Dr. Conard was expressed and recently negative feelings about Dr. Knudson
have arisen as well. The distrust is not intended as a personal attack but
rather is pointed at the attitudes and philosophy of the program that they
express to the people.
The program as conducted at Utirik has sharply split the island into
two groups — those exposed people examined regularly by the Brookhaven tea
and a larger group of unexposed people who receive only indirect attention.
This situation differs sharply from the way the program operates at Rongelap.
At Rongelap, the people were divided into two groups - those exposed and
a larger unexposed group which serves as the control group for the research
, protocol of the study. At Rongelap both groups receive the same detailed
examinations so virtually the entire islands population receive care. At
Utirik, no control group exists, so only the exposed receive care from the
team.
The people at Utirik see this difference between their atoll and
Rongelap and wish to receive equal treatment by the team,
For twenty-two years, the people have heard Dr. Conard and other
doctors tell them not to worry, that the dose of radiation received at the
island was too low to cause any harmful effects.
Apparently, the
experts assured the program that according to theory a low dose of 14 rads
should not cause any adverse human effects, Hence, the program examined
the Utirik people in detail only once every three years, no contro] group
was established, and the people received only minimal compensation. However,
within the past year it has become apparent that the theory was wrong and
in reality effects aitributai to radiation have been discovered at Uttrik.
It has been found that there is as much thyroid cancer at Utirik as at
Rongelap - 3 cases each. In fact, the ratio of thyroid cancer to thyroid
nodules found in exposed people at both islands, is higher at Utirik than at
Rongelap.
In addition, a young man, son of an exposed person, was found
at Utirik to have thyroid cancer and no such unexposed case has been found at
Rongelap. The official explanation for the high incidence of thyroid cancer
at Utirik is unknown at present. Yet in the peoples mind the explanation is
that {t is a radiation effect despite what the doctors have said for twenty
years. ‘The distrust the people have for Dr. Conard developed because of the
inconsistency when he stresses no problem exists and then, at a later time,
an actual health problem arises.
The people ask if this thyroid problem has
suddenly occurred, is it not possible that the experts have been wrong for
sO many years and that more problems will occur in the future?
The theory was put forth that Utirik received low radiation soa
detailed follow up was not necessary. Now the facts of the thyroid cancer
at Utirik have strongly shown that the theory is wrong.
Furthermore, the
Rongelap exposed population has been on Synthroid since 1964 for suppression
of normal thyroid gland function to try to prevent the development of further
thyroid lesions.
The new findings raise the question of whether the Utirik
people should also be on such a thyroid suppression program and that if it
had been started at the same time as Rongelap, the thyroid cancer at Utirik
might have been prevented.
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