Memo to Those Listed, Subject: Bikini Resettlement Program

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Chat naan Seaborg Cosnlss loner Ramey Cocemlss loner Cos tag Ho la THRU: General Manager In DMA aeoorandua of September 12, 1963 (AEG 604/115), I Informed you on the results of the preliminary Bikini survey of August 29*31, 1963. The survey was made to determine the problems and develop estimates of redevelopment cost for resettlement of the Elklnl people on their homeland. This memorandum provides you with a status report on this program. Attached for your information is a draft copy of the Bikini Resettlement Program which was provided to us by the Department of Interior for informal coordination. The Department of Interior intends to release the document to the public after the President transnlts his budget measage to Congress. The first step and the largest single cost elesient is the cleanup effort which involves clearing the atoll of scrub vegetation, test* related debris and contaminated materials to be completed prior to commencement of the planting and facilities construction portion of the operation. On October 11, 1968, I provided the Department of Interior with a planning cost estimate of $1.2 million covering only the cleanup effort. This estimate was based on Holmes & Karver Pacific Test Division performing the work under existing AEC contract AT(29>2)*20. The cleanup will require six months to complete. The White Douse has asked the AEC and the DOD to jointly contribute $600,000 in order to start the cleanup in the last quarter of FY 1969. US ATOMIC ENERGY BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY Th« DOD has expressed their willingness to contribute $300,000 end the balance can be Bade available by DMA. The Department of Interior's budget request of $1,700,000 for FY 1970 includes funds to complete the cleanup job and to make a start on the replanting and construction projects. On January 13, 1969, AEC, DOD, and Interior representatives will meet to discuss the details of the cleanup effort. It is our Informal understanding that Interior and the DOD will request the AEC to engage Holmes & Narver Pacific Test Division to perform the work under the existing AEC contract. DASA, through the JTF-8, will provide the required coordination with AEC on the military resources needed for the cleanup. I will keep you advised on the progress of this program. Assistant General Manager for Military Application Bikini Resettlement Program Department of Energy BEST AVAILABLE COPY 2-

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY BIKINI RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM On August 12, 1968, President Johnson announced that certain islands in Bikini atoll in the Marshall Islands, Trust Territory of the Pacific, vere no longer required for the nation's nuclear testing program or for defense purposes and that they vere safe for return to civilian uses. He called upon various interested government agencies to cooperate in the preparation and implementation of a redevelopment and resettlement program. This announcement culminated a prolonged period of radiological and biological surveys by the Atomic Energy Commission and a specific 196? study to determine whether the islands in the atoll were safe for human habitation. The President's announcement was based upon a finding that exposure to radiation that would likely result from repatriation of the Bikini people does not offer a significant threat to their health and safety and that these exposures may and should be reduced by taking certain simple Ever since Bikini was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 19^6 and the persons then living on the atoll, about 150 people, were relocated ultimately on the island of Kili, the displaced Bikini people have been looking forward hopefully to the time when they could return to their home islands. The Bikini population now living on Kili amounts to about 350 persons and an additional 200 people claim land rights on Bikini. Kili lacks a lagoon and in other respects has not provided the Bikini people with the economic environment or resources they desire or to which they vere accustomed when living on Bikini. Department of Energy BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY Because of growing population pressures and a shortage of productively inhabitable land areas in the Karshalls, it is the policy of the United States to return to civilian uses any areas which are excess to its needs. The total land area of the Marshall.Islands is approximately TO square miles. With a I96T population of approximately 19,000 the square mile ratio is 270. Kili has a land area of O.36 square miles. On the other hand, Bikini atoll has a land area slightly in excess of two square miles. Its lagoon area is about 229 square miles. Bikini atoll is greatly changed as a consequence of the tests which were conducted there in the late 19^0*3 and the 1950's. Some islands have disappeared or the remnants are mere sand spits; still others have been diminished in size as a result of blast effects and/or wave action; and loss of topsoil for the islands of the atoll varies from zero to almost 100$. While it has been determined that the island complex from Bikini to Enyu is safe for continuous habitation, radiation levels in the other parts of the atoll precludes continuous use. These other islands and island