Memo to J L Liverman, Subject: Brookhaven Program at Bikini

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I -J, US DOE ARCHIVES I James L. Iivennan, Director Division of Biomedical and BBXKHAVEN PROGRAM AT BIKINI As I reported to you following my recent tisit to Kili, Majuro and 130d_niin the Marshall Islands, there are, among even relatively well informed citizens of the Marshalls, serious misunderstandings of our actions and plans relative to the returrilng populations of Bikini and hewetak. The most serious misunderstanding derives from the association through the person of Dr. R. A. Conard, with our past and current programs involving the populations of Utirik and Rongelap. For almost 22 years, Dr. Conard and his colleagues have provided medical survei32ance, care and treatment for the Rongelap and Uttiik populations, who are acknowledged to have sustained significant radiation injury as a consequence of the BRAVO event at Bildni on March 1, 1954. Because many of the Rongelop people have over the years migrated to other atolls, Dr. Conard’s visitations have ticluded these other locations and his name has become known (generally most favorably) throughout the Marshalls. Equally widespread has been the knowledge of the real (and some imagined) radiation related @juries which occurred at Rongelap. The people of the Mmshall. s, perhaps more than any other population save that of Japan, are well sensitized to the dangers of radiation and with little hard lmowledge and even less understanding they are quite easily moved to fear and apprehension. In May of 1969, following the decision to return the Bikini people to their home, a press release was made (Enclosure 1) announcing that Dr. Conard had been named to conduct “routine medical surveillance” of the returnin g people. Soon thereafter, Dr. Conard visited Kili to meet the Bikini people and assure them that they would be returning under safe conditions and that conditions which mi~ht affect their safety would be regularly monitored. As I what was said on that tisit was apparently into a different context where it appeared other more recent ERDA statements. We are have toyd you, some of misunderstood or carried to be in conflict with taking steps to resolve

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that misunderstand@ and I anticipate success. However, there is a deeper misunderstq which derives, I believe, from the very fact of Dr. (knardls appointment. Dr. Conard is accepted and recognized as an authority on radiation-induced tiess. The May 1969 press release took notice of his “15 years of experience in mrldng with the people of the Marshall Islands”, and the people of the Marshalls, today, associate that experience with th~oid abnonmlities, miscarriages and fatal leukemia. Is it not then reasonable to expect the same sorts of things in the any medical surveillance team? These are ctMficult questions to answer, especially for responsible and careful U. S. officials who must acbowledge that there are elevated radiation leyels at Bikini and who decline to use such terms as “perfectly safe”, etc. There are also those in the Marshalls who rationalize that sfice we are proposhg to return people to Bikini, where some exceptional medical sweilhi.nce is required, we are deliberately planning to expose people to BikM. radiation in furtherance of our own research interests. In an interview which I gave to the lMitor of the Miczwnesian Independent en route returning from Kili, I made the following statement which was reported verbatti: “Our prtia.ry concern in recommending continuing monitoring is the health and safety of the people returning.” Then the writer editorializes: concern of continued monitoring is.” Elsewhere this writer strongly implies that ERDA’s real interest is in obtaining data. The concern of the people is understandable. We have left room for a completely rational (albeit incorrect) interpretation of the facts. We have done an hmfficiently precise and thorough job of infothe Department of the Interior, the Administration of the Trust Terr5tory and the affected populations of our purposes and our plans. Our recent experience at Ki3i and Bikini, and our earlier experience with the people of Enewetak, tidicate the need and the real value of frequent and candid direct dialog with the people. Through this means, I believe that we can and wilL gfi understanding and acceptance of

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With specific regard to the Conard/Bil&i situation, the immediate need that I see is for a careful restatementof our proposed program. This should make clear the following points: From the standpoint of radiation exposure, ERDA sees no requix~ ment for medical extiation or medical monitoring of the returning Bikini people. We do recognize our responsibility for continuing ernrironmental -eWance of B~ Atoll in order to assure ourselves and the returning people that the measures, that have been and are being taken to mhimize their exposure to radiation, are effectim. One of the sues+. and most sensitive techniques of environmental surve~ance is c~o-assay of the people living in that environment. Exactly because the materials we are concerned about are radioactive, our sensitive instrumentation can detect them long before they have reached concentrations in the body which would be of significance to health. Bio-assay will noxmally include two procedures: a whole kdy count and urine sampling. Neither of these is a medical procedure and medical doctcrs need not be present to carry them out. In fact, there is no need for medical doctors to tisit-Bildni to ‘“<’ carry out any ERDA responsibility or program. . .- The results of the bio-assay will be considered alone with our “-.. other surveillance effofis, which include sampling of soils, . .-\ water, vegetation, small animals and marine life in e~uating the effectivity of preventive and protective measures. This information will of course increase our overall knowledge of radiation in man’s environment, but the pfiq objective remains the health and safety of these specific returning populations. I suggest that a statementticorporating the above thoughts be formally transmitted to the Department of the Ii..eriorand the Administration of the Tmst Territom. I suggest also that it be translated and conveyed by visit to the people of Bikini and Kili. NV can accomplish the latter. The transmittal letter to EOI and T1’PIshould indicate that this statement descfibes what is contemplated at Enewetak also. It should be made clear that participation in the sueillance program by Bildni and Ehewetak people is entirely voluntary and is in no sense a condition for permission to return. What is proposed in this memorandum is not a change in &ection or in

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assignment+ . responsibility. The Medical group at Brookhaven would retain responsibility for directing the bi~assay effort and for interpretation of the biomedical significance of SW- -ey results. Finally, as you are aware, throughout his long association in the Marshalls, Dr. Conard has protided general medical care for those people he has visited. This humanitarian and very worthwhile work has been conttiued by Dr. Knud fiudsen who recently completed two years in residence in the MarshaUs, and is currently being perfomed by Dr. Konrad Kotrady. You may wish to inform lXII and TTPI that so long as our resources and scheduling petit, when we have doctors in the Marshalls, we will, if’requested, continue this practice. Roger Ray, A@stant Manager