Struggle continues for compensation for radiation exposure - Enewetak Atoll
By Sabrina Salas Matanane Bio Email
Robert Celestial started the fight over a decade ago and he doesn't plan to stop. "We're always optimistic. We always have to look forward," he added, "that's why we continue on it's been 14 years of our leaders trying to push this."
Celestial is the president of the Pacific Association of Radiation Survivors, and told KUAM News, "I was stationed in Enewetak Atoll to clean up the post debris from all the nuclear testings , and later on I found out in 1998 and did research until 2000 and reported to our government that Guam was exposed to radiation fallout and was kept secret for many, many years."
it was in November 2002 a blue ribbon panel, created by the Guam Legislature at the time, completed its research and issued a report which concluded that between 1946 and 1958 the atomic energy commission detonated 66 nuclear devices in the Marshall Islands. The report was presented to the feds and in 2005 the National Research Council determined that Guam received fallout from atmospheric testing from nuclear weapons in the Pacific and recommended that people living on island during that period be compensated under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act .
"They compensated Utah, Nevada and some other places in Arizona and we qualify just like them they were compensated given medical care and all that 305 since we're eligible then why not include us in the RECA bill, so that's what we're pushing for," Celestial said.
For more information on PARS' plight, the organization is holding a meeting and fundraiser this Saturday from 11am1pm at the Tamuning Community Center. Celestial will be providing a presentation of the history of their work and plans for the future to continue the fight for Guam's inclusion in RECA.
Posted: Nov 24, 2016 8:31 PM PST
Updated: Dec 01, 2016 8:31 PM PST By Sabrina Salas Matanane
