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United States i)cpa~tment of the interior To: Director of Territorial Affairs .From: Senior Staff Assistant for Pacific Subject: Interagency Meeting on Bikini, Department of the Fred M. Zeder, Director of Territorial Affairs - Chairman John E. deYoung, Senior Staff Assistant, OTA Roger Ray, USERDA, Nevada Stephen Greenleigh, Assistant General Counsel, E?J)A Earl P. Gilmore, Holmes & Narver, Anaheim, California Oscar DeBruni,DISTAD, Marshall Islands Peter T. Coleman, Deputy High Commissioner, TTPI Earl L. Eagles, OLAG, DNA Maj. General W. E. Shedd, DDOA, DNA George M. Allen, MLSC, P.O. BOX 376, Majuro, Marshall Islands 96960 Emmett M. Rice, Deputy Director, OTA Charlotte Mauldin, OTA Congresswoman Carmen Bigler (Congress of Micronesia) The group was welcomed by Mr. Zeder who .briefly outlined reasons for calling the meeting, i.e.:
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1. to recap,.theERDA June Radiological Survey results 2. to discuss reactions of the people of Bikini; and 3. to discuss future actions with r,espectto the Bikini B. Recap of ERDA June Radiological Survey Conclusions and 1. Tommy McGraw, ERDA, presented a recap of ERDA's conclusions and recommendations based on the June Radiological Summary'of the Survey, Conclusions and Recommendations Dr. Robert A. Conard presented a review of personnel monitoring done on Bikini Island to date. Full text of his remarks attached as Appendix "B." _ Mr. George M. Allen, Micronesian Legal Services Corporation, representing the people of Bikini, raised a number of (a) Inquiry on how many times the gamma spectographic analysis utilizing the lead counter had been done. Reply: Dr. Conard indicated this analysis had been carried out once to date on the small group of people living on Bikini Island, in April 1974. (b) Inquiry as to whether radiation levels of people were expected to go up after return to Bikini as had been the case for the Rongelapese after their return to Reply: Dr. Conard indicated that although there may be a slight increase in body burdens after return to Bikini Island this would not be comparable to case of the Rongelapese. The,Rongelapese had intake of locally grown foods at once after return whereas the residents . of Bikini Island would not be eating local.foods since they would not,be available.
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' Capt. Bliter pointed out that DOD would approach the matter_ _ 'on a humanitarian basis if it could be shown that there was radiation danger on Bikini Island. On such a basis, DOD could act at once but ERDA conclusions are that this danger does not exist. DOTA Zeder commented on the long-range for the knowledge which would come from such an aerial survey, as well as immediate need for Bikini Atoll. He stated that DO1 gives the matter high priority. c. Report by Distad DeBrum on Meeting with People on Kili Island Distad DeBrum requested Mr. Earl Gilmore, Holmes and Narver, who serves as consultant to the Distad for Bikini program, to ’ report on the Bikini Master Plan. Mr. Gilmore explained why the "Master Plan" for Bikini did not come into being until close to 4 years after start of construction. The Master Plan utilized both Bikini Island and Eneu Island, although 63 of the original complement of 78 houses were planned for Bikini Island. He noted that Eneu Island could take care of all the population (some 700) at the present time, but long-range needs wouid require use of other islands. _ Only 78'houses'are funded in the present proposal although the Master Plan notes that, if the desire of the people of Bikini would be met some 150 houses were.projected. This would provide fortfuture population requirements. Distad DeBrum then briefly described the visit to Kili the first week of Septemb'er. He explained to the people that the new survey had recommended use of houses on Bikini Island under specific restrictions, i.e., no consumption of locally grown food from the Island, also no more houses to be built on Bikini In his estimation, the people of Kili now are split into two groups. A group made up of individuals who were born on Bikini (perhaps 150-200) want to go back before December. A younger group have expressed a desire to stay on Kili in view of the new circumstances. This raises the question of whether the new' houses for this group could be built on Kili Island. The older group, who wish to return,'ask that the Government assure them that radiation factors on Bikini Island will not cause ill health. . If it is.held that Bikini Island is not habitable, then this older group wishes fo resettle on Eneu Island. Distad DeBrum pointed out that there was mixed feelings because of the restric- .tions'which had been recommended.