complexes may be visited for purposes of food collection (birds, turtles, their eggs, etc.), but present conditions on these islands preclude substantial agricultural development at this time. Bikini and Enyu are overgrown with a jungle-like stand of scrub vegetation which will sustain neither subsistence nor commerce. This vegetation must be cleared and the two islands replanted to coconuts and other food crops. Additionally, most of the islands are littered with the remains of the testing programs. These remains, some of which are dangerous because of deterioration alone, some because of residual radioactivity, and others because they would interfere . -th or preclude agricultural redevelopment. BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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must be removed before the Bikini people can be permanently resettled on the atoll. Housing and community facilities arc non-existent and need to Tliis paper presents a redevelopment and resettlement program for Bikini in compliance vith the President1s statement that "It is our goal to assist • the people of Bikini to build on these once desolated islands a new and On August 12 the President requested the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, and the Director of the Bureau of the Budget to cooperate and assist in effectuating a resettlement program. Bikini atoll is within the administrative jurisdiction of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and the Department of the Interior. The Atomic Energy Commission has an Interest because the Commission, under the Atomic Qiergy Act of 195^ and its amendments, is given certain respon sibilities to protect health and minimize danger to life or property from hazards that may be associated with activities in which AEC has a role. The Department of Defense is another interested agency since the research and development work In the military application of atomic energy at Bikini atoll was jointly conducted by the Defense Department and AEC under direction of the highest levels of the United States Government. The Bikini atoll was under military jurisdiction prior to the Presidential announcement, and the return of the islands followed Defense Department deterrdnation that Bikini atoll was no longer required for defense purposes. BEST AVAILABLE COPY department of Energy BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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Dopart~er.t of the Interior are cooperating in the resettlement effort. The AEC and the Defense Department jointly have' assumed United States responsi'Dility for clearing the hahitahle islands of Bikini and Enyu of unusahle structures and debris, which must he done before redevelopment can proceed. Other islands of the atoll which are neither safe for continuous human occupation or which are no longer productive in an agricultural context will be cleared of all dangerous debris. To determine the problems and develop estimates of redevelopment costs she Atomic Energy Commission, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Interior and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands conducted an on site survey of Bikini in late August. Until conditions on the islands had been inspected no reliable redevelopment cost estimates could be projected. Following the August-September survey trip the Atomic Energy Commission prepared estimates of the cost of. clearing the islands of debris and scrub vegetation and the Trust Territory developed estimates for replanting, redevelopment resettlement. Cleanup costs are estimated to be approx imately 81,200,000 and it is further estimated that the cleanup job could be completed within a six-month period after funds are made available. Detailed estimates are attached. Redevelopment costs are currently estimaued to total about $2,8Sl,800 over a five-year period. An additional sum is required to provide improvements to the island of Kili and to Ujeiang atoll where the former Eniwetok people were moved. The bulk of the redevelopment expense is encountered in the first year of new construction. For program planning purposes the costs have been allocated to eight major BEST AVAILABLE COPY BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY Eccuuce the Bikini people will have to continue to live for the next several years on Kili and "because there is some probability that come of them vill elect to remain on Kili rather than relocate themselves on Bikini, some improvements to housing, community facilities, and agricultural resources are in order for that island. These costs are currently estimated at Similarly, the plight of the former Enivetok people, uho have been relocated on Ujeiang, requires attention. Tnese people vere removed from Eniwetok shortly after the removal of the people from Bikini. The Znivetok people vere resettled on the much smaller Ujeiang atoll. Tne Defense Department has concluded that national security requirements for Enivetok are such that return of these people is not foreseeable. Tne Ujelangese are in urgent need of improved housing, community facilities, and agricultural resources, all of vnich are today beyond their means. Tneir near desperate situation is highlighted by the impending end of the Bikini odyssey. umprovcm.ents to the Ujeiang community are currently estimated to require Tne resettlement program for Bikini, including