Letter to R G Vancleve, Subject: Proposed Bikini Resettlement Program (Enclosure: as Stated)

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GINSEURG, FELDMAN, WEIL AND BRESS DAVID C. ERESS OSOS-I,m) April 15, 1980 Director Van Cleve Office o-f 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 funding proposals. If I can be of any assistance in this process, please do hesitate to contact me. not /., .. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Hon. Philip Burton

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BIKINI RESETTLEMENT PROGW In light of the Interior Department’s finding in 1978 that Bikini Island would not be safe for the foresee- – able future, 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 Hawaiif 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. r 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 throughout the rest of the Marshall Islands, but it does pose one very attractive future for the \ Bikinians -- the American military. The U.S. military removed L them from Bikini in 1946. The people have not yet found a ‘~~

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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 “nowlive. 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 permit 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, resettl&ent on part of an atoll might create a ghetto environment, with the Bikinians being regarded as intruders and

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“squatters~n even if the land and lagoon rights were leased or bough%l 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 not susceptible to resolution, resettlement on another inhabited atoll in the Marshall Islands is not acceptable. As to uninhabited atolls, such as Erikub, it appears that they are uninhabited simply because they are uninhabitable. Even those which could sustain some human life could not possibly support a significant part of the entire Bikinian population, which now numbers approximately 925 people. Having discussed and reviewed all possible resettle- “1ment options, the people of Bikini have concluded that their first choice is Bikini Island in Bikini Atoll; their second:’ ~-— // choice is Eneu Island in Bikini Atoll; and their third choice is Wake. Given the problems of resettlement and Wake, this realistically leaves only one Eneu Island in Bikini Atoll. The Bikinians’ preference would be entire ~$kini population to Eneu and perhaps on Bikini Island . some of the Bikiren, Lele and Enexnan.

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It is possible, however, that these islands could. . not handle such a large number of people. If this is the case, the Bikinians propose to utilize a systemedevised the people of Enewetak several years ago when they were on Ujelang 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 whoie 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 Island. Under this system, the population desiring to resettle on Eneu would be divided into twe or three groups. once hous-,.. fig and support facilities are ready at Eneu, those people i’~’” we 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

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Two numbers must be clarified before a specific progr~-:~an 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. Using this number as an estimate, the 700 people could be divided into two groups of 350 each or three groups of approximately 235 each. The size of the groups (and hence the number of groups) should depend on the support facilities which can be constructed on”Eneu 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 dis-

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235 people live 100% of the time on Eneu for one of two years. 235 people live 100% of the time on Eneu . “ for one of three years. The same calculations should be made on the assumption 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 twa differ~~t dietav ass~Ptionf . 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 thet/ islands located ,westof the Eneu Channel (see page 3 above) based on two living patterns. One are used for agricultural that the islands are used pattern should assume that the islands purposes, and the second should assume for both residential and agricultural purposes by a population of approximately 100 people. .’:,/ 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 permit other Bikini-s . to Mve on Eneu. The Bikinians have also indicated that they are prepared to comply with DOE restrictions regarding a return I/ to Eneu.g.In order to be in compliance with federal radiation protection guidelines, it would be necessary.for the people

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to live only on Eneu, eat no food at all from Bikini, and \ from Eneu and 50% imported dicated that they would be to insure that they do not of approximately 50% local food food. The people have also inwilling to accept certain measure violate DOE restrictions. One such measure should probably be the destruction of the 40 homes on Bikini Island,which could prove to be an attractive 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 Juner 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,

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the coconuts, the pandanus growing there. These excursions to the interior of the island would occur in the time period well after the 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.... [S]”ometimesas much as 3 months would

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additional 120, or 13%, live on Ejit Island in Majuro~ and most of”the rest live on Majurol Kwa]aleln~ Nlinglaplap and Jaluit. Moreover, it appears that some Bikinians may wish to live permanently on Xiii or Ejit and not participate. in a rotation program to live on Eneu. The United States has always assumed that the Bikinis.nswould live “temporarily” on Kili until they could return “toBikini. +If DOE projections are correct, that r - turn to Bikini is at least several generations away. Since there will probably be a permanent 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~ were the only buildings that survived Other steps should be taken on Xiii more tolerable. For example, and landing) strip should be built on small aircraft, such as the airplanes the 1978 typhoon there. the island to accommodate recently purchased by.

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for ocean access to Kili, three options or of options should be considered. First is the question of a dock. The Trust Territory Government has begun - to examine 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 be to employ the methods used when the area was controlled by the Japanese. Field trip ships should off-load supplies at Jaluit Atoll during the winter months if surf conditions at Kili make ac~ess 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 and the small boat can make the 40 mile trip in a few hours to off-load supplies a.k,”’”/ Kili. Between an airstrip and improved ocean access to the island, living conditions on Kili could be significantly imOther aspectsof a resettlement program include the following: .First, -theremust be a comprehensive health care program for all the Bikini people. The 139 people removed

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from Bikini”in August of 1978 are currently being monitored by scientists from Brookhaven Laboratories, but many more people were on Bikini between 1970 and 1978 who left before . 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 help the Bikini children to overcome these educational deficiencies. Fifth, all use rights in the land and lagoon of Bikini Atoll should be conveyed to the people of Bikini. ..Z,, Sixth, the people of Bikini must receive cmnpensation from he United States for (a) the complete destruction-- and disappearance of islands as a result of the 1954 “Bravo” test, (b) the lOSS of the use of Eneu Island between 1946 and the commencement of the proposed resettlement program, (c) the indefinite loss of the use of Bikini and other islands in crop on Bikini Atoll, (e) injmies’ suffered by PeoPle who lived

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on Bikid Island from 1970 to 1978 resulting from the United by the Bikinians as a result of again in 1978~ as well as their being displaced in 1946 and - continued displac~ent in the Lastly, the United States government should pledge t. to return the people to Bikini Island if and when the island INVOLVEMENT OF THE PEOPLE OF BIKINI Iv. IN THE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM Maximum practicable participation by the Bikinians in the resettlement program, both in its planning and execution, is necessary and desirable. The people of Bikini, through the Bikini/Kili Council or other representative group selected by the Council, should be regularly consulted and informed with respect to the resettlement project.