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Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
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ON TNE PAl{T OF TIIE MOVE OF THE PEOPLE OF BIKI!:I ISLAIVD, AUGUST, 1978 On Augost 11, 1978, the Undersecretary of the 13cpartmcnt of CI)C Interior, James A. Joseph, the Deputy Undersecretary, Wallace Crcen, and the Director of the Office of Territorial Affairs, Ruth G. Van Cltwc, journeyed to Bikini Island to meet with its current resident:,. l-liepurpose of tllrj.:,mreting was to con,.,c,vinformation on the subject 01 tlw forthcrrmins tioas and hear concerns put to them by the people of 3ikini Island. They had carli,-r, on August 7, held a similar meeting with former residents of Bikini rnh:>now reside on Kili. The Hifih Conuuissioner of Lhc TrusL Territory of the Pacific Islands, Adrian p. Wit)kel, had been prevented uy bad wcotller in Salparr from joining in the visit to Bikini Island, but I)r li~d earlier met with the people of Bikini, as well as witl) other Llikinians In 1946, tl]e people of Bikini were removed from tl)eir U. S. Navy in order to enable the United States to use the atoll by the nuclear testing program which lasted until 1958. The islanders were moved first to Rongeri~ then to Kwajalein, and ultimately to Kill. in the lrttc 1960’s, it appeared that levels of radiation on Bikini atcll ~~cre Such that the people could return to and use a number of the major isJnnds of the atoll. Beginning in 1969, a clean-up of the atoll and a rchabiliLation program was 1977, the intake of r.?dionuclides by the people livin: on Ei!lir.iIsland had increased to alarming proportions, and a major feeding PrOgr~)~’w~,s instituted.” April, 1978 surveys showed that the fccrting pro~ram h.ld not resulted BEST COPY AVAILABLE
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:lLC1iOC dcciclcd, in the light of the evirfcnce presented by LIIC Department oi Energy, that the people living on Bikini should bc movrd al the earliest radiological tests or Bikini being coficuct”c{.) b) the Drparcmont of Eneryy will determine whether Bikini ,.:nli (.ln, I.n Iilu Ioresceable future, he Among the requests of the people of both Bikini and Kili was a request for a statement in writing of the uklderstandings thi3L the rrPrcsentatives of the United States conveyed during those meetings commitments that “those rcprcscntativcs were willing to mkt.. ing are intended to respond to the principal concerns then at)d Mr. Joseph and Mrs. Van Cleve, on
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Department of Lnergy, w as LU assure tl)at, arwng other thij’:s, th.> medical needs Of the current residcnt6 of Bikini Island continue to be I., . . II. Because Kill Island has, solely a temporary relocation site have never undertaken to construct until recent weeks, been regarded as for the people of Bikini, the Governments permanent facilities there, nor to improve significantly any of the existing Kili facilities. It is now known that Bikini Island will not be fit for human habitation for decades to come, and on the basis of the most recent scientific information, it appears that Eneu Island, in the Bikini Atoll , will also be unavailable for settlcmentt In the circuc=tances, the Governments understand that some of the Bikini people will chonse to remain on Kili indc[initely, and the Governments will accordingly undertake a program for the pcmanent rehabilitation of Kili. 111. It is not yet possible to develop a permanent relocation Plan for the people of Bikini. That plan must await completion of the aerial/ radiological survey that is now underway, and thst is expected to bc coslpleted no later than the early weeks of 1979. ~en those surveY, results are available and evaluated, and when any remaining scientific tests found necessary are also completed, all of which developments arc expected to occur in the first months of 1979, it will be possible to identify safe relocation sites. The Governments will then, following full consultation with the people of KiIi (including the current rfsidcnts of Bikini Island who will by then have relocated there), plan in detail for the relocation of such Kili residents as choose to move elsewhere, affording to them a 28.- choice among the possible rcl@cotion sftrs. Thosr who choose to remain on