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OT the
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to some level of radiation.
As part of the medical research
conductecé on Rongelap, Rongelap people not on Rongelap at
the time of the 1954 disaster have been used as a comparison
population.
Some of the comparison group are actually
Gescendants of exposed people.
Both the medical personnel
of Brookhaven National Laboratories and other medical experts
we have consulted agree that, particularly in light of the
genetic abnormalities which can be caused by radiation
exposure and passed through generations and the fact that all
of the Marshallese people have received radiation exposure,
a medically "normal" Marshallese control population simply
cannot be found.
We are extremely disturbed by subpart
(d) on page
6 of your paper regarding discussions between the Government
of the Marsnall Islands and the Government of the United
States concerning the severe, potentially radiation relate,
medical problems which appear to exist among Marshallese
people of atolls other than Bikini, Enewetak, Rongelap and
Utirik.
Shortly after taking office on May 1, 1979, the
Government of the Marshall Islands received preliminary data
indicating repeated cases of medical abnormalities of a type
often related to radiation exposure in people of several
northern atolls.
The greatest bulk of the first information
was received from the people of Likiep.
The Government of
the Marshall Islands brought this preliminary, yet alarming,
data to Washington later in May and presented it to an
interagency meeting.
The Government requested that persons
with untreated medical problems be provided with care at the
earliest possible date and also asked the United States to
assist the Government of the Marshall Islands in identifying
those people in need of such care.
The description in your
Discussion Paper mischaracterizes these events in several
important ways.