Letter to Honorable Ruth G Vancleve/ Doi, Subject: Proposed Bikini Resettlement Program Report (Enclosed)

Page 1

MICHAEL 1. SAND Ens GINSBURG, FELDMAN, WEIL AND BRESS ANDREA JILL GRANT Office of Territorial Affairs U.S. Department of the Interior Dear Mrs. Van Cleve: Following our meeting with you and Department of Energy officials after the April 2 testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, I have worked with the Bikini/Kili Council to prepare a proposed Bikini resettlement program, a copy of which is enclosed. You indicated at our April 4 meeting that you would try to expedite the interagency review process of the proposed resettlement program, and you were hopeful that the administration would be able to go back to the Appropriation Subcommittee shortly with specific fundinq proposals. If I hesitate to contact me. I look fomard to hearing from you soon. Hon. Philip Burton Bon. Robert C. Byrd Hon. Adrian P. Winkel Hon. Sidney R. Yates

Page 2

In light of the Interior Department’s finding in 1978 that Bikini Island would not be safe for the foresee- -,~qblefuture, the people of Bikini have spent over a year exploring possible resettlement sites. With the help of High ,.“-Commissioner Winkel, four trips were conducted, one to Hawaii, one to Wake, one to fly over Palmyra, and one to various atolls .in the Marshall Islands, including Mili, Knox, Jaluit, Ailinglaplap, Erikub and Likiep. Only one of these potential relocation sites -- Wake -- interested the Bikinians. Wake has very little rainfall and virtually none of the life-sustaining trees or vegetation commonly found Islands, but it does pose Bikinians -- the American them from Bikini in 1946. throughout the rest of the Marshall one very attractive future for the military. The U.S. military removed The people have not yet found a ‘//‘ homer so they anxiously look to the United States to continue to care for them. The Bikinians view Wake as a pocket of continuing U.S. presence in the region, so they immediately seized on it as a possible resettlement site. The Pentagon, however- has been adamant be used >or resettlement. in its refusal to permit Wake to In sum, the Bikinians would be

Page 3

interested in resettlement on Wake, but the Pentagon has declar~-that any such resettlement is out of the question. Palmyra, a privately-owned atoll consisting of 39 islands, poses two major disadvantages for the Bikinians. First, and most important, it is more than 2,000 miles from -–the Marshall Islands; a move to Palmyra would thus isolate ‘,..the Bikinians from their traditional environment. Second, although the total land area of all 39 islands in the atoll is over two square miles, none of the islands has as much . living area as Kili, where most of the Bikinians now live. Given Palmyra’s distance from the Marshalls, the people would want to live together in one central area, but a move to Palmyra would not pennit this. Moreover, most of the Bikinians have rejected the possibility of moving to Hawaii, 2,400 miles northeast of the Marshalls, because they fear they would lose their Marshallese With respect to the Marshallese atolls the Bikinians visited, resettlement possibilities are virtually nonexistent. First, there is already some social friction between the Bikinians and other Marshallese peoples, and the continued special treatment the Bikinians will require in the post-Trusteeship period (e.g., food programs and medical care) may well contribute to greater strains. Moreover, resettlefienton part of an atoll might create a ghetto environment, with the Bikinians being regarded as intruders and

Page 4

‘squatters,” even if the land and lagoon rights were leased or bought, This would further contribute to the Bikinians’ concern about freedom of movement and loss of collective identity. For example, the few Bikinians now living on a small part of Jaluit Atoll do not feel they are free to -– travel to other parts of the atoll. Since these sometimes .- subtle --,. and potentially serious -- social problems are not susceptible to resolution, resettlement on another inhabited atoll in the Marshall Islands is not acceptable. As to uninhabited atolls, such as are uninhabited simply because those which could sustain some Erikub, it appears that they they are uninhabitable. Even human life could not possibly significant part of the entire Bikinian population, numbers approximately 925 people. Having discussed and reviewed all possible resettlement options, the people of Bikini have concluded that their first choice is Bikini Island in Bikini Atoll; their second i—— ,/ choice is Eneu Island in Bikini Atoll; and their third choice is Wake. Given the problems of resettlement on Bikini Island and Wake, this realistically leaves only one option open -- Eneu Island in Bikini Atoll. II. ENEU ROTATION PROGRAM The Bikinians’ preference would be to move the entire ~~kini population to Eneu and perhaps some of the. islands west of the Eneu channel, such as Airukij, Airukol, Bikiren, Lele and Eneman.

