Letter to W W Weyzen, Subject: Whole Body Counting Reports on Bikinians (Encl: Notes on June 13, 1979 Meeting with Bikini-Council Delegation at Office of Territorial Affairs)

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United States Department of the Interior OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Erunan Health and Assessment Mvieion Department af Energy A t %he June 13, 5979, meeting with the Bikfnl-KZli Council Delegation i n any office, a question was rafaed concerning the results ;of the whole body counting carried out on the Bikiniana whu were mved from Bikini Island last August. %is matter i a outlined in Zte m No. 9, 'whole Body Countfng Reports," tnthe "Notee" of the June l3, 1979, meting. is aPt8ched for p u r use. m e n t of Energy to find out what: arrangemnte could be msde to iaform tbese indie dual s of the results of the &ale body counting examinations. A copy of these "Notes" I would appreciate elao any comnents you mighC have on I t e m No. 10. This reeera to the claim that acme of the Bikinlans supposedly were on Rongelep i n Msrch 1954 and were exposed to the fallout from "Operatfon might have higher body counts because of t h i s alleged exposure. zhe question was asked whether certafn fadivldoals poo si bly Off ice of Te rdt or lal Affairs

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Notes on June 13, 1979 Meeting with Bikini-Council Delegation a t Office of Territorial Affairs. Participants : Under Secretary James A. Joseph, Director Ruth Van Cleve, Dep. Dir. Geo. Milner, John E. deYoung of OTA; Mr. Jonathon Weisgall (Covington and Burling), Legal Counsel for people of Bikini,Magistrate Tomaki Juda, Mr. Henchi Balos, Member of N it ije la(represents people Of Bikini - Kili),Mr. Taro Lekebol, Kili Council member, Mr. Ralph Waltz, Advisor to the Kili - Bikini Council, and Mr. Alan S. Weitz and Ms.Celia Roady (Ginsburg Feldman & Bress Law Firm). Tommy McGraw represented the Department of Energy. Under Secretary James A. Joseph opened the meeting and greeted the members of the Bikini delegation whom he had met when he visited Kili and Bikini islands last August. The Under Secretary could not stay for the meeting due to other commitments and Director Ruth Van Cleve served The major items discussed during the three hour meeting -r esp ect to items dealing with political status negotiations as they relate to the people of Bikini. Ginsburg Feldman & Bress law firm. He explained that since Covington & Burling also represented the Marshall Islands Political Status Commission, the firm believed that a different law firm should represent the people of Bikini with respect to items directly related to political status. The firm of Ginsburg Feldman & Bress had the proposal under consideration and this was why Mr. Weitz and Ms. Roady were i n attendance. He (Mr. We is gall), though, was continuing as Legal Representative for the people of Bikini with respect to non - political status negotiation matters. Representation by a law firm other than Covington and Sur ling with 2. Need for more direct contact with representatives of the people of Mr. Weisgall noted that it is essential that there be more direct contact with the people of Bikini regarding there settlement program and their future.Director Van Cleve agreed and stated that she believed that High Commissioner gdr ian P. Winkel had been making a special effort to meet as often as he could with the people of Bikini and their representatives. Mr. Weisgall and members of the Bikini delegation agreed that while this was so, there were still gaps i n communication. due to the fact that there was diffidence on part of the Kili - Bikini Council t o broach certain matters direct to the High Commissioner, i.e., on some things they might feel more a tease with an' official inter - been some "misses" in getting information to the Riki6i - Kili Council o r other representatives of the people of Bikini. Some of these might be There appeared also to haw Examples were cited :

