“DOE ARCHIVES
DRAPT
Mrs. Elizabeth P. Farrington
Director,
fice of Territories
Department of the Interior
Washington, D.C.
20204
Dear Mrs. Farrington:
You may recall that in your letter to me of September 16,
1969, you made reference to Dr. Robert A. Conard's recommendation
for some compensation to the Utirik people and furnished me comments
of Trust Territory officials on this subject.
As you know, Dr. Conard continues to conduct periodic medical
examinations of the Marshallese people who were subjected to the
1954 fallout radiation, and his current plans are to revisit those
islanas for this purpose late in
October of this year.
He is still
very much interested in obtaining approval for a token payment to
the Utirik people to assure their continued cooperation in these
important medical studies.
He has discussed this matter with the
High Commissioner and other officials of the Trust Territory and
feels that they are sympathetic to this approach.
Dr. Conard
further believes that a payment of about $100 to each of the 157
Utirik people involved or their next descendant would constitute
an acceptable amount and that sucn payment, if made, should be
clearly identified as an "inconvenience payment" and disassociated
completely from any idea of recompense for having been subjected
to fallout radiation.