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The Status of Nuclear Claims, Relocation and Resettlement Efforts in the Mar- Shall Islands

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The Status of Nuclear Claims, Relocation and Resettlement Efforts in the Mar- Shall Islands THE STATUS OF NUCLEAR CLAIMS, RELOCATION AND RESETTLEMENT EFFORTS IN THE MAR- SHALL ISLANDS HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION MAY 11, 1999, WASHINGTON, DC Serial No. 106±26 Printed for the use of the Committee on Resources ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/house or Committee address: http://www.house.gov/resources U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 57±451 u WASHINGTON : 1999 COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES DON YOUNG, Alaska, Chairman W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN, Louisiana GEORGE MILLER, California JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia JIM SAXTON, New Jersey BRUCE F. VENTO, Minnesota ELTON GALLEGLY, California DALE E. KILDEE, Michigan JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon JOEL HEFLEY, Colorado ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, California Samoa WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland NEIL ABERCROMBIE, Hawaii KEN CALVERT, California SOLOMON P. ORTIZ, Texas RICHARD W. POMBO, California OWEN B. PICKETT, Virginia BARBARA CUBIN, Wyoming FRANK PALLONE, JR., New Jersey HELEN CHENOWETH, Idaho CALVIN M. DOOLEY, California GEORGE P. RADANOVICH, California CARLOS A. ROMERO-BARCELO, Puerto WALTER B. JONES, JR., North Carolina Rico WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY, Texas ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD, Guam CHRIS CANNON, Utah PATRICK J. KENNEDY, Rhode Island KEVIN BRADY, Texas ADAM SMITH, Washington JOHN PETERSON, Pennsylvania WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts RICK HILL, Montana CHRIS JOHN, Louisiana BOB SCHAFFER, Colorado DONNA CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSEN, Virgin JIM GIBBONS, Nevada Islands MARK E. SOUDER, Indiana RON KIND, Wisconsin GREG WALDEN, Oregon JAY INSLEE, Washington DON SHERWOOD, Pennsylvania GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California ROBIN HAYES, North Carolina TOM UDALL, New Mexico MIKE SIMPSON, Idaho MARK UDALL, Colorado THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York LLOYD A. JONES, Chief of Staff ELIZABETH MEGGINSON, Chief Counsel CHRISTINE KENNEDY, Chief Clerk/Administrator T.E. MANASE MANSUR, Republican Professional Staff JOHN LAWRENCE, Democratic Staff Director MARIE FABRIZIO-HOWARD, Democatic Professional Staff (II) C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held May 11, 1999 ..................................................................................... 1 Statement of Members: Faleomavaega, Hon. Eni F.H., a Delegate in Congress from American Samoa ............................................................................................................ 35 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 36 Miller, Hon. George, a Representative in Congress from the State of California ....................................................................................................... 2 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 3 Underwood, Hon. Robert A., a Delegate in Congress from Guam ................ 40 Young, Hon. Don, a Representative in Congress from the State of Alaska . 1 Statement of Witnesses: Boyce, Ralph L., Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, East Asian and the Pacific Affairs, Department of State ..................................................... 4 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 6 Campbell, Kurt M., Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs, International Security Affairs .................................... 23 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 24 deBrum, Hon. Oscar, Chairman, Nuclear Claims Tribunal .......................... 165 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 168 Letter to Banny deBrum ........................................................................... 225 deBrum, Tony A., Minister of Finance, Republic of the Marshall Islands .. 81 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 84 Hills, Howard L., prepared statement of ........................................................ 133 Maddison, Marie L., Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Republic of the Marshall Islands ................................................................................ 67 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 70 Mauro, Dr. John, Sanford Cohen and Associates .......................................... 191 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 193 Muller, Philip, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Republic of the Marshall Islands ........................................................................................... 47 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 50 People of Utirik, The, prepared statement of ................................................. 137 Richardson, Allan C.B., Scientific Consultant to the People of Enewetak .. 182 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 185 Robison, William, prepared statement of ....................................................... 146 Seligman, Paul J., M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Studies, Department of Energy ................................................................... 25 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 26 Letters to Mr. Muller ................................................................................ 226 Stayman, Allen P., Director, Office of Insular Affairs, Department of the Interior .................................................................................................... 11 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 13 Additional material supplied: Balos, Senator Henchi, Bikini Atoll Representative, Marshall Islands Nitijela, prepared statement of .................................................................... 212 deBrum, Hon. Banny, Ambassador, The Marshall Islands, letter to Mr. Young .............................................................................................................214,222 John, Senator Ismael, Mayor Neptali Peter and Davor Z. Pevec, prepared statement of ................................................................................................... 110 Pinho, Kirtley, President, Majuro Chamber of Commerce, letter to Presi- dent Imata Kabua ......................................................................................... 221 RMI Government, response to Mr. Boyce's testimony ................................... 215 Weisgall, Jonathan M., prepared statement of .............................................. 122 (III) HEARING ON STATUS OF NUCLEAR CLAIMS, RELOCATION AND RESETTLEMENT EF- FORTS IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1999 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 11 a.m. in Room 1324, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Don Young [chairman of the Committee] presiding. STATEMENT OF HON. DON YOUNG, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ALASKA Mr. YOUNG. The Committee will come to order. The Committee is meeting today to hear testimony on the status of the nuclear claims and relocation resettlement in the Marshall Islands under rule 4G of the Committee rules. Any oral or opening statements in this hearing is limited to the Chairman and the Ranking Minority Member. This will allow us to hear from our witnesses who have traveled so far. If any other Members have statements, they can be included in the hearing record under unanimous consent. Today the Committee on Resources hearing will be focussed on the status of nuclear claims, relocation, and resettlement of the four atolls in the Bikini, Enewetak, Rongelap, and Utirik and other radiological rehabilitation of the atolls. These are complex issues involving scientific research, logistic engineering problems, financial and social challenges. However, above all else, the most important to the Committee are the people of the Marshall Islands who directly or indirectly were adversely impacted by the nuclear testing inadvertently. Congress has oversight responsibility for Federal funds des- ignated for the brief settlement and relocation of the people of the Marshall Islands who were affected by the United States' nuclear testing. Federal funding also provides for medical treatment com- pensation for nuclear-related injuries or damages and radiological rehabilitation of certain atolls. This funding has been provided by also a series of trust funds and problematic assistance. The United States and the Marshall Is- lands have a special relationship based on decades of the United Nations trusteeship. Today the U.S. and RMI are separate sov- ereign nations in free association in our Compact of Free Associa- tion. Significant portions of the compact relate to the issues before the Committee today. (1) 2 In fact, this Committee held over 30 hearings during the consid- eration of the compact legislation. Many of those hearings at- tempted to identify the extent of the impact the U.S. nuclear test- ing program on the people and property of the Marshall Islands. Due to the uncertainty of the safety of resettlement in certain atolls, Congress included a provision that provided
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