Letter to P Coleman, Subject: Complaints About Health Care by the People at Rongelap and Utirik Atolls (Draft)

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The Honorable Peter Coleman, Acting High Commissioner Trust Territory of the Pscific Islands As you know there have been certain complaints about health care by the people living at Rongelap and Utirik Atolls. EPiD.1has sponsorzd and strongly supported the tean of physicians carrying out special nzdical examinations on these people over the past 22 years. It is our belief thtat most of the present complaints are based on misunderstandi-~gs and Ll~at it should be possible to clarify and resolve the issues to-everyone’s satisfaction. The purpose of this letter is to solicit your advice and assistance with regard to organizing a meeting wit-n tl?e people to discuss their complaints. We understand that Dr. Knudsen has in?orm~lly discussed with you and Mr. Oscar DeBrum a proposal for such a meeting, and that your should be held with the people on their islands and that it would be possible for you to furnish a ship for tha~ purpose. We suggest that participants include representatives from BNL, ERDA, DOI, Ti’”and certain llarshallese representatives from the Congress of Micronesia. We would like to propose the date of January 6 for a rendezvous at Kwajalein and allow at least two days at Kwajalein for preliminary discussions before departing for the outer islands. We understand that in view of the meeting of the Congress of Flicronesia in January it may noc be possible for the Con~ressman to accompany the group to Rongelap znd Utirik. However, it is hoped that they might meet with the group at Kwajalein before departure for the outer islands to discuss the meetings vith the people. Some of the people’s complaints center around the fact that some of the unexposed people feel left out of the examination ?rogram conducted by the medical team. The Utirik unexposed and some of”the Ron~elap unexposed people have not been included in the regulak examinations since there has been no likelihood of any detectable radiation effects in them. All of these people, however, have had the opportunity to be examined and treated both at the time of the annual medical sumeys and on the quarterly visits of the Resident Physician. It is proposed thzt the BN_L medical team with the support of the Health Services of the TT institute a special program to systematically examine and treat all the people including children, living on these two atolls, who wish to be examined. The people would then have the assurance that all of then are entitled to be part of the examination program. The exposed Rongelap and Utirik people and the unexposed Rongelap control group, as in the past, would receive special examinations for radiation effects 2nd this group (which does not include children of exposed or other unexposed people) would be entitled to the benefiEs of Congress of Micronesia’s PL 5-52 as outlined in the agreement between ERDA/DOI/TT. ERDA would continue to be responsible for treatment of radiationrelated diseases that develop in the exposed people. This includes specialized examination and treatment when necessary in hospitals outside the Trust Territory. All other treatment of individuals living on Rongelap and Utirik that cannot be accomplished by the examining medical team when on the island would continue to be the responsibility of the Health Services of the Trust Territory.

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Sincc time is very short for the proposed date of the meeting we would appreciate hearing from you a~ your earliest convenience.