BIKINI ATOLL TODAY
INTRODUCTION
In 1986, tna Bikini people agreed to leave their home atoll to permit the
U.S.
to best atLomie bombs.
could
return
In 1968 President Johngon announced the people
following cleanup of debris
left
from
the
tests.
afore
the
people returned the U.S. planted thousands of food-bearing trees and built 40
concrete houses for the people.
to
leave.
In 1978 the U.S. government asked the paople
This book explains the reason
for this request
(action)
and tne
presant information on the condition of the atoll,
The
U.
S.
Government
has
prepared
this
booklet
to
assist
the
Bikini
people in understanding the affect of the atom bomb testing on their atoll and
what that means to the people.
The Marshallese text ig a dynamic equivalent translation of an original
English draft, and the English text is a modified literal translation of tha
Marshallesn test.
TINY THINGS THAT ARE RADTOACTTVE
Everything on earth is formed from many many tiny things that we eannot
gee.
(Theaa are called atoms.)
Some of these thinga are sant apart (distinct}
and are alike in a certain way because they change and becomn other kinds of
tiny things that do nok change.
We Say that thease tiny things (atoms)
ara gat apart are radioactive because they do change.
al-
that