Page 5

It is possible, however, that these islands could--. . not ban-diesuch a large number of people. If this is the case, the Bikinians propose to utilize a system.devised by the people of Enewetak several years ago when they were living -,-onUjelang Atoll. When the Enewetak cleanup began and the southern islands began to be rehabilitated, the people ‘“”wished to establish an advance community at the atoll. Since the whole population could not move at once, the people decided to set up a rotation system, pursuant to which a certain percentage of the population moved from Ujelang to Enewetak for six months. After six months, these people left, and they were replaced by another group. This rotation system has continued through today and has worked successfully The Bikinians propose to apply this system to Eneu 1 Island. Under this system, the population desiring to resettle on Eneu would be divided into two or three groups. once housing and support facilities are ready at Eneu, those people in~ the first group who wished to move to Eneu could do so. After a set period of time -- for example, one year -- they would leave, and the second group would move to.Eneu. Under this system, every Bikinian would have an opportunity to live on Eneu, bgt no one would live there for more than one year in every two or thre .

Page 6

Two numbers must be clarified before a specific progr&-7&n be established. The first is the number of groups. The Bikinian leaders have indicated that approximately 700 --- of the 925 Bikinians would probably want to resettle on Eneu. .Psing this number as an estimate, the 700 people could be_divided into two groups of 350 each or three groups of approxi- ,’.“-mately 235 each. The size of the groups (and hence the number .-.-—. of”grou~s) should depend on the support facilities which can be constructed on Erie-U-and the other islands west of the Eneu Channel. The second number which must be clarified is the length of stay at Bikini Atoll. One year seems to be a reasonable period for rotation, but there must be further discussion with the people of Interior officials, before respect to either number. In the meantime, whole body and bone marrow Bikini, as well as Department of any final decisions are made with calculated doses and risk ‘),,./ assessments (based on population figures shown below, not a population of 10,000) assuming the following living patterns: 1. 350 people live 100% of the time on Eneu Island for one of two years (other year spent elsewhere in Marshals). -- 2. 350 people live 100% of the time on Eneu .-- : for one of three years.

Page 7

.. 3. 235 people live 100% of the time on Eneu --’-f- or one of two years. 4. 235 people live 100% of the time on Eneu -- for one of three years. ?!= The same calculations should be made on the assump-.-——.:...:.:,:,...; . tion that people live 90% of the time on Eneu and visit Bikini Island 10% of the time, assuming further that no food from Bikini Island is eaten. In addition, each calculation and/or assessment should be made on two different dietary assumption, one assuming no food imports and the other assuming 50% food imports and 50% local food from Eneu. Lastly, DOE should prepare an evaluation of five of the~/ islands located west of the Eneu Channel (see page 3 above) based on two living patterns. One pattern should assume that the islands are used for agricultural purposes, and the second should assume that the islands are used for both residential and agricultural purposes by a population of approximately 100 people. ,f~l It is clear that an Eneu rotation system must be carefully monitored and enforced in order to work successfully. Representatives of the major holders of land rights on Eneu have stated that these landholders would pemit other Bikinians to live on Eneu. The Bikinians have also indicated that they are prepared to comply with DOE restrictions regarding a return to Eneu:. Zn order to be in compliance with federal radiation---- protection guidelines, it would be necessary for the people

Page 8

to live only on Eneu, eat no food at all from Bikini, and \.- \ maintaim-a diet consisting of approximately 50% local food from Eneu and 50% imported food. <--The people have also in- /-”.dicatedthat they would be willing to”accept certain measure to insure that they do not violate DOE restrictions. One—.-- .— such measure should probably be the destruction of the 40 nuisance. Another possible measure might be the destruction of the coconut trees on Bikini Island, although a decision on this action should be postponed until there is an opportunity to observe whether DOE restrictions are being followed. An essential element of an Eneu resettlement program will be the establishment of a regular shipping schedule to bring imported food to Eneu. At a Congressional hearing in June, 1978, when people were still living on Bikini Island, witnesses testified that although monthly trips were scheduled to take food to Bikini, ships called on Bikini sporadically .’ “ because the Trust Territory Government did not have enough ships available to service Bikini on a monthly basis. Jendrik Leviticus, who attended the hearing representing the people then living on Bikini, stated that ‘- thing approaching a monthly basis, and that caused the Bikinians to go into the interior ~ parts of the island and eat the breadfruit,

