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Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
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Your letter to Mr. Roger Roy, dated July 1976, has been received by this office. and bringing your views t o my attention. considered your vievs, as presented in your I.ctter, and appreciate the opportunity to answer your thoughtful questions. Even today,there are many facts about radiation that are not known, despite the large number of scientists that have studied this subject for: more than 30 years. Even leos vas kno m about radiation in 1954 atthe time of the exposure of the people on Rongelap and Uti rik. radiation at that time, and using their best jud gF ent, the American doctors estimated that the people oC Uti ril c i;.cre esposed to only a small amount of radiation. agreement an0r.g the doctors and they told rl:c Uti rik pm ple that they would not,in the future, show any ill effects caused by radiation. Also, the relatively low levels of radiatioi-i at Uti rik soon diminished su : fic i ent ly to permit the pe:>ple to return to their atoll before some of the other popul.ntions. Rongelap, on the ot ii er hand, was nore heavily cont mina tcd with radioactivity so the people of this.island had to live elserchere for about. I wisli t o thank you for scncXng this letter Hence, there was general
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sure, indicating thLi1: thir x;'osure must have been considerably less than the peoplc of Rongelny. Island. There is one exception, however, and that rel at cs to tlie radiaticii dose to the children ' s thyroid which I shall. address: 1:itcr i n t!iis Following the rc turn to the island,it tias dccidzci that r.ontinued medical examinations .of the exposed pc?opl.e of Utirik WL-C tobe donc. Such examinations were conducted a t regul:-,r inter viC s to assure that they had not been harmed. Exaniinat.::ions were dcxe . i n 1957, 1959, 1963, 1966, 19G9, 1 9 7 2 arid 1975. During tile p a s t six years,thyroid examinations were done and sick calfs wese held every year in addition to complete physical. examinations. Also, for the past several years, American doctors have visited Uti rike very three months. In addition to examining the people ~ h ohave beer1 exposed t o radiation,the doctors selected a control group so that they could compare the health of exposed and non-e.sposed people.This control group consists of unexposed people from Rongelnp arid is cop side red. quite adequate for ccmparison with the exposed pi.ople of bcth Rongelap and Uti rik. The slight genetic differ en22 bctw.er. 'ihe two populations was not considered asl if fic ien treason to select a separate control group for Uti rik. been included in the regular examinetiofis. Largc groups cf c!;iidren i t was expected that the health of this group.or' child rc n of
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is not surprising that, with the information then available,thyroid dia c nse vas not expected i n the. Uti rik people. is that only very recently information became available from several sour ccs that the thyroid gland,especially in children, is considerably the.3.c. factors CGgetlier, we believe now, many years later,that the thyroid ciinccrs in the Uti ril c people were probably caused by radiation. A t this tine vc ] zre not able to predict whether'more cases are t o b e c:;pected in the exposed members of the Uti rik popul.ztion. the rc fore, of the greatest importance that the regular medical examinstions be continued in the future. examinations, signs of thyroid disease can be detected early and prompt treatment will avoid unnecessary suffering on the part of Even more in port ant more :ierlsiti\re to radi at i.on than was anticipated in 1954. Taking -7 By having regular medical For these reasons,I believe it is of great importance that the leaders of the people of Uti rik explain to their people the purpose and the importzncc of the regular medical examinations. Many people living in the Kars hall Islands District suffer from learn more about this disease so that they could better treat b e used for treatment.I feel confident that the treat nen t used by Dr. E'nudsen, apd as recomrnendcd by an expert in this disease, will.benefit the L ' tirik people that suffer from this disease. During the visits, the doctors from ERDA have tried to Kot all doctors agree about the kinds of ned i cine to With regard to your concern about the arrow-root plants,I have no reason to believe that the reduced size of the plants is caused low to cause plant damage. I SAY this because from what i s knoicn about radiation I effects in plat s,the levels of radiation on Uti rik are far too and hud sen, and during the past year, Dr. Kotrady. O n nany occasions,
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In view of this, I am greatly surprised to learn about the apparent di splc as v xc on the part of the people of Uti ril c as expressed in ~ " LUI :lett-cr and nor c recently about your request that Dr. Knudsen the fceli:i?,c for Dr s. Conard and Knudsen may be a misunderstanding on the p nrt of yoar people as to the role and reasons for these doctors tcj( : me to the islands.I would like to repeat that it i s my 2irm conviction that the principal concern of Drs. Conard and KIuidsen i s thc vel fare and well - being of all of the people whom they visit. Sone misunderstanding could result because of the. differ en cc between our languages. Again, I would appeal to your leadership ~ n dyour teachers to impress upon those who had the misfortune to be exposed to radiation the importance of the medical continue to race ive the best medical care and treat r cent that we are able to G'rovide. Only then can you and I be assured that they will Tugether vr it h this letter I am sending you a copy of "A Twenty-Year Review 02X edi col Findings in a Marshallese Population Accidentally collected during the period from 1954 t o 1975 as well as more dc tei led iuEornati.on of the findings in the past five years. The findings in this report are of great importance in that they have helped the scientist in their understanding of the effects of heen poss:t'J!.~ through coiitinued cooperation from you and your people. I want j'0.J t o know that this contribution by you and your people has helped the well - being of all people in the world. This report contains the data Collecting the information in this report has only I regret dc n ply that I cannot attend this meeting. have. asked Dr. T*!illiain Eurr, ny Deputy, to read.this letter.