Bikini Resettlement Program - the Problem

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TIIC~irst asswi-ptionis that national policy as reflected in the Prcsi.deritial intcrcstcd Federal a~cncies to carry out the On Au~ust 12 he requested the Secretary of Defense, and azsist in efi’ec’~uatirga Yescttlemnt program. because the AEC was responsible for mUCh of the a period of years dmmstated the islmds in the

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cm yracccii. Other i31mdG of the atoll which are r.eitkr safe for continuous need to be cleared of all dangerous debris.

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the problems and develop cstimtes of redevelopment costs Comissionj the Ikpzrtmnt of Defense, the Department of the Interior and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands ccnductcd an on. site Sxwcy of Bikini in Iatc August. It was a~~ced that Until cond~.tionson be pro,jccted. Dmsmch as the PresiGerit’sannouncement was not issued until mid-.k~gustand in view of t-hetlm rc~uii-ccito survey the islmds following not hitherto possible debris and scrub Cleamp costs are estir~ted to le $1,2CO)G00 and it is Corlsiruct.zixll Cost data are provided in exhibits attached to this pa~er. For

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Ycczusc (as ?Liscussed%clow) the Bikini people will have to continue to live for the next several years on Killi and becauqe tkere is som probability tkt some of them will elect to remain on Killi rather than rcloca~c thcmelvcs on Bikini, some irqmovemats to housing, cor.~~unityfacilities).... were removed from end resettled on the concluded that national of these people is Killi and Ujelang

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process covmia~ fimcr?.ticms. It would be incmsistcnt with the Presidcntls of assistin~ the Bikinians to ‘mild a new and model community. pro~ramed in fiscal year

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huiltin~s will %e used in the clean-up cantearly redevelopment work. Clearing of ve~etation wili be dcne in strips so as to pernit the plantj.n: to tke school is

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additional units ~cr year for the next five years. Of the dwelling itself’, cisterrl, &th house, toilet, thcce requirements within the the relocation 02 so families as ScOn as permit. Estimtes are based Thqy also include a feedir,~ basic assu:.~~tiofiin t’neplans for Bikini and the cost et the yevzziw2g scale.

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v’hich they WCYG removed for the corivcnicnceof’the govcnxnent twenty-one years ‘1’erritopyfor defense related ;~u~.oses,t’noselards should be restored to ‘~~.e-i~orc~inzi owners for civilicn Uge V>,cnzvcpthey become excess to defense ?.ce?.z.(This ‘principleshould apply to ail other United States Government imd takin~~, as well.) Siatiesstewardship defensible if nGt exemplary in the court of world and b. Strengthen the Uaited States’s political posture in the Trust

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year l$@. This can be accomplished by the II.—. .— I Trust Territory with funds currently available. 2. Establish .2small administrative unit on Bikini in fiscal year existinflassets and facilities and to place the atoll under 3. Start the cleznup ic zhe lzst half or fiscal yesr 1969. “ k. Fund and begin redevelopment in fiGcal year 1970.

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Some additional comments are in order with respect to the economic future of Bikini. The basic resettlement program is designed to provide, at the minimum, the coconut-based econo~ which existed during the pre-testing period. The coconut is virtually the only commercial crop which can be grown on a coral atoll and it is essential to life on such an mnz mlzns, however, do not preclude building upon this diversified economy for the returned Bikinians. base for a more _..: i~lmds and the remarkable lagoon provide a potential for tourisn .availa~lebecause of the airstrip; the islands are potentially attractive if properly developed; they have an historic aura; some of the physical remains of the testing program are impressive and awe-inspiring; and there are existing recreational resources in the lagoon .- shelling, s~rt fishing, snorkeling. A third economic potential is research activity. basis for considerable study in nuclear-related fields people need not terminate such research. In fact, the mi&;itwell facilitate such work. The establishment of Bikini has been the and the return of the return of the people a research center on Bikini by the Federal Government or by universities and private organizations would provide employment and income possibilities for the local people. The ‘JeatkerBureau is already planning a weather station on the atoll. These opportunities will need further exploration as the resettler,ent

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to:al cstim,accd cleanup cost oi $1,200,000 has It is hopcclthis work could For plannin~ purposes the been allocated as follows: Bikini arid Xilli; designin~ prototype housing and ocher facilities, and cormxmity development planaing. CO;ZS in ibis category sre based on on-site survey made by the ?&shall the o~c’hardwill have to be maintained d’urin.gAIccr Yeplantir.g is coqleted

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Y.:cvarious elemzats in construction COSC estimates are as follo:qs: Construction schedule through IX-75:

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It is desirable to establish ailxlministzative unit on Bikini as so?a w possible to pkce tile la~oon islar,ds under proper control; protect E!IC:lreafrom squatters; protecc cxistia~ assets; conserve che fishing a:c:?cies and com:)snies who will be iavolvcd in the cleanup and redevelopFor this purpose it is plailnedto assi~n a few staff personnel to by ti~~third quarter of FY-69 to include: Cke district representative (U.S.) - 6 months $10,000 Ockr supplies and equipxenc 3,000 TOT ‘:::2sccoad and succeeding years the initial cost of radio and h+qoon addi:ior,zl staff woald be requirci ~; irxluk a health aide in I’Y-70 aad a ‘i.S. tzacher in FY-71. It is asswmecl thax by FY-72 all positions coald ...&pzopassd schedule io~ adininiszrativecosts is as follows:

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a “JO it yourself” basis, sonw families may be Ale to return sooner. Rc-s~:tlcmcnc COSL data liasbeen projecced on the assumption that 30 fc.nilies will be resettled during the Llird and fourth quarter of FY-70. ,hothcr xsum:>tion is Z’nac there will be an average of six persons per T’ZZAS?OZ’i2tiOnCosts fror.Xilli to Bikini are figuzed at an average of $50 ~zr person. A sx>siscence allowance is estimated at $3 per family per day Trzns?ortation for 6 new faailies Transportation 6 new families