Rongelap is a fairly large atoll with 61 islets and a lagoon that is 1,000 sq. miles. It is a beautiful atoll with crystal clear turquoise waters. However, despite its beauty it has a rather sad history and a historic ghost town on the main island of Rongelap.
Rongelap Atoll is technically “uninhabited.” However, three caretakers stay 4 months at a time to do minor work in the village on the island of Rongelap. After four months they are replaced by other caretakers. The caretakers are tested for radioactivity before they leave and after they return. All have exhibited small amounts of radiation. Yet, they return year after year.
3 Caretakers at Rongelap during our visit
The caretakers live in three small containers that are formed in a “U” shape. This despite the fact that there are 50 new homes that sit unused. These workers have use of a truck, a small van, and a work boat. The boats in the photos below were U.S. Army boats and sit unused.
They showed us their food supplies and remarkably they were well stocked. But then again, they just loaded up when they arrived about a month ago (they still have 3-4 months to eat it all).
Rongelap’s History
So, what’s the deal and why is there a fairly new, unused town rotting away? For the answer to this question, you need to understand the history of this atoll.
The Germans claimed Rongelap (and the rest of the Marshall Islands) in 1885. Then Japan claimed it after WWI, and then they came under the U.S. control after WWII.
On March 1, 1954 the U.S. detonated 15-megton hydrogen bomb called Castle Bravo at the Bikini atoll. The government was “unaware” of the fallout to neighboring downwind islands such as Rongelap where hundreds of people resided. No warning was given to the Rongelap residents and a snowstorm of radioactivity exposed the unsuspecting islanders to a near lethal dose of radiation. The result was Rongelap residents received a high sub-lethal dose of gamma radiation, extensive beta burns of the skin, and significant internal absorption of fission products. This causing several types of cancer, jellyfish babies, vomiting, diarrhea, skin burns, and hair loss.
My question is how could the U.S. government think that neighboring islands would not be effected when they are less than 80 miles away and downwind from the explosion?
Castle Bravo Hydrogen Bomb
The Timeline:
March 3, 1954: US evacuates Rongelap inhabitants to Kwajalein Atoll. Two days after the explosion.
1957: Atomic Energy Commission declares Rongelap safe for re-habitation. US scientists note: “The habitation of these people on the island will afford most valuable ecological radiation data on human beings.” The ugly truth revealed that there was no vegetation or animal life. Locals survive off of the land, chickens, breadfruit, coconuts, pandanus, fishing.
The residents complain for years of health issues and beg the RMI and U.S. government to relocate them. The U.S. government refused to relocate them.
1985: The Rainbow Warrior ship (through Greenpeace) makes three trips to evacuate the Rongelap community to Kwajalein Atoll. It took 10 days to move over 350 people (including 80 year old locals and newborns) and 100 tons of building material. Joblessness, suicide, and overcrowding have become problems for the Rongelap residents who settled on Kwajalein.
1986: Nuclear test compensation approved, setting aside a $US150 million trust fund.
1996 U.S. paid an additional $45 million resettlement fee. Phase I resettlement program was initiated in 1998. Scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory developed individual radiation protection monitoring programs for resettlement workers. The scientists also verified the effectiveness of cleanup measures.
U.S. Government (2005 and 2012) feels it has adequately compensated victims and denies further payment.
The Start of the Ghost Town
2011: The U.S. visited Rongelap to investigate resettlement options.
2012: The U.S. funds construction which begins on 50 new homes, a pier, massive generators, fuel tanks, and a water treatment plant. The workers complete the power plant, water-making equipment, paved roads, airport, and 50 homes.
Workers treated land where homes and community facilities were located, following advice from the U.S. government. They also scraped off the top 15 inches of top soil and replaced it crushed coral and rocks. Additionally, crop growing areas were doused with potassium fertilizer to block uptake of radioactive cesium-137 by the roots.
The officials had plans to build a medical clinic, school, and more village settlements. However, they were never executed.
A few years later, Japan funded the construction of a small 4-bungalow resort. The Japanese built the main facility with a bar/restaurant and the 4 bungalows. But it never opened.
The Ghost Town
These homes are some of the most beautiful homes we’ve seen in the Marshall Islands. I’d say more than 70% of the population live in shacks compared to these well-made homes with solid roofs. They are all equipped with water tanks and window mounted AC units.
There each have 3 bedrooms, with granite counter tops, and stainless sinks. Some houses still have the window/door stickers, some still have the tyvek vapor barrier exposed. Most homes have vegetation encroaching on them and gutters falling off. They are going into disrepair without ever having inhabitants.
The Rongelap Beach Resort
The Japanese funded the construction of the Rongelap Beach Resort in 10-12 year ago. They built the main building with a restaurant, bar, and outdoor seating. They also built 4 bungalows with kitchenettes, decks, and hot water tanks. Once new and beautiful, now decrepit. Never occupied.
Some of the bungalows had bed frames, dresser, and even shower curtains….yet they sit empty and rotting.
More Unused Facilities
The U.S. built this beautiful, open-air airport with bathrooms, luggage storage area, check in desk, and waiting area. But no planes come and this facility sits unused.
Local residents built this lovely little church in the 1970s. So, it sits rotting away and slowly disintegrating.
We found one of the original cemeteries for children. After the bomb went off the women were giving birth to “jellyfish” babies who subsequently died.
Rotting Equipment
Workers left a lot of construction equipment to just rot.
Workers dug out giant trenches in the coral and used it in the construction of the ghost town. I took a photo at low tide (top) and at mid-tide (bottom).
The Problems
There are 4 main problems:
The U.S. claims Rongelap is ready for inhabitants to return. However, Rongelap residents are afraid of the poison in the land and now flowing through the vegetation and wildlife. They do not want to move back. Seems to me the U.S. should have determined if anyone wanted to move back before building the village and spending hundreds of millions of dollars.
Several agencies have conducted various tests on the main island of Rongelap. However, nobody has tested any of the other 61 islands in the atoll.
The Rongelap irooj (owner/chief) receives a stipend for each displaced resident. If any of the residents move back that money will go away. Rumors are that the irooj is “encouraging” the Rongelap residents to remain in Majuro and Kwajalein. This is despite the residents desire to return to their home atoll.
Residents would need to be import their food by boat or plane. With Rongelap being almost 400 miles away from Majuro it makes it difficult for the limited supply ships to visit. In addition, the local airline, Air Marshall Islands (owned by the Marshallese government) refuses to add Rongelap to its routes.
Links:
Our blog posts run 8-10 weeks behind actual live events. We were in Rongelap in mid-January 2025. Don’t miss our last blog post on the beautiful atoll of Rongerik.
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