. In addition to the high-level radiation exposures to the Rongelap and Uetirik people, the nuclear tests also left a legacy of environmental radio- activity which, because of its lower level, is not expected to cause adverse health effects. However, residual radioactivity in the environment will contribute radiation exposures above natural living in these areas. background levels to people