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already moved back to the southern
islands. which the Agency calls
‘relatively
uncontaminated.”’
Meanwhile. the Department of Energy says the atoll’s northern
islands—where the majonty of the
43 nuclear tests occurred—should be
off limits for at least 30 years, since
radiation levels are still high there.
Because of the Department ruling,
millions of dollars have been spent
on building houses and community
facilities
and
on
The Enewetak people have an in-
tense desire to return home, after 33
years on tiny Ujelang Atoll. And on
the basis of this information. the
Enjebi people voted to return to their
island in the north. But the objectiv-
ity of the study conducted by Bender
and Brill, whose base is the
government-funded Brookhaven
National Laboratory, has been
questioned. Dr. Rosalie Berell, a
consultant to the Division of Stan-
replanting dard Setting for the Nuclear Regu-
thousands of coconut trees in the
southern islands: but no funds have
been used to rehabilitate the northem islands. This has caused problems among the Enewetak people as.
traditionally. they are divided into
two distinct groups: the Dri-Enjebi in
the northern and Dri-Enewetak in
the south. Accustomed to their own
chiefs and land, the Dri-Enjebi are
reluctant to live on another chief's
land.
In September 1979, the radiological information about Enewetak was
presented by the Department of Energy to the people. Michael] Bender
and Bertrand Brill, two scientists
hired by Micronesian Legal Services
then testified that their study showed
all the islands to be safe for habitation, including northern Enjebi Island. The chancesof adverse effects
were so small, they had concluded,
that ‘‘cancer mortality in the lifetime
of the population is estimated to be
less than a single case.’’5 They asserted that the Department of Energy overstated the nsk: ‘DOE tends
to exaggerate the problem,”’ said Micronesian Legal Service Director Ted
Mitchell.¢
latory Commission, said of the
study:
so
a
-
ae
aT
Sere, Me
Brookhaven researchers assess U.S.
government data... . The history of
the U.S. testing program was one of
repeated
mistakes
and
miscalculations.”" In his view, ‘‘nongovernment radiation experts”
should be included in all such surveys.®
A May 1979 General Accounting
Office report cautioned that “‘because of uncertainty of the long term
effects of exposure to low level radi-
ation. it is possible that the people of
namely that induction of cancer is
Enewetak could recetve doses in excess of current standards.” It also
urged an independent assessment of
Enewetak by “experts who have no
direct connections with the nuclear
testing program or the Enewetak
lastic anemia. premature aging. benign tumors and other such dis-
report wasinitially withheld from the
Marshall Islands government for
They ‘reduced’ the radiation dose
of the inhabitants of Enjebi by averaging in the population less exposed. This ts like telling one
team of Japanese scientists invited
by Marshall Islands leaders to investigate the radiation problems in
1971, the United States has stead-
**The population of Enewetak has
the nght to knowthat a value judg-
ment has been madefor them.
their only concern. They may, if informed about hypothyroidism, ap-
cleanup project .. . before resettlement of the people begins..°? This
orders, make a different judgment.
political reasons.
Since deporting an independent
member of a family his or her nsk of
lung cancer is lowered if the other
nonsmoking membersof the family
are included and an ‘average’ nsk
given. It is a scientifically ndiculous
approach to public health.
Basing a resettlement decision af-
fecting the lives of 500 people on the
Bender and Brill inadequate health
assessment would be extremely 1m-
prudent.”’’
fastly refused to allow independent
monitoring of the Marshallese
people and their environment.
President Lyndon Johnson announced in 1968 that Bikini—site of
23 bombtests—would be returned to
its people, who had been living in
exile since 1946.
In 1969, the Atomic Energy Com-
mission said: “‘[there is] virtually no
radiation left on Bikini"’ and “‘the
exposures to radiation of the Bikini
Glen Alcalay, a former Peace people do not offer a significant
threat to their health and safety.”!°
said the problem is ‘‘the inherent A small-scale cleanup and reconflict of interest in having habilitation program was begun and
Corps Volunteer in the Marshalls.
December 1980
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 25
eR