Becauseliving conditions deteriorated further
the United States instituted small trust funds.
For the Bikinians, the trust fund yielded semi-annual
interest payments of approximately $15 per person.
lier showed a marked increase in the
amount of radioactive nuchdes in the
people's bodies. These tests show
that tne Bikinians were ingesting
higher than acceptable concentrations of cancer-causing radiation
trom tne Water und from food grown
in the island's contaminated soil.
The U.5. government then began
importing all food texcept local fish.
which was declared safe) and dnnk
to Bikini. This food program has
compounded the Bikini dilemma:
While the Bikinians have been told
that the island ts radioactive and po-
tentiails dangerous. the prospect of
tree food and housing and a chance
to move trom Kili—caltled the
“prison bv residents—has encour-
aged peuple to return,
In eurty 1978. the Energy Research ind Development Association considered moving the peopie to
another island in Bikini Atolli—
were S$ to 6 times higher than expected.
Throughout the rehabilitation of
Bikim. the Energy Research and
Development Association and the
Department of Energy had conducted countless radiological survevs of the island—many of which
suggest the Bikinians were unwitting
subjects for scientific radiation tests.
A recent study for the Department of
Energy concluded that ‘Bikini Atoll
may be the unly global source of data
on humans where intake via ingestion is thought to contribute the
major fraction of plutonium body
burden.
A 1976 Lawrence Livermore Laboratory scientist stated that Bikini
“is possibly the best available
source of data for evaluating the
transter ot piutonium across the gut
Eneu— ind was growing fruits and
wall after being incorporated into
biological systems."
sults trom these experiments, however, werent expected for about a
year.
mently deny they have used the
Marshallese for expenmentation. A
DOE official explained. “It was done
by technical tvpes anxious to know
vegetacies in an experimental garden
to test radioactivity levels there. Re-
According to a careful report in
the Los Angeles Times. by February
1978 it was official government pol-
icy: Bikint was untit for people to
live on. Nevertheless. in Apnil, Trust
Territory officials, testifying at a
congressional hearing on funding for
re-estaolishing the Bikinians on
Eneu Island. insisted that the people
could remain on Bikiniwithour harm
unul the expenments on Eneu were
completed in January 1979—pro-
vided that they didn't eat any
coconuts, and that the coming medi-
cal tests showed. as was expected,
no large increases in internal radia-
tion levels.
In the April 1978 medical examinations. however. the Bikinians’ internal radiation levels ranged up to
0.980. or nearly tuice the U.S.
maximum safety standard of 0.5
rems. At the same time. the preliminary results from the expert-
mental garden at
Eneu Island
showed that radioactivity levels
Government
scientists
vehe-
about the transfer of radioactive elements.”
Intenor Department officials an-
nounced in Mav 1978 that the atoll
would be evacuated within 90 days.
and the people returned to Kili Is-
land. [n late August. Interior representatives went to Bikini to supervise the evacuation, in many ways
reminiscent ot the 1946 removal.
“There are some things we didn't
feel good about,” said Taro
Lokebal. who serves as liaison between the Bikini Council and the
United States. “The (U.S.) High
Commissioner made the people
rush. ... Some things were left
behind—pigs. chickens, lumber. We
had to have our ceremony on the
ship. It was supposed to be on the
shore but we had no me.”
Though the Bikinians. like the
Enewetakese. sutfered the devastating physical and psvchologicai effects of relocation and, at umes.
even near starvation, they had never
suffered radiation exposure until
they retumed to thetr radioactive Is-
land atter 25 years. Now the BikiMians are an exposed population.
too. And who knows what the future
holds for the Enewetak people—
many of whom have now retumed to
their home atoll to work with
thousands of U.S. armysoldiers in
the massive nuclear debns cleanup.
Until the scientific community and
independent organizations begin cnttcally to monitor U.S. government
agencies’ treatment of the Marshallese. their situation 1s not apt to
change.
From the nuclear bomb tesis at
Bikini and Enewetak to the medical
treatment of the irradiated islanders.
the 30 years of Amenican trusteeship
has brought the Marshallese anv-
thing but the conditions promised in
the U.N. trust agreement.—
Conard. Robert A.. M.D., et al. A Taenrn
Year Review of Medical Findines in a Murstadese Population Accidentady Evouset
tu Radioactive Fallout, Brookhaven Nationait Laboratory. Washington. D.C. De-
partment of Commerce. 1978; avatianie
from National Technical Information Service.
Coneress of Micronesta Special foint Committee Concerning Rungetap and Cris:
1973 Report. Kolonia, Ponape 9694i The
Congress.
Detrou Free Press. Sept. 2. 1978.
Gensuikin (Japan) Medical Survey Team. Report on the [navestigation of Damage Done
by the Bikint Hvdrogen Bomb Test to che
Peooie of the Marsnall Islands. ve. ed.
Tokvo. Japan: Gensurkin, 3th f.. Akimoto
Bldg..
2-19
Tsukasa-Che.
Kanda.
Chivoda-ku. Tokyo, 1973.
Honolulu Advertiser, Oct. 10, 1978: June 16.
20. 21. and 22, 1977. March 19, 1978. Jury
30, 1978.
International Herald Tribune, April i9. 1978.
Kiste. Robert C. The ikimauns: A Study x
Forced Migration. Menio Park, Ca.. Cummings Publishing Co.. 1974.
Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Dose 45-
sessment at Bikint Atoll, UCRL-S1879 Pt £
Washington. D.C.: Department ot Commerce. June. 3. 1977: available from Na-
tional Technical Information Service.
Los Angeies Times, June 11, 1977.
McHenry. Donaid F. Micronesta. Trust Besraved. Washington, D.C.: Carnegie Endowment for [nternations: Peace, i975.
Micronesian Independent. Sept. 12. 19°
New York Times. March 23. 1978.
Washington Post. Marca 23 and 2°. LOTR,
April 3, 1978.
February 1979
The Bulletin |