Marshall Islands Radiological Safety Program
and Rongelap/Utirik Dose Reassessment Project
- A Historical Synopsis
From the mid.1940's to 1958,
the United States conducted its’ high-vield
nuclear weapons tests at Sixini and Enewetak Atolls in the tropical Pacific.
These remote grouos of small isiands lie about 2,500 miles southwest of
dawaii, and are part of the Marshall Islands District of Micronesia.
At that
tine, most of “ficronesia was the political ward of the United States which
acted as trustee under a United Nations nandate establishing the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
(Micronesia)
after World War II.
this region, known as the Marshall Islands,
Currently,
intends to enter into a Compact of
erz2 Assoctation with the United States.
The largest of the nuclear tests was the “BRAVO” event which took place
at 3ikini Atoll on March 1, 1954.
Radioactive fallout from this detonation
was carried eastward by prevailing winds, and resulted in radiation exposures
to Marshallese people living at Rongelap and Utirik Atolls a few hundred oiles
away.
The exposed population of these atolls plus a comparison population are
frequently examined by Brookhaven National Laboratory Medical personnel to de-
tect and care for long-term health effects due to their exposure to radiation
from the weapons testing program.
In addition to the high-level radiation exposures to the Rongelap and
Uetirik people, the nuclear tests also left a legacy of environmental radio-
activity which, because of its lower level, is not expected to cause adverse
health effects.
However, residual radioactivity in the environment will
contribute radiation exposures above natural
living in these areas.
background
levels
to people