Document text
Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
Page 1
by thi~ office. I wish to thank you for sen?,:ingthis l.ctter and bringi.og your vie~qs to my attention. I l~ave carefully considered your viev:s, as presented in your letter, and appreciate the opportunity to answer your thoughtful q~les.~ions. Even today, there are many facts about radiztion that zrc not known, despite the large numbc~ of scientists that hzx’c studied this subject for more than 30 years. Even less 17=s l:fiOi711 about radiation at that tj.m.e,and using their besh. juclp,rwnt, tile to only a small amount of racliati.on. Hence, tlleze 1.12Sgeneral they wou~d not, in the future, show any ill c:ffects ca~!sed by soon diminichcd suffi.cj.cntl.y to permit the people Lo rct[Irn to the ot;lcr hancl, was more heavily contr.mi.r~t?[;c:i\7i.Lhradioactivity
Page 2
been considmrabl,y less tl~an the people of RonSela~ Island. Tilere is one exception, however, and that relates to t]~? rildinticn dose held every year in addition Lo complete physicz]. e:<aminations. Utirik every three months. radiation, the doctors selected a control. grou!: so that- Ll:sy could compare the health of exposed and non-e:<posecl people. Tlljs ccntrol two populations was not considered a s,lff”icier,t .-~~.:lsonto cclect a separate control group for Utiri.k.
Page 3
is not surprisill~ tl)at, with the information then available, thyroid di.scrsc was not e;:pccteclin tl~c Utirik people. Even more important is tlu~t only \7cry recently information became avai].able from several more f,tvsitive to radiation t~MIl was anticipated in 1954. Taking ->;7” Lhesc fr.ctors to~cl-l:er,TJC! hclieve now, many years ],atcr, that the thyrojd cancers in the Utirik people were probably caused by radiation. ..:, At Ll?js ti.mc wc cre not able to predict whether more cases arc to be expucted in L1lC Qxposed members of tile Utirik popul.ntion. It is, therufclre, of the ~reatest importance Lllat the rc~ular medical exam.in;:tions bc continued in the future. By having regular medical examinations , si~,ns of thyroj.d disease can be cletectcd early and prompt treatment will avoid unnecessary suffering on the part of FOL- these reasons, I believe it is of great importance that the Ieadcrs of the people of Utirik cxplai.n to their people the purpose ancl the i.mportancc of the rezular medical examinations. diabetes. Durins the visits, the doctors from ERDA have tried to learn more about this cliseasc so that they could better treat the pcc~pl.e. I;ot all doctors agree about the kinds of ir.eclicineto be used for treatment. I feel. confident tl~at tl>e trcatr~ent used by Er. Fnud.sen, apcl as reccmmcndcd by an expert in this disease, will. benefit the Utirik ]]copl.ethat suffer from this disease. Wi.t.11rc~,ard to your concern AbOIIt the arrotj-root- plants, I have by radiation. I sdy this because from what is knov:n about radiation / effects in plrlnts, the levels of radi.atiollon Utirik are far too
Page 4
, the fecli:~~,sfor Drs. Conard and Knlldsen may be a rnisucderstanciing I On the IJv,titof yo-~r pcop].e as to the role and reasons for these c{ec.torstc, t:cr.eto t}le islancls. I would like to repeat that it is I Knlldsen is LIIC I.:elfareand well-being of all of the people !:hom thky vi.sj.t. Some n~isL11~6erst:,ndi.ngcould result beceuse of the misfortll~~e to be exposed t~ radiation the importance of the medical cxaninat.iocs . 01~1.ythen can you and I be assured that they vill continue to receive the best medical. care and treatr,ent that we Review 01 I:edi.calFindin~s in a Marshallese Population F.ccidentally Exposed to 17.aciioactivcl?allcut.” This report contains the data co].le.ctcdd,:i:ingthe period from 1954 to 1975 as well as more detailed ill~arma~ion of the finclin~s in the past five years. The I I reflret dt,cply that I. cannot attend this meeting. Instead, I ha~’e dskud UK. k?il.lit:inEulr,1 my Deputy, to read this Ictter.