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Mr. George,Allen said that he had talked to the Magistrateat Kilivia shortwave radio on Monday, September 15, and received the impression that only two of the elders on the Council now are insistent about going back within the nert several months. He did not know, however, how many family'members would be involved with these two leaders. He.thought that there might be a somewhat less pressing problem about early return than had been indicated at the Kili meeting. He noted, though, that the shortwave radio contact was, at best, tentative and felt that the only way to get a reliable reading is to go back to Kili Island for additional meetings. . It was hisbelief that regardless of the current restrictions and future patterns of life in Bikini, some 150 younger people might wish to remain on Kili Island and perhaps another group . might wish to live on Jaluit Island. Mr. Allen commented on matters with respect to the Bikini Ex Cratia payment. He thinks it essential that the rightful claimants be identified. A formula for distribution should be determined nov and this should come from the Bikini Council. He commented that numbers may be inflated by the desire to participate in Ex Gratia payment and stated that he was planning to attempt to identify Mr. Gilmore (Holmes and Narver), referred to the census done in 1974 for the Master Plan which identified 426 people on Kili and Bikini Islands, with another 362 individuals who claimed Bikini affiliation scattered elsewhere.in the Marshalls. This gives a Unawarenessof People of Bikini of EarlierARC Reports . Mr. Allen stated that MLSC (Marshalls) is translating the 1967 ABC report on Bikini Atoll-aswell ais.a summary on Rongelap in order that the people of Bikini can have access.to first-hand infOrmat ion. He felt that mote originalinformationshould be Mr. Zeder closed the meetingby assuring the principal Participants that DO1 would do everything it could to cooperate with otheragencies involved and.would try to resolve pressing matters that now face the Bikini program.
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ERDA RADIOLOGICAL SZJRVEY OF BIKINI AND ENEU IS.LANDS TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL EXTERNAL GAMMA DOSES ASSOCIATED WITH PROPOSED ? HOUSING LOCATIONS ON BIKINI AND ENEU ISLANDS AND THE POTENTIAL DOSES RE- .‘. 1 CEIVED THROUGH THE MAJOR TERRESTRIAL. FOOD CROPS ON THE ATOLL. ERDA, EPA, LLL, BNL, UNIV. OF WASH.,
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ERDA RADIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF BIKINI AND ENEU ISLANDS EXTERNAL GAMMA MEASUREMENTS. 2500 LOCATIONS - BIKINI ISLAND
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AVAILABILITY OF SURVEY RESULTS . EXTERNAL RADIATION. MEASUREMENTS THESE RESULTS WERE AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SURVEY IN JUNE 1975. FURTHER REFINEMENTS MAY BE MADE WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF THERMOLUMINESCENT DOSIMETER (TLD) RESULTS IN OCTOBER 1975, AND AN AERIAL SURVEY OF BIKINI AND OTHER ATOLLS IN 1976; BUT NO SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES IN THE JUNE RESULTS ARE EXPXTED. GROUND WATER MEASUREMENTS RESULTS AVAILABLE IN OCTOBER 1975. . RESULTS AVAILABLE ABOUT JANUARY 1976. OTHER ISLANDS IN BIKINI ATOLL DETAILED SURVEYS TO BE MADE IN 1976. . \
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ESTIMATED MAXIMUM ANNUAL DOSES Live on Bikini Island - **’ 40 Houses . Interior Grow all food on Bikini fruit, and domestic meat. Live on Eneu Island Grow all food on Eneu Note: Radiation standards for doses are the same annual whole-body and for bone marrow *Food can be imported from outside the Atoll or grown on Eneu Island. . Anywhere on Eneu
