The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Dec. 1980

410781 The United States conducted 66 atmospheric nuclear weapons tests in the Marshall Islands. Twenty-two years later the authorities continue to disagree on when the islands wIII be safe for resettlement. GIFF JOHNSON Paradise lost The U.S. government is now at- at Bikini and Enewetak. Edward ers do not substantiate its clasms. tempting to prove at Enewetak what Mane]]. of the National Center for One of many reports from it couldn’t at Bikini: that it is pos- Atmospheric Research. writing to Enewetak was publicized in an ex- sible for people to return safely Micronesia LegaJ Services, a U.S. clusive television interview. in to an area devastated by nuclear government organization represent- which a mechanic stated that he and weapons. Following completion of a ing the Enewetak people, expressed others had worked without protect- three-year, $1W million nuclear concern over the ive gear underneath dozens of txucks cleanup of Enewetak Atoll in &he returning from the plutonium– Marshall Islands—site of 43 nuclear “highly questionable recom- contaminated islands. He said ‘-the tests-the United States says it is safe mendations regarding acceptable tires and underside of the vehicles for the pcople who were moved out to levels of plutonium in the soils and were usually covered with dust and return to &rtain islands. But while the very doubtful merits ~f pro- din, ” but the workers were given no the cleanup has been hailed in some ceeding with the resettlement of respirators for protection.’ i quarters as a “remarkable success, ” Eneweuk Atoll on the basis of the Press visitors to Enewetak in April controversy is developing over recommendations of a Task Group 1980 noticed similar flaws in Wfense whether or not people should return assembled by the Atomic Energy Nuclear Agency safety standards. to any part of the atoll. Commission and the Depa~ment of “Standing on any part of Runit Is- The M&rshail Islands are part of a Defense. The recommendation land,” said a reporter, “you must U.N. ‘-strategic”” Trust Territory of that plutonium soils, with levels not wear rubber bets and a paper re- the Pac]fic, which has been ad- exceeding 40 pCi of plutonium 240 spirator to prevent breathing ministered by the United States 241 per gram of soil averaged over 15 plutonium particles. But standing on since World War II. The nuclear cm depth. is suitable for human the concrete dome (a mere 15 feet weapons testing program ended in habitation, can be very seriously away) you are not required to wear 1958, after 12 years of 66 atmo- questioned. The resettlement of any protective clothing at all. “’4 spheric tests. such sites is extremely likely to have Runit Island will be quarantined to The Defense Nuclear Agency, tragic consequences. particularly for the Marshallese forever, because of coordinator of the cleanup, has said the younger members of the in- high concentrations of plutonium in it would be impossible to lower atoll habitants. Progressively worse con- the soil. More than 100,000 cubic radiation to pre-test levels. But the sequences are to be expected for yards of radioactive soil and debris cleanup guidelines called for re- each successive generation in the have been encased in a massive ce- sidence islands to be cleaned to a affected population group.”’ ment dome on Runit, to isolate these level of 40 picocunes of plutonium hazardous materials from the envi- 239/240 per gram of soil. agriculture Marten’s questions and recom- ronment for thousands of years. islands to 80 picocuries per gram and m-ons were ignored and the Nevertheless. islands within three food gathering islands to 160. To ac- cleanup itself was plagued by shoddy miles of Runit have been designated complish this, thousands of cubic safety standards. as safe for “picnics and food yards of contaminated soil were The Defense Nuclear Agency gathering. ” This prompted a Mar- scraped off the small islands, mixed maintained that “’the most important shallese observer to comment: \ with cement and encased in a mas- considemtion in the cleanup opem- ““What will happen if birds. crabs. sive concrete dome in an atomic tions was the radiological safety of turtles and other animals that land on bomb cmler at Runit Island. the individuals involved in the oper- the off limits island are eaten by the The basis for the cleanup was ations. ”~ But Agency policies have people?”” strongly questioned in 1974 by a re- been inconsistent. and infon-nation Despite this atmosphere of in- searcher who had been involved in supplied by soldiers involved in the consistent safety measures. many of the 1950s weapons testing program cleanup and by independent report- the 450 Enewetak people have 24 already moved back to the southern The Enewetak people have an in- Brookhaven researchers assess U.S. islands. which the Agency