clearing, redevelopment over a five-year period, and essential improvements to the Kili and Ujeiang communities, is estimated on the basis of current information to amount ho BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY An alternative is to let a few islandera return and reestablish residence on Bikini in its present condition. This is rejected because of the moral responsibility as well as the political, sociological and economic need to rehabilitate the islanders. Survival would be difficult and the redevelopment of Bikini, without support of modem equipment and methods, would be a painfully slow process covering generations. Such approach would be inconsistent with the goal of assisting the Bikinians to build a new and model community. Another approach to resettlement would be to cleanup and redevelop facilities to accommodate only the few returning islanders who could subsist in Bikini’s present environment. This is rejected because of the need to resettle and provide as suitable an environment for all of the displaced islanders who have rights to Bikini and who desire to return, not-just the few who might be disposed to attempt to survive under Bikini's Yet another possibility would be to undertake a replanting and recon struction program to accommodate all those who desire to return to Bikini . • now. This is not recommended because newly planted coconut trees require six to ten years of growth before they are sufficiently productive to provide subsistence and an export crop of copra. If all islanders desiring to return were resettled on Bikini at the outset of the replanting program, they would have to be subsidized for several years. This is not regarded as socially or economically desirable. ARCHIVES best AVAILABLE copy r<

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BEST AVAILABLE COPY The recoriT.cnded approach ic to replant the icland; linit the r.ur/.Der of resettled families in the firot increment to those vho can he employed in construction, planting and orchard maintenance. Other families will he phased in in suhsequent years. The main islands of Bikini and Enyu, vhich are those designated hy the Atomic Energy Commission consultants as being suitable for return and redevelopment, shall he cleared of test activity debris and cleared of scrub vegetation so as to permit the replanting of the coconut groves and other food crops. Planting of pandanus trees on Bikini will be accomplished according to the AEC recommendation for removal of two inches of topsoil from each site over an area covered by the crown of mature trees. Ko radiological precautions will be needed on Enyu. The 4,500 foot airstrip on Enyu will be rehabilitated and the few salvageable buildings will be used in the cleanup and early redevelopment work. Clearing of vegetation will be done in strips so as to permit the planting of seedlings with intervening strips of existing vegetation left to control erosion. As the seedlings develop the erosion control strips will gradually be cleared. Replanting, estimated to require 100,000 nuts, should follow on the heels of debris and vegetation clearing on Bikini and Enyu. Clearing of other islands of test related debris should follow the cleanup of Bikini and Enyu. The other islands of the atoll w’ill not be cultivated or used for residences for the foreseeable future. Clearing will consist of removal of test related debris, particularly radio-active material. It is planned to leave the massive bunkers which are located on several of these islands. Tne Bikini and Enyu bunkers will also be left to provide storm shelter or other community use. BEST AVAILABLE COPY

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The icland of Bikini vas the population center of the pre-test cormunity and the Bikinians have indicated they vant their new village center located adjacent to the cemetery, its former location. This will consist of a dispensary, school, meeting house, church, administrative facilities and some warehousing and equipment shelter. It is planned to construct at the outset facilities (except for the school) which will he adequate for the total anticipated population of Bikini. An addition to the school is planned The Bikinians wish to live on their individual "wetos" (land parcels) rather than in a village complex. This decision on their part will preclude a central water supply and sewerage system although the relative dispersal will have other health benefits. The Bikinians have been living in a village situation since 19^6 and appear to prefer the traditional Marshallese style of living on the land. Plans call for the construction of 30 housing units the first year and six additional units per year for the next five years. Each unit will consist of the dwelling itself, cistern, bath house, toilet, cook house, etc. The village center and housing unit construction on Bikini island will involve ^covering these sites with coral rock as recommended by the AEG. Costs estimates per unit include these facilities. The Bikini people.have stated a preference for permanent— concrete—construction. Housing designs are being prepared to meet these requirements within the $6,000 coot estimates. Resettlement costs anticipate the relocation of 30 families as soon as housing is available with additional families being phased into the new community as additional housing and plantings permit. Estimates are …