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PEOPLELIVINGON BIKINIISLANDMY RECEIVEA RANGEOF EXPOSUREABOVEAND +a : BELOb/THE STANDARDSDEPENDINGWHERETHEY LIVE AND THE SOURCEOF CERTAIN GRO\ilINGALL FOODSON BIKINIISLANDGIVESDOSE ESTIMTES ABOVETHE ANNUAL If'PORTINGA NUFIBEROF FOODS THAT ARE A NORML PART OF THE DIET OR GROWING THESEFOODSON ENEU ISLANDIS REQUIREDTO REDUCEDOSE ESTIPATESFOR THE 40 HOUSESTO LEVELSBELOWTHE STANDARDS, IM'ORTINGALL FOOD IS REQUIREDTO BRINGDOSES WITHINTHE STANDARDSFOR LIVINGON ENEU ISLANDAND GROMINGALL FOODSTHERE GIVESDOSE ESTIMTES ' WELLBELOWTHE RADIATIONSTANDARDSFOR BOTH ANNUALAND 30-YEARDOSES; NORESTRICTIONSONUSE OF LAND OR ON FOODGROWNON THE ISLANDARE NEEDED
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. As a result of the recent meeting iitKili by Trust Territory, ERDA and Microncsian Legal Service officials concerning restrictions on rehabilitation of Bikini it is npporcnt that thcrc are scvcral points of misunderstanding in the minds of the Bikini people concerning statements I have made regarding the radiological safety of Bikini. Before reviewing the radiological monitoring obtained on the pcoplc living at Bikini I would like to clarify some of the confusion. ”First, at the time .of the Ad-Hoc Committee meeting, thevisit of the Trust Territory and AEC officials to Kili in 1968 and my visit. to the island in 1969, the statements made about the radiological safety of Bikini were justified based on the survey data'compiled at that time. Subsequent analyses of personnel monitoring data on the people living at Bikini showed 14,~levels of radictictlvityin the pco?le confirming the original conclusions. sincerity, I disclosed this as additional assurance to the people there. Based on these findings I would'not hesitate to live in one houses on Bikini. I am sad about the statements a few people made ...! about me at the Kili meeting. I have great friendship and respect for the people of Bikini and in no way and at any time have I tried to mislead them. From the beginning thcrewcre certain restrictions concerning 'rehabilitation of Bikini. It is only VCL~ recently that 'radiological svrvey data has made I-it necessary to impose further restrictions. I would like to clear up another point of confusion regarding "medical" examinations. We have never done medical examinat?,ns on the Bikini people for possible radiation cffccts. The reason is that the radiation levels are ’ so low that such examinations are not necessary. For. this reason it is wrong for anyone to accuse US of using the people living at Bikini to study radiation
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cffccts. Radiationthere is too+light for medical studies to be of interest &ce no radiation'effectk Gould likely be detectable. The urine collection ’ and mcasuremcntsof the body for radioactivityare not medical procedures and are done by technicians. These measurementsare importantsince thky form the basis for reassuranceof the people living on.Bikiniregarding their radiologicalsafety. Though we are not doing medical examinations 'if our doctors are at Bikini, as in the past, we will always be glad to see, 'treatand prescribefor *anypeople that are sick - but only at the request of the individualdr the health aide. Unless requestedby the people/itis not even necessaryfor our doctors to go to Bikini. ’ In'1969Jpersonnclmonitoringprocedureswere begun on a group of 30 workmen at a work camp on Eneu Island. By 1972,about3 Bikini families had moved back (about50) and also about 25-30 wprkers and agriculturists. Radiologicalmonitoringat Bikini has been carried out annually since 1969. The size of the populationhas not changed much since 1973. In order to assess the.,radiologicalhazard the followingpersonnel monitoringproccdurcshnvc been carried out: pooled samples). These analyses requ$re complicatedchemical procedures and are done for us by the ERDA Health and Safety Laboratory in New York City.'Such radiochemicalanalyseshave also been carried out on water and local food products. ,- 2. Direct mcasurcmcntof radiatioi in the people by gamma spectroI to the Marshallsand do this tons'of radiation-free.lead bricks were shipped a shieldedcounting facility set up in one of our airand transportedto Bikini on our vessel (La-Liktanur).
