Starting in 1965, and after passage of P.L. 88-485, late
thyroid abnormality effects began to appear among the Rongelap
population and these increased yearly.
By the mid-1970's, |
Similar thyroid abnormalities began to appear in the people of
Utirik.
This led on March 17, °1977,
to the
submission to
Congress by Interior of a bill to provide additional ex gratia
compensation for the people of Rongelap and initial compensa-
tion for the people of Utirik.
The bill also provided a flat
$1,000 ex gratia payment to all of the affected Utirikese.
-This submission resulted in P.L. 95-134 (91 Stat. 1159),
approved October 15, 1977, which provided specific amounts of
compensation for specific injuries or death.
The first
appropriation under P.L.
Interior Appropriation
95-134 was made in the regular FY 78
Act... Under P.L. 95-134, to date some
$1,383,000 in individual payments have been. made as follows:
Rongelap. Exposed
35 payments of $25,000............-. ~ $
1 death payment. . eee ce eee eee eee ewe
875,000
S$
100,000
$
158,000
Utirik ‘Exposed |
158 individual ex gratia payments....
10 payments of $25,000.........-....
Total to date...........
S$
250,000
$1,383,000
Additional Late thyroid effect cases continue to appear in
these two affected groups.
It should be clearly noted that P.L. 95-134 provides for
compensation only to the affected individuals who were on
Rongelap or Utirik on March 1, 1954, and primarily revolves
around the effect of thyroid abnormalities.
P.L. 95-134 does
not provide for any future effects which might develop in
succeeding generations in these two groups -- nor, of course,
in any other group.
We hope that there will not be any claims of this sort
from the Bikini or Enewetak people.
They were not exposed to
direct fallout.
As you are aware,
however,
145 advance Bikini
residents were evacuated in August 1978 from Bikini Island
when it was determined that continued residence there would be.
detrimental to their health.
In 1980, we expect that the
people of Enewetak Atoll will be returning to the southern part
We cannot predict at this time what if any
of their atoll.
effects will result from long-term residence in areas where low
radiation will be present for generations to come.
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