calls tense desire 10 return home, after 33 government data. The history of “relatively uncontaminated.’” years on tiny Ujelang Atoll. And on the U.S. testing progmm was one of Mean% hlle. the Depanment of En- the basis of this information. the repeated mistakes and mis- ergy says the atoll-s northern Enjebi people voted to return to their calculations.”” In his view, “non- islands-where the majority of the island in the north. But the objectiv- government radiation experts”’ 43 nucl~tir tests occurred-should be ity of the study conducted by Bender should be included in all such sur- off iimll~ for at least 30 years. since and Brill, whose base is the veys. s radiation levels are still high there. government-funded Brookhaven A May 1979 General Accounting Because of the Department ruling, National Laboratory, has been Office repofl cautioned that “be- millions of dollars have been spent questioned. Dr. Rosalie Bet-tell, a cause of uncertainty of the long term on buildlng houses and community consultant to the Division of Stan- effects of exposure to low level radi- facilities and on replanting dard Setting for the NLJQlW Regu- ation. it is possible that the people of thousands of coconut trees in the latory Commission, said of the Enewetak could receive doses in ex- southern islands: but no funds have study: cess of current standards. ” It also been used to rehabilitate the north- “‘The population of Eneweti has urged an independent assessment of ern islands. This has caused prob- the right to know that a value judg- Enewetak by “expefis who have no direct connections with the nuclear lems among the Enewetak people as, ment has been made for them, testing program or the Enewetak traditionally. they are divided into namely that induction of cancer is two distinct groups: the Dri-Enjebi in their only concern. They may, if in- cleanup project . &fore resettle- the notthem and Dri-Enew’etaL in formed about hypothyroidism, ap ment of the people begins. ”9 This the south. Accustomed to their own Iastic anemia. premature aging. be- repofi was initially withheld from the chiefs and land, the Dn-Enjebi are nign tumors and other such dis- Marshall Islands government for political reasons. reluctant to live on another chiefs orders, make a different judgment. land. Since deporting an independent They ‘reduced” the radiation dose team of Japanese scientists invited In September 1979, the radiologi- of the inhabitants of Enjebi by av- by Marshall Islands leaders to in- vestigate the radiation problems in cal information about Enewetak was eraging in the population less ex- presented by the Department of En- posed. This is like telling one 1971. the United States has stead- ergy to the people. Michael Bender member of a family his or her risk of fastly refused to allow independent and Bertnnd Brill, two scientists lung cancer is lowered if the other monitoring of the Marsh allese hired by Micronesia Legal Services nonsmoking members of the family peopie and their environment. President Lyndon Johnson an- then testified that their study showed are included and an ‘average’ risk all the Islands to be safe for habita- given. It is a scientifically ridiculous nounced in 1%8 that Bikin&site of tion. including nofihem Enjebi is- approach to public health. 23 bomb tests-would be returned to land. The chances of adverse effects Basing a resettlement decision af- its people, who had been living in were so small. they had concluded, fecting the lives of 500 people on the exile since 1946. that ‘‘cancer mortality in the lifetime In 1%9. the Atomic Energy Com- Bender and Brill inadequate health mission Ad: “’[there is] vlfluall> no of the population IS estimated to tx assessment would be extremely im- radiation left on Bikini”’ and ‘“the kss than a single case.”s They as- pruden~.’” sened tia( the Deptiment of En- exposures to radiation of the Bikini ergy overstated the risk: “’DOE tends Glen Alcalay, a former Peace people do not offer a significant to exaggerate the problem,” said Mic- Corps Volunteer in the MarshaJls. threat to their health and safety .“’0 ronesmn Legal service Director Ted said the problem is “‘the inherent A small-scale cleanup and re- Mitchell.~ conflict of interest in having habilitation progtarn was begun and December 1980 The Bulletin of the Atomic !kienttsts 25 Giff Johnson, a free-lamx writer who has traveled extensively throughout the Pacific, edits the Microncsio Bulietm published in Honolulu, Hawaii 96826. by the early 1970s a few pople hac begun moving back. Many Bikinians tell of Atomic En. ergy Commission scientists taking them to Bikini to demonstrate its safety. When the BiLinians refused to eat arty local foods. fearing tadia- tion exposure. the scientists would consume conconuts, fish and other foods in front of the islanders to convince them.

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