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Declassified record · U.S. Department of Energy

Continued Medical Examinations of Rongelapese (Marshall Island People)

Dated
Jun 10, 1959
Document type
Correspondence
Length
2 pages
Open the original scanArchive record OSTI ID 16385252 · public domain

Document text

Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.

Page 1

TEL. YAP HANK 4-6262 Divlsion or Biology and Medicine Atomic metgy Cods siO a Yesterday I west to the United Nations in Neu York and had a session with Mr, Nuder a s you suggested, It was quite apparent that he was extremely concerned about the number ot people coming into and out ot Rangelap and t h e dxsturtring intluence resulting trom this. As you mentamed, he seemed t o be less antagonistic toward our medical surveys tban tobard t h e University of Wadsingtan surveys. It was apparezt that the Trust Territory of tia als do not have a grasp ot the signiticacce and importance ot the medical surveys. For instance, I =s surprised that Mr, Nucker did not appreciate the fact that the body burdens of the Rongelap people had increased since their return t o Rongelap. They seem t o take the attitude that weare merely carrying out as a ent i ric experiment using the Rmgelap people as ''ocuinea pigs." I tried to make our posit im in this matter clear and t o emphasize the importance or continuity in our obsemations of the people tor t h e ezrly detection of significant changes that may be related t o radiation so that they could be treated as soan as possible and that the s a ent it ic value ot these studies was extremely iEportant, but that this was seamc!ary tothe tormer objective, I t o l d Mr, Nucker that we understood his problems and were willing t o cooperate t o as great an extent as possible without conpromising our primary respansihilities, To tkLs end I-suggested that we might ouit t h e Urnole-body counts on t h e next survey, thus avoiding the necessity or a sfrip and that w e carry out, ratha team of some 8 men, t h e basic heratologacal work and physical examinations. This could be accomplished by prior transport of necessary equipment and supplies trom KWa j ale in pia Trust Terrxtory ship t o Rongelap and air - lift of personnel rron Kuajalein t o Rongelap at the time or the survey. Nuder indicated that he would like to have Trust Territory medical persormel part ad pate to make it less obvious that i t was an nAEC I reaCily agreed with this and indicated that it was highly desirable and he promised t o furnish us one American doctor,

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thus reducing the ntmlber of ConoPer, to join the team this year, our perstmuel from 8 . t o 7. He agreed to help us i n every way possible in carrying out these plans based at this Limited scope of operatiax and -ressed *cere appreaatian ot our ellingness t o cwperafe d th him ia his objectives, Mr. Nucker was disturbed about the need tor the University of Washhgton making ttS0 trips a year t o the island and yas aost anxious that their operatian also be reduced in scope and treqaency. f b l i a r enough with the program of the University of Wasbingfan group to take moch ot' a stand on the issue, forced i n t o accepting a tull scale program for the Uaiversity of Washington group, he did not tee1 it -si tair to me to reduce the scope of our operaticrn a d suggested that I contact you at the end of next we& to find out the end result of all of this, H e indicated that, i f he wxs Qt the whole the conferace was quite SatiStactory and I think that in the end we each appreciated the other's problems better, result b g in coordinated &'forts un both sides. ning until I have had a chance t o contact you next week,