Letter to W Stanley, Subject: Composition and Travel for Medical Survey Group (Marshall Islands)

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BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY i :150!? Upton, New York SEND CCPY TO: Director, PASO OTHER Department of Ener ~y With regard to our forthcoming Medical Survey I would like to provide the following information concerning the composition and travel of our group and I will appreciate your help with logistic support. Attached is an itinerary and a list of personnel from the U.S. with their social security numbers who will participate and attached table outlines the date of travel and the required hotel reservations and airline transportation requested for the group, including the Marshallese participants. I’m sending you a copy of our letter of October 12 to Jimmy Ford. As USUS1 there have been a few revisions on dates of departure, particularly in respect to Bill Scott and Bob Brown. I feel that both of them need to be in the islands sooner than our original table indicated. I guess that the question of hotel reservations at Majuro is an open question. The last time we were out there, the Eastern Gateway was in the process of being demolished for the construction of a new facility and was marginal at that time. We noticed that Air Naru was in the process of completing a number of very nice cinder block resort units halfway between the airport and town and if these are opened and available, they certainly would serve as suitable housing. In the event that Eastern Gateway is unsuitable I guess that we’ll be stuck with the Agidrik Hotel in town, although I’d put this as a third alternative. I’m sure that Harry briefed you on our meeting in Washington on October 2nd. It seems that Roger Ray is working very diligently on obtaining a ship for us and as of this time we’re counting very heavily on its arrival to meet the schedule. It appears at the present time for planning purposes that we will be sailing from Kwajalein with about 15 people. We understand from Roger Ray that the net tender that he is in the process of chartering has a room for four internal staterooms. These along with the bunk trailer should fulfill our requirements without overcrowding. As of this point I have no indication that any whole body counting will be included in our portion of the survey. It would appear logistically that it would be wise to tack a whole body counting trip on the end of our survey. I understand that DOE is very interested in getting a counting

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team down to Kili as soon as possible. This would fit very well into medical staffing in that when we return from Rongelap on February 9th the ship could lay over on the weekend of the 10th and llth, refit for a southern island trip and then depart the week of the 12th for Kili-Jaluit and we could send Dr. Grant, Jenuk Kabua and Peter Heotis along to perform the medical examinations of the Bikinians if this is required. The question of the examination of Bikinians is at this point under examination by the Department of Energy. From the standpoint of the logistic requirements aboard the ship that Roger is chartering I unders~and that the ship has a well deck. We will need to put aboard the bunk trailer and the large medical trailer. In addition we should place aboard , if there is space, at least one conax for weather storage of perishable equipment. Also needed on board will be the jeep and our two Boston whalers with their new engin~. In addition, we should have the two small 1% to 2 KW generators for possible use at Utirik. We presume that we will be able to use generator power from the ship to shore for our operations as we have in the past, but again sufficient cable will need to be provided to reach the sits of the examinations. At least two large rubber rafts will need to be provided with rope hauling systems to shuttle patients back and forth from shore. This was necessary even with the beaching capabilities on two of the three islands in &he last survey. An onboard refrigerator-freezer combination will be necessary for our medical samples as well. Since I presume the charter ship will come with a full charter crew I would strongly recommend that at least one additional, and hopefully two additional ship’s personnel will be provided. I am thinking particularly about Paul L~7?o#nt, the first mate on our previous surveys. Paul has proven invaluable on these surveys both for his knowledge of local waters and las provided tremendous assistance even to the T.T. master of the Caroline Islands. If I were the master of a charter ship I’d certainly welcome Paul aboard and he really could be listed as an interisland pilot. In addition, Jay the cook has always been a tremendous asset and at times made some very difficult conditions livable by his support of the survey team. He also is an asset in dealing with the people on the outer islands. In addition the following supplies, either purchased or borrowed from Kwajalein, should go on board: cases of apples cases of oranges cases of diet Cola (1% lb.) cans beef stew cans baked beans (large) ea. x-ray developer concentrate (each to make 5 gal. working solution) ea. “ fixer 11 1* 11 91 11 11 !1 II cases powdered milk In addition, the following supplies will be needed for Majuro and Ebeye: cases of diet Cola - case peanut butter cases Saltines (in watertight metal cans)

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We expect to ship to you about 25 boxes of medical equtpment in the first week of December/ Bill Scott has already contacted Mr. Koga about this shippment, a portion of which will be preshipped to Majuro and hopefully held at the air terminal there until the arrival of the BNL advance party, For examinations in Majuro we will need one car available at the airport to meet Dr. Grant and the party coming down from Kwajalein. On the 10th of January we will need two additional (hopefully in good condition) vehicles available with the arrival of the main party on 1/13. For examinations at Ebeye we will need two vehicles, one being a covered vehicle (step van if possible) for use in transporting patients and the other a carry-all if available. I’m sending Peter Heotis and Bill Grant ahead of khe party to coordinate things both in Honolulu and at Kwaj and Majuro. Peter should arrive in the islands around January 1 and Bill will be arriving on the 6th of January. You’ll note from a copy of the enclosed calendar that Dr. Cronkite will be with us in Honolulu for the 10th, llth and 12th. We have scheduled an open meeting with the University of Hawaii during this time to investigate some future coordination with them. I understand from Peter, who received a letter from Ted Murawski that Ted is, or will be leaving Kwajalein in January. This will certainly be a great loss to the BNL program. I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you what a fine job Ted has done out there and how much help he has been on past surveys. My concern at the present time is who will be Ted’s replacement and what sort or orientation he will have as to anticipating and coordinating the needs of the BNL program for this rather crucial transitional survey. Bob and I are getting together a number of things that I think we should discuss and we will contact you by phone and maybe we can talk about this at that time. I’ve had a number of major tit ruptions during the dictation of this letter. I hope that I included everything in the preplanning phase of it. If not, I’ll supplement as necessary if there are any significant deviations from this,plan or request 1’11 notify you immediately by mail or call. Again, I want to thank you and Harry and Jimmy Ford and the rest of your staff for the tremendous support that you’ve given us in the past. The program reelly couldn’t exist without your assistance. I’m looking forward to seeing you early in January. With warmest regards, Commanding Officer of Kwajalein