:
UNITED STATES
ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
WASHINGTON, D.C, 20595
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To the Chiefs and All People in Utirik Atoll
Your letter to Mr. Roger Ray, dated July 1°76, has been received
by this office.
I wish to thank you for sending this letter
and bringing your views to my attention.
TI have carefully
considered your views,
and appreciate
Even today, there are many facts about radiation that are not
known, despite the large number of scientists that have studied
this subject for more than 30 years.
Even Jess was known about
radiation in 1954 at the time of the exposure of the people on
Rongelap and Utirik.
Based on all. available knowledge on
radiation at that time,
ite ae
as presented in your letter,
the opportunity to answer your thoughtful questions.
and using their best judement,
so the people of this island had
to live elsewhere for about.
. three. years. before they could return to, their homes.
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the
American doctors estimated that the people of Utirik were exposed
to only « small amount of radiation.
Hence, there was general
apreement among the doctors and they told the Utirik people that
they would not, in the future, show any ill cffects caused by
radiation.
Also, the relatively low levels of radiation at Utiril
soon diminished sufficiently to permit the peuple to return to
their atoll before some of the other populations.
Rongelap, on
the otner hand, was more heavily contaminated with radioactivity
ms
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‘Tn reviewitte the data that led to the conclusion thet’ the, Ucirik
people were exposed to considerably less yediation than the people
“Of:Rongelap , one’ mustconc Rude. that they arc essentiolly+COLESEL
Tois conclusion is based in part ‘on he dose oem
‘iWedasutementé on the teqand:: Even. wore’ iniportarite:
| Utirik people. showed, only very nivor, if aq:
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