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a. The lack of any Bikini representative at the March 22, 1979, House Interior Subcommittee on Appropriations Hearing. b. Mr. Henchi Balos, now Member of Parliament representing the people of Kili - Bikini, learned of the recent inspection visit of High Commissioner Winkel and the Bikini delegation to Hawaii . only by accident when he was i n Honolulu en route to Washington and New York City with the Marshalls Political Status Delegation. c.Mr. Weisgall also was not aware of the inspection trip to Hawaii. Had he known of the impending visit, he could have arranged the U.N. Trusteeahip portion of the Bikini schedule i n such a manner asto make it possible for him and Mr. Henchi Ralos t o be i n Hawaii atthe same time the High Commissioner was there. There would have been considerable value in part ici - pat ing in the inspection trip and also talking.to High Commissioner d. Mr. Waltz (Advisor to the Bikini Council) noted that there was no advance notice on the recent "whole body counting" exami nation of former residents of Bikini who now are on Kili. A field trip ship simply appeared to take the people to J alu it. Also, the ship used did not have safety measures, i.e., women and children were taken across the reef in bad weather without life jackets. The people were taken without advance notice to J alu it for the examinations and were provided only $10.00 for their expenses, which was not sufficient. e. Also, the Kili - Bikini Council never is furnished any copies of reports by the Department of Energy, copies of hesriltgs Dr. Bruce Wachholz, Co-ordinator for Marshalls Radiological matters, DOE, stated that his Department was very much disturbed at the lack of coordination of the recent "whole body counting" exercise tat Kili and assured the Bikini representatives that future arrangements would be handled differently. He explained that much of the confusion resulted because there had been unexpected last minute changes. Unexpected problems had arisen with respect to the D.O.E. logistic vessel on which the "whole body counting" was t o have been done. That vessel could not be used and a TTPI field trip ship at the last moment was substituted. I t was then found that the "whole body equipment" could not be connected to the electrical system of the ship and the whole body counter had t o be taken to J alu it where there is alternating current. This was the reason why the people who were t o be examined had t o be taken to J alu it. 3. Misunderstanding with respect to the Northern Marshalls Radi Bk ice l He also noted that the Northern Marshalls radiological survey report presented atthe March 22, 1979, Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing

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was very preliminary in nature and for that reason had not been widely showed only external radiation by means of letters. any explanatory text, appear t o have led to considerable misunderstanding inthe Marshalls. The external radiation results for the Northern Marshalls should be available in July and would include additional maps for each of the atolls surveyed. The maps of the 13 Atolls presented at that hearing also These maps, without After considerable discussion,Mr. Weisgall requested 5additional sets ofthe maps currently available.He believed that Bikini - Kili Council should have them since they were used atthe March 22 hearing. He also requested a map of the United States showing the same type of " letter " designation as is used on the Marshalls map. the Marshalls data in a better perspective. a map could be prepared but i t would take some time t o do so. they would tryto meet this request as soon a s they could. This, he believed, would put DOE officials stated that such 4. Need for translation of certain documents and / or reports into Mr. Weisgall noted that in the agreement signed by the U.S. Government and the Legal Advisor of the people of Bikini in relation to the dropping of the lawsuit in the Hawaii Court, there was agreement that certain documents would be translated into Marshallese. that whereas the Department of Ene.rgy had prepared certain background .briefing information on radiation hazards i n Marshallese for the people of Enewetak, this has not been done for the Bikinians. He also, particularly, believed that if Bikini Island and Eneu Island definitely areto be off limits to the people of Bikini,a statement to this effect must be translated into the Marshallese language. He also pointed out His points were noted and will be taken under consideration. 5 . Need for prompt notice on any Congressional Hearings It was agreed t h a t whenever OTA has word of any forthcoming Congressional Hearing that might involve Bikini matters,Mr. Weisgall would be informed immediately as well. as the High Commissioner. 6. Query a s t o whether t h e Department of Energy's Report of May 15, 19'19, on Eneu Island was a final recommendation. Dr. Wachholz i n response to this question pointed out that the May 15, 1979 report for Eneu Island had the food chain aspect factored into it as well as other radiation factors. While tkerc might be a few minor changes, the basic recommendatisn wof Ret expected t o change. Mrs. Van Clevs stated that the Department of the Interior had made its decision with respect to eliminating E neu Island as a possible resettlement site on the basis of the May 15 report.