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~hc mcasurcmcntof body radiationby such analysis is very sensitive and rc3, Personnelcsposure to gas radiation:Gamma levels on the island were dcrivcd from data furnishedby other radiologicalsurvey groups. The results of the personnelmonitoringdata on people living at Bikini since 1969 are presentedin the accompanyingtables. The data on urine analysl:sare presentedon Table I. Note that average pCi/liter for Bikini comparedwith Rongelapwas for 90 Sr 2.5/3.8 and for 137 these isotopeshave been well below maximum permissiblelevels. Reassuringalso is the virtual absence of plutonium in the samples. Levels Cs as measured by spectrographicanalyses are presentedin Table 2. Note the average values for males and females on again well below the maximum permissiblelevels. Tilegraphs in figures 1 people are well below the Peak values noted in reached a peak of 6-11% of the 90 Sr and 137Cs in the Bikini the Rongelap people. The values for internallyabsorbed radionuclidesis in accord with the that the people on Bikini have been subsisting-mainlyon imported foods. The contribution of gamma radiationto the people on Bikini is somewhat greater than on Rongelap.
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somaticradiationeffects) for people living at Eikini, Rongclap,Utirik, . Long Island,New York and Denver, Colbrado. Since the people.livingat Denver have a considerablyhigher natural radiationand medical, dental contribution,the exposure to the people living there is probablyhigher than people living on Bikini.'The estimateddose to people on Long Island is somewhat.lessthan Bikini doses, also it might be noted that many of people living in.areasof South America and India are exposed lcvcls than indicatedfor Bikini due to high thorium content of There have been no reports of increasedcancer or other illness or these other high level populationsthat might be related to More recent data from radiologicalsurveys last June at Bikini showing ’ higher than expectedradiationlevels in the interiorof Bikini and higher levels in pandanusand breadfruithave resulted in.some further restrictions on the future living patterns of the Bikini people. At the time of the Ad Hoc Committeemeeting it was not known about.plansfor building houses in the interiorof Bikini I:-and. Recommendationsto put the first village and food crops on Eneu were not followed,'nor was the‘reco&ezdationsto_ remove topsoil from planting sites of pandanus and breadfruiton Bikini recorznendationfor the addition of powdercd.milkto the diet1 followed. The of the people is being implemented. The restrictionregardingconsumption .of pandanusand breadfruitmay eventuallybe rcmovcd followinginvestigation on growth of these plants at Eniwetak, Table 4 shows results of analyses of water &xnples from Bikini. Based on these findings the well water is in the permissiblerange. Catchment (rain)watdr.ls,vcrylow in activity. With zhe
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.construction of now cisternsand mending of leaking ones thcrc should be ’ ample catchmcntwater for drinkingand cooking. Consumptionof marine , life offers no radiationproblem. Coconut crabs (see Table 5) appears to be high enough in activity to be avoided. They are quite scarce in any event. Further analysesof local products (pigs, chickens,*vegetables, 'etc.)‘have not been completed. '!owever,it is reassuringthat the present ings, have not raised body burdens of radionuclidesabove the low levels The direct measurementof radiationlevels in the people living,on Bikini is the criticaltest of radiologicalsafety. The exposure of the people there,based on the present living pattern, arc in the permissible range and as pointed out lower than some other communitiegin the world. As was pointed out radiationexposure is so low on Bikini that medical effectswould not be discernablein this population (see EXDA letter of We believe that continuationof personnelmonitoringis important,however, to maintain a close check on the radiologicalstatus of the people. Also . negative findingsare impprtantreassurance,for the people living there.
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(BASED ON RAOIOCHEM ICAL UR …
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