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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOF: TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS COMMERCIAL OFFICE O F THE HIGH COMMISSIONER HICOTTP 0 BOX 5 4 2 I n reply refer io: Director, Division of Biology and Medicine It has been brought t o my attention that Dr. R. Conard apparently i s planning a fairly large scale medical survey t o be carried out at Rongelap next spring which w i l l involve whole body count examinations of the population. Up t o the present time a l l correspondence on this subject has dealt with "possible future surveys'' which were t o be decided upon after the March 1960 findings were reviewed. No official approval of a trip of any sort for 1961 has yet been given at this end. that ina recent letter dated August 25, 1960 t o Dr. Conard I concurred i n the possible future use of the M/V Roque f o r a whole fora visit i n the spring of 1961, this letter is not t o be construed as approval for a visit next year. request by D r . Conard as t o whether our ship was capable o f being used fora survey of this sort. A review of the correspondence from Dr. Conard t o various individuals all indicate that a trip in 1961 was a possibility not an actuality. A letter dated August 2, 1960 fram Dr. Conard t o Mr. Neas, District Administrator of the Marshall Islands District, states that he was attempting t o work out a schedule of examinations which he would submit t o aur Director of Public Health i n the near Arture for approval. have not received such a schedule. However, since a t no time have I given specific approval It was an answer t o a general I am attaching for your information, copies of memoranda prep red by 14r. Neas and Dr. Macdonald containing their recanmendations made after the March 1960 medical survey and a f t e r consultation with Dr. Conard. In short, these recanmendations are that the annual surrey should be discontinued effective this coming year, 1961, and that a body burden
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examination should be scheduled only every five to seven years. This would put the next body burden survey in either 1963 or 1967 not i n 1961 as Dr. Conard now i s attanfling t o arrange. D r . Conard's report which ;you sent t o the Department of Interior on May 5, 1960 also does not indicate that the M8rch 1960 findings were unusual or unexpected. I concur cmpletely i n the recwnnendations made by OUT Director of Public Health and the District Adrninistrator of the Marshalls District. Accordingly it is my opinion that a medical survey such as Dr. Conard proposes for next spring is not essential. We request, therefore, that the next examination be put off unti.1 1963. data required i n the interim can be obtained by our medical staff i n line with previous agreements Kith Dr. Conard. You will recall that Last year an agreement WZLS reached Kith your office on the curtailment of the frequency and scope of scientific until 1963 is inline with this agreement. Our decision to postpone the next medical survey