Page 9

the coconuts, the pandanus growing there. These excursions to the interior of the island would occur in the time period well after Me arrival of a ship, when no new ship was in sight. That accounts for the Bikinians more or less disobeying what they had been told by DOE officials, but it was simply the function of not having enough food .... [Sometimes as much as 3 months would go by without the arrival of the field trip ship.” The infrequency of ship service caused the people to eat food grown on Bikini. This, in turn, caused their body burdens to exceed acceptable federal standards, resulting in their removal from Bikini. The mistakes of the Bikini Island resettlement must not recur. If ships do not arrive at Eneu regularly, it is probable that the people will go right to Bikini Island and eat whatever food is available there. This program cannot be implemented halfway. If the Eneu rotation system is accepted, there must be ,a special ship purchased and earmarked for supplying the food program on Eneu. .. III. OTHER COMPONENTS OF A THE PEOPLE OF BIKINI The proposed Eneu rotation program constitutes only one part of the Bikinians’ proposed resettlement program. If the rotation system is implemented, presumably only part of the Bikifiianpopulation could be accommodated on Eneu at any given t$~e; the remainder would live where they are now. Most of the Bikinians -- 550, or about 60% -- now live on Kili= An

Page 10

additional 120, or 13%, live on Ejit Island in Majuro, and most of-the rest live on Majuro, Kwajalein, Ailinglaplap and Jaluit. Moreover, it appears that some Bikinians may wish to live permanently on Kili or Ejit and not participate in a rotation program to live on Eneu. The United States has always assumed that the would live “temporarily” on Kili until they could Bikini. +If DOE projections are correct, that r - turn to Bikini is at least several generations away. Since there will probably be a pexmanent Bikini population remaining on Kili and Ejit, there should be a program of permanent rehabilitation of these islands. For example, the temporary wooden housing that was built on Ejit and Kili during the past two years will last for perhaps five or ten more years, assuming there is no typhoon. The Bikini resettlement program should provide permanent housing for the people, similar to the sprayed concrete houses which were recently built on Enewetak. The~,Z” were the only buildings that survived Other steps should be taken on Kili more tolerable. For example, and landing) strip should be built on small aircraft, such as the airplanes the Xarsl-all Islands Government. the 1978 typhoon there. to make living conditions the island to accommodate recently purchased by

Page 11

As for ocean access to Kili, three options or combinations of options should be considered. First is the question of a dock. The Trust Territory Government has begun -.- ‘“toexamine this possibility, but no feasibility study has -_-been completed. If construction of a dock capable of withstanding the surf conditions on Kili proves to be impractical ..!,. or too costly, the second option should be to dredge a deeper channel at Kili, thus permitting field trip ships”to anchor closer to the island in calm weather. The third option would to employ the methods used when the area was controlled the Japanese. Field trip ships should off-load supplies Jaluit Atoll during the winter months if surf conditions Kili make access impossible. In addition, a smaller boat should be based year-round at Jaluit. On those few winter days when the surf conditions at Kili are tolerable, the people on Kili can call Jaluit by radio make the 40 mile trip in a few hours to Kili. Between an airstrip and improved island, living conditions on Kili could and the small boat can ocean access to the Other aspects of a resettlement program include the follQwing: First, there must be a comprehensive health care program for all the Bikini people. The 139 people removed

Page 12

from Bikini in August of 1978 are currently by scie-n~istsfrom Brookhaven Laboratories, people were on Bikini between 1970 and 1978 but many more August of 1978; these people also require medical monitoring. Second, there must be periodic comprehensive radiological-... surveys of Bikini Atoll and updated ration dose assessments. These two actions will be implemented pursuant to Public Third, there must be a continuing food support program for the people living on Kili. Fourth, there must be an improved education program on Kili. Very few Bikini children have learned English and the other skills necessary to attend public high school in the Marshalls. The assignment of two American elementary school teachers to Kili would greatly heip the Bikini children to overcome these educational deficiencies. Fifth, all use rights in the …