Marshall Islanders Affected by US Nuclear Weapons Testing

Three survivors of the 67 U.S. atomic and  nuclear explosions in the Marshalls addressed the annual meeting between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands on December 8, 2005 in Honolulu. The group included Mr. Maza Attari of Utrik, Ms. Naiki Ribuca and Ms. Chiyoko Tamayose of Rongelap. They are members of a survivors' group called ERUB (standing for Enewetak, Rongelap, Utrik, and Bikini). Each survivor stressed the urgent need for the Dept. of Energy to include their children and grandchildren in the DOE health program since they are not covered up until today.  

Mr. Maza Attari held up photos of survivors' grandchildren born on the island of Utrik who were born badly deformed.    According to Senator Hiroshi Yamamura, there have been at least six children--all of whom were grandchildren of the original survivors--who were born recently so badly deformed that each died within weeks.  Senator Yamamura asked DOE at the Dec. 8th meeting for a whole body radiation counter to be placed on Utrik to monitor the radiation exposure of residents.