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The Progress Report on Bikini Resettlement that the Department was present ing to Congress on July 1, 1979, would use the May 15 report as the official report. removal of considerable quantities of soil might either make Eneu island habitable in the immediate future or possibly lessen the time span Eneu must be placed off limits to the people of Bikini. He asked that this request be included inthe Department of Interior ' s report of July Possible Cleanup and rehabilitation of Bikini and Eneu IslencJ Mrs. Van Cleve stated that a definitive answer could not be given a t this point of time but that certainly DO1 would respond to this question. I n any event, she proposed to include Mr.We is gall ' s letter of June 12, 1979, t o Under Secretary Joseph a s one of the attachments to the July 1, Progress Report t o Congress. A long discussion then ensued on this question. McGraw of DOE explained the difference between the "plutonium cleanup" of Enewetak and the situation at Bikini. It was noted also that the elements at Bikini,i.e., the sub - transuranic s, migrate throughout the soil so that simply removing layers of top soil may not necessarily change the situation.It was indicated that DOE could undertake a study of soil profiles,but it must be kept in mind that other priorities would make it impossible todo much on this request in the next several Mr. Weisgall asked that any future study of this nature focus primarily on "Eneu Island " since this island was a "near miss " with respect to use for resettlement.It was agreed that DOE would respond formally to the various questions listed on page 6 of Mr. Weisgall's letter of June 12, 1979, to UnderSecretary Joseph with respect to possible additional cleanup of Bikini Atoll. .certain of his requests posed, for example, the differences between Bikini and Enewetak be described and contrasted, and i t be pointed out what would be involved ifa massive soil removal project were contemplated, i.e.,the cost, where would new soil come from, would i t be useable for tropical crops, what would be done with the contaminated soil removed. A complete explanation,Mr. Weisgall believed, would place this overall question in a better perspective for the people of Bikini. DOE was requested to spell out the questions 8. Independent Review and Assessment of the results and conclusions of the Northern Marshalls Radiological Survey, specifically as they smly- t o the safety of Bikini and E neu Islands. Mr. Weisgall discussed the need for an independent review and assessment and noted that in a recent GAO report on Enewetak Cleanup, that DOE had stated it was not against en independent assessment of radiation criteria

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Dr. Wachholz stated that while he could not give an immediate reply as official DOE policy, he doubted that DOE would have any objection to an independent assessment a s suggested by Mr. Weisgall. The only caveat, and one with which DO1 concurred, is that if such an independent assessment group isset up, there should be a mechanism agreed t o whereby any "assessor" would be mutually acceptable on both sides, i.e., tothe Government of the United States and tothe people Mr. Weisgall also raised the possibility of having non-U.S. participation on an independent assessment panel,particularly Japanese radiation scientists.He pointed out that as a result of past experience, the people of Bikini had little faith in U.S. scientists. Mrs. Van Cleve stated that DOI, for its part, would respond to the general question of an independent assessment panel in a letter. this was not an unreasonable request and that hopefully it could be responded to affirmatively, Many details,cost, who would bear cost, makeup of panel,etc., needed t o be worked out. She felt that 9. Whole Body Counting Reports Mr. Waltz, on behalf of the Bikinians who had t o be removed from Bikini Island, asked whether these ' Bikini an s could be told the results of their "whole body examinations." They are examined but never told the results and this worries them. Discussion on this aspect was held and i t was agreed that DO1 would write to DOE on this matter to see what arrangements could be made. I t was pointed out that outside of possible medical privacy rights of individuals something should be possible to let the people know the results of these regular monitoring examinations, Results are made public now, but individuals are, of course, not identified i n any such reports which are of a general nature. 10. guest ions as t o whether some of the 145 residents of Bikini whe were relocated last August may have had higher "body counts" as a result of being involved inthe 1954 Bravo Fallout. Mr. Weisgall stated that it i s now held that perhaps up t o 40 of the 145 people living on Bikini Island may also have been residing on Rongelap Atoll at the time of the March 1, 1954, Bravo Fallout.If this were the case, could the high body levels discovered i n April 1978 by the medical monitoring program be partly the result of tAe 1934 exposure and not completely due to living on Bikini Island ? Mr. McGraw of DOE explained that the half life of strontium 90 ina person ' s body i s some 180 days. 1954 would long since have been reduced to levels of non-significance. What was picked up in the April 1978 medical monitoring was the reaction t o levels from Bikini Island. Any levels in a person ' s body dating …