A Report on Rongelap and Utirik to the Congress of Micronesia, Medical Aspects of the Incident of 3/1/54 by the Special Joint Committee Concerning Rongelap & Utirik Atolls (Public Law No. 4C-33)

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PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED Rongelap and Utirik to the Congress of Micronesia 1014583 PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED

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A Report on the People of Rongelap and Utirik Medical Aspects of the March 1, 195^ Incident Injury, Examination, and Treatment The Special Joint Committee Concerning Rongelap and Utirik Atolls Fifth Congress of Micronesia, First Regular Session

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter of Transmittal Table of Contents Public Law No. UC-33 Public Law No. bC-95 Radiation in General ...................................... 1 Nuclear Weapons and Man.................................. 9 Radiation and Man........................................ 13 II. Linear vs. Threshold....................................... 35 III. Hiroshima and Nagasaki A Narrative of the Incident.............................. 65 V. The Annual Examinations The Lucky Dragon ........................................ 87 Rongelap and Utirik...................................... 89 VII. Discussion of Injury and Treatment......................... 15** IX. Ac knowledgements........................................... 178

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No. 1: Memorandum of Understanding, and Reports of Consultants...................... 193 No. 2: Preliminary Report of 1972 Examination No. 3* Initial Report to Committee No. 6: AEC Public Relations Policy,

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Jo fin a. Mangafal A mo u os latul CONGRESS OF MICRONESIA CAPITOL HILL * SAIPAN. MARIANA ISLANDS 96950 The Honorable Toslwo NaXayama President of the Senate Fifth Congress of Micronesia First Regular Session, 1973 The Honorable Bethwel Henry Speaker, House of Representatives Fifth Congress of Micronesia First Regular Session, 1973 It is a distinct honor to transmit to you by means of this letter a report by your Special Joint Committee Concerning Rongelap and Utirik Atolls. Your Committee, as created by Public Law No, 4C-33, has worked faithfully and diligently to fulfill its obligations under the mandates of the law. During its work, your Committee has been confronted with the technical nature of subject areas, which have in part produced perplexing problems connected with the well-being of the people involve*. This report attempts to deal with and explain these, a; does make recommendations which it feels are both practical and necessary. While the Committee is certain that this is the most com prehensive and extensive investigation ever made concerning this matter, it wishes to state that the report is by no means as exhaustive as it could be. Had every medical aspect of this subject been explored, the length of the report would have been increased by half, or doubled. Furthermore, it was a determination of your Committee that

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the area of compensation needs further inquiry and deserves to be the subject of a subsequent report. For these reasons, and others, this report represents the Committee's final determinations in the light of present evidence. It should be noted that your Committee is submitting its report in com pliance with P.L. Ho. 4C-33, even though additional informa tion was being received after the report was written. Con sequently, the Committee wishes to reserve the right to include additional information concerning the medical asoects in its subsequent report on compensation. Your Committee feels that this is right and proper, considering the nature of and the circumstances surrounding this subject. Representative Timothy Olkeriil Member Representative Ataji Bales

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1 Special Committee shall cease to exist. 2 Section 6. Appropriation. There is hereby appropriated out 3 of the General Fund of the Congress of Micronesia the sum of 1* $10,000, or so much thereof as may he necessary, to defray the 5 expenses of the Special Committee. The sum herein appropriated 6 shall be expended at the request, direction, and upon the ap7 proval of the Chairman of the Special Committee to accomplish 8 the purposes of this act. The Special Committee is hereby an9 thoriied to hire such consultants and other staff members as it 10 feels are necessary. All funds appropriated under this Section 11 which are not expended or obligated for expenditure by January 12 15, 1973, shall revert to the General Fund of the Congress of lU Section 7. Effective Date. This act shall take effect 15 upon the approval of the High Commissioner, or upon its becoming 16 law without such approval. Trust Territory of the Pacific islands

