Enewetak Atoll Cleanup Radiation Study Act

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2530 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on radiation exposure relating to the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 14, 2021 Mr. NEHLS (for himself and Mrs. LURIA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs A BILL To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on radiation exposure relating to the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Enewetak Atoll Clean- 4 up Radiation Study Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 08:55 May 28, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2530.IH H2530 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 2530 IH SEC. 2. STUDY ON RADIATION EXPOSURE RELATING TO 1 CLEANUP OF ENEWETAK ATOLL. 2 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 3 seek to enter into an agreement with the National Acad- 4 emies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct 5 a study on the level of radiation exposure experienced by 6 members of the Armed Forces who participated in the 7 cleanup of Enewetak Atoll during the period beginning on 8 January 1, 1977, and ending on December 31, 1980. 9 (b) MATTERS INCLUDED.—The study conducted pur- 10 suant to subsection (a) shall include the following: 11 (1) An evaluation of— 12 (A) the completeness and adequacy of the 13 assessment titled ‘‘Radiation Dose Assessment 14 for Military Personnel of the Enewetak Atoll 15 Cleanup Project (1977–1980)’’ published by the 16 Defense Threat Reduction Agency in April 17 2018, including with respect to the calculation 18 of the estimated upper-bound radiation dose re- 19 ceived by members of the Armed Forces who 20 participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll 21 during the period beginning on January 1, 22 1977, and ending on December 31, 1980; 23 (B) whether information exists to conduct 24 a revised or alternative radiation dose assess- 25 ment that would consider exposures and expo- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 08:55 May 28, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2530.IH H2530 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 2530 IH sure pathways that were not part of the radi- 1 ation dose assessment described in subpara- 2 graph (A); and 3 (C) whether conducting such a revised or 4 alternative radiation dose assessment is feasible 5 and would likely yield substantively improved 6 estimates of the radiation dose received by 7 members of the Armed Forces who participated 8 in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll. 9 (2) If the study determines under paragraph 10 (1)(C) that a revised or alternative radiation dose 11 assessment is feasible and would likely yield sub- 12 stantively improved estimates of the radiation dose 13 received by members of the Armed Forces who par- 14 ticipated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll, an eval- 15 uation of conducting such assessment, including— 16 (A) identification of the sources of the data 17 for such assessment, including a delineation of 18 the protocol to be used in conducting such as- 19 sessment; 20 (B) an estimate of the time and funding 21 needed to conduct such assessment; 22 (C) identification of the major sources of 23 uncertainty in such assessment and how such 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 08:55 May 28, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2530.IH H2530 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 2530 IH sources may affect the estimates generated by 1 such assessment; and 2 (D) identification of the best means to 3 carry out such assessment. 4 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 5 on which the Secretary receives the study conducted pur- 6 suant to subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the 7 Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep- 8 resentatives and the Senate a report on such study, includ- 9 ing the plans of the Secretary to carry out any actions 10 based on the results of such study. 11 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 08:55 May 28, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2530.IH H2530 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS