Letter to R Ray, Subject: Trip Report on BNL/DOE Mission to Rongelap and Utirik Atolls, January 26 - February 16, 1979

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Department of Energy Pacific Area Support office Roger Ray, Assistant for Pacific Operations, NV Willi2m J. Stanley, Director, Pacific Area Support Office TRIP REPORT’ ON BNL/DOE MISSION TO RONGELAP AND UTIRIK ATOLLS This was the first mission undertaken with ::hesupport vessel Liktanur II, owned and operated by U.S. Oceanography, under contrz~’+ to Holmes & Narver under contract 20. I was to participate on this mission as rhe DOE Representative and to interface with U.S. Oceanography to insure that all necessary support was provided for the medical program. My assignment was coordinated with and concurred in by Mr. Gates, Mr. Ray and Dr. Weyzen. When I arrived on Kwajalein I was met by Dr. Pratt who told me that it was necessary to meet as soon as pmssible because of many problems which had turned up. I met with Dr. Pratt and he told me there was an undercurrent running throughout Kwajalein that was anti-DOE. The three Global employees who worked on the old LCU were angry and that he was shown a cable from Huntsville that our vessel was to get service cm an “as avai>-able” little assistance from Global. He also told me that the people of Rongelap were very angry at Dr. Grant for the treatment of tkz baby who died during the Wheeling trip. Also tha?.people of Utirik were angry about the lack of physicals for non-exposed people and because of per diem problems surrounding PL 5-52. He also said that he wanted Paul T..aPointe,a Global employee who served on the Liktanur I, to go on the mission because the peopl~ of the islands rea?ly liked him and that he hati already hzari? rumblings that the isla~:zrs were upset because the old crew was not part of the upcoming mission. I told Dr. Pratt that this whole issue was carefully considered and after discussions

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with Bill Stanley and Roger Ray it was recommended we take Reynold DeBrum, a Marshallese, as our pilot and DOE translate because of the fact that we are no longer using dedicated Global personnel, costs, Mr. DeBrum’s language ability, and our wish to involve more Marshallese with the program. Dr. Pratt really got upset at this point, and said that he was tired of Roger Ray butting in his business and this would all be settled at the Washington level. I reiterated the budgetary problems and told Dr. Pratt that if LaPointe went as part of the medical team it would have to be under a separate arrangement between Brookhaven, He also told me he was going to fire Dr. Grant, but wanted to take him on this mission to be there if problems arose over the baby’s death. Dr. Pratt also told me that the Ebeye people were very upset over the per diem problems and that he had set up a meeting for me with them on Ebeye on Monday night. He expressed pessimism throughout the conversation on U.S. Oceanography’s being able to fully support him without Paul LaPointe. It was obvious that Dr. Pratt and Chuck Otterman had some communications problems and Dr. Pratt became terse with Mr. Otterman and spoke to him only when absolutely necessary. On Saturday, the 27th, Otterman and I took a whaler out to meet the Liktanur II which docked at 8:15am. Global had no shoreside power ready and obviously there was very little effort by KMR/Global to ready the dock space. Mr. Otterman and I met with Global’s Marine Department personnel and got satisfactory berthing but no power hookup until the following Monday. Saturday was spent helping with the ship’s offloading so that we could get the mission started as early as possible. On Sunday I met with Dr. Pratt at breakfast in the messhall. He was very bitter and said: 1) That there was an undercurrent throughout the whole island against Otterman, 2) He resented Ottermanrs attitude that he can buy people with beer and dollars, 3) Global was prepared to do nothing for Otterman, 4) He resented the fact that Otterman asked that none of the medical team visit the boat on its day of arrival, Saturday. I tried to explain to Dr. Pratt that Otterman did not want anyone on the ship on Saturday because the crew was tired, the ship was jammed with equipnent, and they were working hard to unload everything that first day. This didn’t seem to make an impression on him.

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1 then took him to the boat where Otterman showed him around, ~fi~n had a cordial discussion on schedules and logistics surrounding getting people on and off the vessel. Dr. Pratt seemed pleased with the condition of the boat. Otterman and I told Dr. Pratt that the two barges were not ready since his schedule and the weather precluded putting up the steel work in Honolulu to carry them. The barges were sent to Kwajalein via Matson with the anticipation that the Liktanur II could get to Kwajalein in time to fabricate the steel work. Gale warnings held up the ship. This did not make Dr. Pratt happy but generally the meeting was productive. I then was informed by the District Administrator that Reynold DeBrum was sent to Honolulu on a medical referral, but he felt he could get us a substitute as pilot. I then took Otterman to meet with Global’s Resident Manager, Don McAfee, and Tom Evans, the Director of Transportation. We learned that the power was being hooked up immediately and the meeting was extremely cordial. This was followed by a similar meeting with the Base Commander who also was as helpful as anyone could reasonably expect. I then met with the Distad and Scott Stege and urged them to pay off old per diem claims under PL 5-52 and submit the invoice to us. This urging was on the basis that we had offered to pay claims up to $45,000 and TTPI had accepted this offer. They thought this was a good idea. One problem is that Ebeye claims could not be properly documented. Stege said it would help to have a letter from US stating that we agreed to pay claims based on their best efforts to reconstruct. Prior to the Monday meeting with the Ebeye people I met with Dr. Pratt, Bill Scott, and Peter Heotis in themedical trailer on Ebeye. Dr. Pratt told me that he approved the use of the Egabrag on the basis of Otterman’s presentation showing the use of barges to keep people high and dry. I told him again that due to bad weather in Honolulu that DOE and H&N decided to send the barges to Kwajalein via Matson and that U.S. Oceanography could fabricate the carrying structure on Kwajalein. Bad weather set US behind schedule and I didn’t think we could meet his time frame and that we should try to get the people on and off the island with whalers. (Earlier Otterman had told us that it could take up to 14 days to prepare the barges and fabricate the carrying structure. ) He said that the ship wasn’t going unless the barges were on. We were both very angry at this point and agreed to talk about it the next day.

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Record of Ebeye Meeting, January 29, 1979 The meeting was attended by about 60 people with Dr. John Iaman and Sato Mayai acting as translators. Scott Stege introduced Dr. Pratt, me, and himself. I described the DOE/TTPI agreement on Rongelap and Utirik and told them that their claims would be paid when TTPI got their paperwork to us. The man next to you has 3 years to live (Namwen). Has not been paid for 5 months. Why? HUB : We will pay as soon as we get the claim. Pratt: Thanked everybody for coming. BNL has only the medical responsibility to do the very best job. DOE is the one to address for money problems. HUB has worked hard to get the money and he needs claims documents. Dr. Pratt then gave an explanation of U.S. Government structure, stressing that BNL was only a small part of it. Then HUB: Distad and Mr. Stege are very aware the need to get the documents and will work hard to produce them. Scott Stege: All people who were told that there was no money should go to the District Finance Office and make a claim. Exposed or controlled persons are entitled to $9.00 a day, transportation, and meals on the ship. The money that Trust Territory pays under this agreement is reimbursed by DOE. The reimbursement process if hampered to date with inadequate records. Donald Matthew, Utirik Councilman: Why did it take DOE this long to find out that we didn’t get the money? HUB : We found out through Judy Knapp and rather accidentally on a trip that I took to Majuro. Doesn’t like the word accident. That means neglect. why didn’t you know we hadn’t been paid. HUB : Sorry if the word accident is offensive to you but the DOE agreement is to reimburse the Trust Territory the money that they pay out. We will do this but we can’t do it until we find out what their payments were. Are you saying that our local government failed.

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Scott Stege: Somebody failed but it will serve no purpose to look for people to blame, rather we are meeting now to see that this works better in the future. What about the Americans and Japanese who were fallout victims in Hugh Pratt: Military people went to Tripler for exams, then went back to work. They and others who worked with atomic energy are being monitored. BNL does not do this monitoring rather, DOD does. The Japanese government is monitoring the Japanese victims and reports they are doing well. We heard that the Japanese government got $3 million for 26 people and he is not satisfied with u.S. compensation. Pratt: BNL has nothing to do with U.S. compensation. What about children of exposed persons? They are not included in compensation and my granddaughter has a thyroid nodule. Pratt: Science has indicated so far that radiation problems are not transmitted by parents. Even non-irradiated people Why do only the people of Rongelap and Utirik have so many Pratt: The problems are worldwide. BNL is asking to look at thyroids from all other islands from the Marshalls. Why only a few people are given $25,000? Pratt: Can’t answer specifically why U.S. Congress chose to do it this way but that probably payments were set up to compensate in some way the people who actually lost something. This probably why all the people did not get $25,000. I know people who died or were operated on and not compensated. Pratt: Give us the names of these people. BNL gives its findings to the Department of Interior with recommendation for compensation. Do not know of any thyroids that have not been compensated. How do I know you are telling the truth.

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Pratt: We will open our records to any experts in the world you I heard that if the Japanese exposed person died that no matter what they die of it is automatically classified as radiation related and ccxnpensated for. Pratt: Relatively few things are related to radiation and the Japanese checked BNL’s reports and found them valid. There are a minority of scientists, Japanese or otherwise, who attribute all illness in an exposed person to radiation. What about housing for the patients that come in from Rongelap Stege: -w says there is free housing to be provided. Where is the free housing? Stege: There is a big housing problem in Ebeye and Majuro. the law says the Marshalls government should provide housing but seems there is no housing. You are given a choice of the hospital floor or staging with relatives. Can $20,000 be provided to build housing? HUB : In light of the new agreement that is being developed I will see whether there is a way DOE can assist the Trust Territory government with this problem. We were not exposed but I eat food sent to me from my relatives on Rongelap. Should I be compensated? Am I hurt? HUB : Dr. Pratt certainly can and will examine you if you desire. AlSO the reason for the Radiation Survey was in part to provide answers to questions like this. DOE will issue a written translated report in the Fall and it will be delivered to each island or atoll surveyed. There are no diet restrictions on Utirik or southern Rongelap but it is suggested that food gathering on northern islands of Rongelap still be restricted. Dr. Knudsen gave pills to my mother and she died like a killed Pratt: This is a very serious accusation. (Dr. Pratt then asked the question, “If Rongelap and Utirik had not been irradiated

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We brought our child for medical treatment and she didn’t get free treatment like we get. PL 5-52 says descendants are covered but the agreement between DOE and TTPI does not cover them. PL 7-116 affords them coverage if future medical findings so dictate. Pratt: We didn’t even see thyroids for 10 years. It takes time to find these things. If we find things down the road they will There is too much confusion with the TT law and the agreement. Why not forget the Congress of Micronesia (COM) law because COM has already collapsed. HUB : Even if the TT law “collapses” the DOE agreement will not, and when the Marshalls separate DOE is prepared to enter into a new agreement with the new government. Maybe you should stop examining us until you decide to include our kids in compensation. HUB : Personally I think it wouldnotbe a good idea to not receive the medical care and checkups. BNL is looking very hard and if ever there is any evidence that there is a problem with the kids it is guaranteed they will be included. How can you tell if the kids have a problem unless you examine Pratt: We plan to conduct blood tests in the future and have in past which will show up any problems. If children are referred to Tripler, or Majuro or Ebeye, do they get per diem. HUB : No, but TT will send them and if they can’t afford to pay they don’t have to. If the mother or relative goes as an escort she gets per diem in Honolulu. Thank you for meeting with us although we are not completely satisfied. Our body has been used for study. Someday I hope our bodies will be given back to us and buried on our own soil. I then closed the meeting with our thanks for the fine attendance, stating that we understood and shared their problems and that DOE and Brookhaven are working very hard to solve them. The DOE is committed to keep working on the problems created by this accident and will fully meet its responsibilities.

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On Tuesday, January 30, Chuck Otterman, Hugh Pratt …