Compensation For
p. 16 · Read in the full issue
‘Snowfall’ Victims
Continuing health problems related to 1954 atomic bomb tests in the Marshall Islands may bring additional United States compensation to Rongelap and Utirik atoll islanders exposed to radiation.
The Omnibus Territories Act, passed by the US House of Representatives and pending in the Senate, would provide blanket compensation of US$l 000 for each of 82 Rongelap islanders and 157 Utirik islanders exposed to radiation from a March 1, 1954, test at Rlkini Atoll The bill would also provide cancer victims 19 -y ea r-okT R o nge 1 ap B re sident who died from leukemia attributed to the radiation he was exposed to after the nuclear blast when he was a year old.
Rongelap, about 100 miles from the Bikini test site, received fall-out
so thick from the blast that it was like snow. In fact, children played with the substance for hours, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources was told, Utirik, about 280 miles from the site, received a “mist-like” fall-out after the test.
Despite the greater distance and i esser exposure, Utirik islanders are continuing to develop thyroid tumours i n unexpected numbers. treated for Eleven have been tumours, and thyroid nodules are on the increase e ’chief IJS years. .
And the possibility of second generation genetic effects from he radiation has been raised with the report of a thyroid cancer detected in the son of a Utirik man.
This official photograph sent to PIM by the information service of the French Residency in Vila, New Hebrides, shows participants in one of the recent demon strations which have taken place in the condominium in defence of the bilingual education system. The demonstrations followed a decision earlier this year by the Vanuaaku Party that English would be the language of the government education system in an independent New Hebrides. Demonstrators demanded that the two languages should continue on an equal footing. The slogan on the banner says “Keep the French schools —13 000 children sacrificed' , This is the number of children at present attending the condominium's French schools.