nuclear-news

Epidemic of cancer from nuclear bomb testing in Marshall Islands

“Today we are witnessing an exploding epidemic of cancer cases,” … “Cancers, birth anomalies and other radiogenic diseases make a compelling argument for the United States to reopen the nuclear issue,”

RMI CRITICIZES U.S. OVER NUCLEAR COMPENSATION PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West CenterWith Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai‘i

‘Exploding epidemic of cancer cases,’ $2 billion in unpaid claims

By Giff Johnson SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, March 6, 2012) – Marshall Islanders accused the United States government of refusing to provide adequate nuclear test compensation on the 58th anniversary of the largest American hydrogen bomb test that exposed thousands of islanders to radioactive fallout.

Islanders marked the national holiday in the Marshall Islands for March 1 with a candlelight vigil for those who suffered and died as a result of the 67 U.S. tests at Bikini and Enewetak…..

 Foreign Minister Phillip Muller called on the United States to pay the more than $2 billion in unpaid awards made by a Nuclear Claims Tribunal that exhausted its U.S. government-provided funding.

“Today we are witnessing an exploding epidemic of cancer cases,” said Charles Domnick, an islander who was 12 years old and living on an island about 400 miles downwind when the U.S. detonated Bravo, a 15-megaton hydrogen bomb test at Bikini. “Cancers, birth anomalies and other radiogenic diseases make a compelling argument for the United States to reopen the nuclear issue,” Domnick said. “But because our population is limited, the United States takes the position these numbers are statistically insignificant and that we have in fact received compensation for all damages past, present and future.”

Domnick criticized the settlement agreement reached nearly 30 years ago as unfair to the Marshall Islands. “What kind of a champion of democracy would have the callousness to demand from people it injures forgiveness for all future liabilities?” he said.

Muller said the Marshall Islands was “insulted” that the U.S. government chose March 1 as the date to announce a missile test launch between Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. He said it was “an unfortunate date” for the U.S. to schedule a Minuteman missile test. The U.S. announced the test last week, but on Wednesday cancelled the launch. http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2012/March/03-06-06.htm

March 7, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, OCEANIA, weapons and war