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FOURTH CONGRESS OF MICRONESIA To appropriate the sub of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to cover the cost and contingent expenses of the Special Joint Coaaittee on Rongelap and Utirik Atolls, and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS OF MICRONESIA: Section 1. The sua of ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or so such thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated from the General Fund of the Congress of Micronesia to defray the cost and contingent expenses of the Special Joint Comaiittee Concerning Rongelap and Utirik Atolls as created under Public Law No. 4C-33. The sub herein appropriated shall be expended at the request, direction, and approval of the Chairman of the said Coaadttee to accomplish the purposes of Public Law 4C-33. The Special Coaadttee is hereby authorized to hire such consultants and other staff members as it feels are necessary. All funds appropriated aider this Section which are not expended or obligated for expenditure before January 1, 1974, shall revert to the General Fund of the Congress of Micronesia. Section 2. This act shall take effect upon approval by the High Co«missioneT, or upon its becoming law without such approval. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands

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1 Section 3* Duties of Special Committee. The Special Coni2 mittee shall investigate the results of irradiation on the people 3 of Rongelap and Utirik Atolls in the Marshall Islands District, ** shall attempt to secure any and all medical assistance and aid 5 for the people of Rongelap and Utirik Atolls frca whatever 6 sources possible, and shall attempt to obtain compensation for 7 the people of Rongelap and Utirik Atolls for the injuries which 8 they suffered due to exposure to irradiation. 9 Section U. Powers of Special Camaittee. The Special Coa10 mittee shall have the power to conduct hearings and investigations, 11 issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses and the 12 production of books, documents and other evidence and bring suits 13 in any court of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in lU its own name to enforce such powers, in addition to all of the 15 powers provided in Subchapter IV, Chapter 5 of Title 2 of the 16 Trust Territory Code. 17 Section 5. Report of Special Committee. The Special Com18 mittee shall submit an interim report to the President of the 19 Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on or be20 fore May 25, 1972. After said interim report is presented to 21 the President and the Speaker, the Special Committee shall con22 tinue its work until the members thereof feel that their mission 23 has been completed. The Special Committee shall submit a final 2>» report to the Congress of Micronesia during the First Regular 25 Seasion, Fifth Congress of Micronesia, after which date the

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FOURTH CONGRESS OF MICRONESIA SECOND REGULAR SESSION, 1972 Public Law No. 4C-33 To create a Special Joint Ccmmittee concerning Rongelap and Utirik Atolls, to appropriate mon?y therefor and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE CONGRESS OF MICRONESIA: 1 Section 1. Statement of Intent. During the period from 2 19k5 to 1958 the United States of America exploded atonic vea3 pons on Bikini and Eniwetok Atolls in the Marshall Islands DisU trict. As a result of more explosions, the people of Rongelap 5 and Utirik Atolls in the Marshall Islands District were exposed 6 to irradiation and have been and are suffering serious ill ef7 fects and medical disorders. It is the sense of the Congress 8 of Micronesia that these people should receive the best medical 9 treatment available and that these people should also receive 10 compensation for the injuries which they have suffered. To in11 sure that the people of Rongelap and Utirik Atolls receive such 12 treatment and compensation, the Congress of Micronesia is creat13 ing a special Joint committee to investigate this situation. lU Section 2. Creation of Special Committee. There is hereby 15 created a special joint ccmmittee of the Congress of Micronesia 16 to be known as the Special Joint Committee Concerning Rongelap 17 and Utirik Atolls hereinafter referred to as the Special Committee. 18 The Special Committee shall be composed of three members, to be 19 appointed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the 20 House of Representatives. Such appointments shall be made on or 21 before March 25, 1972. At the first meeting the Special Commit22 tee shall select a Chairman.

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''History shows that these hypotheses about the nature of things are valuable even when, as later experience reveals, they are false. Man approaches the unattainable truth through a succession of errors." -- Aldous Huxley, Collected Essays

