Cliff Sloan
June 24, 1980
Page Two
already spent in exile by the Enjebi people.
It is mybelief .
that prudence and caution mist take precedence over expedient
and often-catastrophic political considerations. In the case of
‘the Mmjebi resettlement, if history should prove that we were too
-
cautious and that we acted too prudently, I assure you that it
would be a first in the Marshall Islands. I know that I personally
would rather be in the position=--say ten or twenty years hence-of having to explain why there was a six-month delay in the Injebi
return, rather than have to explein why one more previously
"unexposed" group of Marshallese became an "exposed" group because
‘of a hasty decision made by-some “concerned” people who thought
that things were "alright" on Mijebi.
‘I think the following points will substantiate my present
concern over the Enjebi resettlement and my request for truly
independent radiation experts in the Marshall Islands.
We can
only stand to gain from having an alternate point of view in
relation to the radiological data and the recommendations therein,
and I am convinced that the Enjebi people can only benefit fron
our acting with ceution and prudence?
1)
The entire history of the “nuclear age" has been beset with the
constant downward revision of what constitutes a "safe" level of
radiation for humans. It was previously believed that a dose of
50 rem was “safe" for humans; the dose was then decreased by a
factor of ten to 5 rem; and the current BEIR (Biological Effects
of Ionizing Radiation) Committee of the National Academy of Sciences-which was itself divided over the question of “safe" radiation levels,
and whose recommendations are far from being universally accepted
by well-respected radiation experts--recommends a dose of 0.5 rem
in its 1979 updated Report.
What this adds up to is a history of
continuing uncertainty concerning the assessment of “safe"* levels
of radiation for humans, and this ongoing debate is exemplified by
Drs. Gofman and Rall in the enclosed symposium transcript of the
recent American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
symposium I was asked to chair,
2)
Dr. Robert A. Conard, who was the former head of the Brookhaven
National Laboratory-Marshall Islands Program, expressed great surprise
over the late-occurring thyroid effects in the exposed Marshallese
povulations.
He claimed that these late effects were not anticipated
before 1963, and it is fair to say that we still do not kmow what is
Foing to havpen in the future in this population.
Again, this is a