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FOREWORD BY THE COMMITTEE As mentioned in the letter of transmittal, had the Committee covered all the aspects of its assigned subject, this report would have been considerably longer than it is at present. Thousands of books and other materials dealing with radiation have been published. Thousands of scientists, technicians and researchers are studying radiation and its effects today. Among these people there are, even today, varying ooinions as to the benefits and liabilities of radiation as it is used uy and on man. Despite all the scientific inquiry and discussion, the field of radiation and its many aspects is a relatively new one. This is especially true in regards to how radiation affects human beings and will continue to be so since ethics and morality forbid man to experiment upon his fellow human beings. Because of these factors, this report is by no means to be considered either final or comprehensive. There never will be a "last word" on the subject. The Committee does believe, however, that it is perhaps the most extensive treatment ever given to the subject area, for not only does it consider strictly technical medical aspects of the problem, but includes other related topics such as nuclear weapons, experiences in other countries, the personal feelings of the exposed persons themselves, psychological and cultural aspects, and the effects and influences of human judgment, time, circumstance and, if you will, fate. The Committee believes that such a holistic approach—as opposed to an atomistic approach—is the correct one to follow concerning this topic. It is an approach simiJa- to the concept in medicine of treating the whole man, rather than just treating an illness or disease as a single, isolated event unconnected with the complex interrelationships of the total functioning organism. As mentioned, the Report is not as complete as it could be. By the same token, it is not perfect; there may be errors, flaws, or faulty assumptions contained in it. If there are, they will be noted by those persons who are more

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experienced in the subject areas of the report, or, who have had available to them information or facts not available to the Committee. If there be such errors, or flaws, however, the Committee does not apologize for them, but rather asks the reader to accept them as being inherent to the technical nature of the area and the difficulty in collecting information concerning it. The Committee believes that it has done the best possible job with the resources available to it and considering the formidable constraints of time and space of an event which occurred over eighteen years ago, but which is still affecting the daily lives of the people involved, and may affect those of their descendants. Some readers may object to the narrative form of the section dealing with the detonation of "Bravo" and subsequent events that occurred. The Committee feels that the approach to this section is justified, however, since in combining known facts, with recollections of the pepple the re-creation of the event itself brings into relief certain facts and circumstances and their relationships which could be missed by the casual reader in looking at charts or tables connected with the event. The Committee also believes that this approach also makes what could be a dull and uninteresting section in an already cumbersome report on a highly specialized topic somewhat more interesting for the reader. For instance, the personification of "Bravo" as a "sleeping giant" whose radioactive cloud behaved as if influenced by "trickster ghosts" may be considered repugnant or perhaps improper by some scientists. Be this as it may, no one can deny—not even the most prominent scientists—that the radioactive legacy of such an event has continued to "live" until this day both in a purely physical and biological sense and in a psycholocrical sense. In writing this report, the Committee has attempted to popularize and simplify the subject of radiation and its effects. The very subject of radiation is a very complex and large one, a fact which is indicated by the remark of one scientist in talking about radioactive

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contamination of certain laqoons a<; a result of nuclear testing. f-araphrased, his remark was to the effect that we are dealing witn the snail end of a verv In all instances it was not possible to explain everythin? as well as could be wished. Despite this, the Committee feels that there is enough basic information in plain language and plain ideas to give the reader sufficient knowledge to make the report and it" recommendations meaningful. The accuracy and appropriateness contained in the introductory section dealing v/ith radiation in aeneral is primarily due to the efforts of the Committee’s consultants--er.peciallv assistance in editing this section has been invaluable. Relative to this, it should he emphasized that the consultants to the Committee should in no way be connected with the validity of the report, its assumptions, conclusions, opinions or recommendations. Under no circumstances should any Part of this report—with the exception of the consultants' reports to t)ie Committee--on taken to represent the views of the consultants, the organizations in which they work, or with which they are connected, or their In commenting upon its ov;n report in this foreword, the Committee would also like to bring to the attention of the reader what it considers to be some rather interesting circumstances, 'which may or may not have bearing on the One of these, mentioned later on, involves the lack of information received from the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Defense. This information was requested nearly one year ago. No response has been forthcoming—despite follow-up letters by the Committee. The Committee believes this points out what is a self-evident fact. The mandates of the Committee by law are basically inimical

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to the interests of the Administering Authority. Yet the basic information needed by the Committee must by necessity come from that very same source. Coupled with this are the contradictory natures of Micronesian and American interests embodied in the Trusteeship Agreement which are manifested in the daily operations of the Trust Territory Government. In short, the Committee, in carrying out the wishes of the elective legislature of Micronesia, has had to deal with an incident caused by the United States. In trying to investigate the matter, it has had to request information from U.S. agencies and departments. This situation was further exacerbated by the events which transpired in December, …