03/01/2019

March 1, 1954 – Hydrogen bomb explosion on Bikini Atoll

Today, 65 years ago, the hydrogen bomb BRAVO exploded on the Bikini Atoll, which belongs to the Marshall Islands. BRAVO is the largest atomic bomb ever fired by the USA with an explosive force of 15 million tons. ifeu founding member Bernd Franke provided scientific support to the inhabitants of the Rongelap and Utrik atomic bombs affected by the fallout from 1988 and was a member of the Scientific Management Team of the Rongelap Resettlement Project. Financed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the team conducted investigations into the exposure of the atoll to radioactive materials. In 1996, the U.S. Department of the Interior provided $ 45 million for resettlement.

A radio interview with Bernd Franke (in German) can be found here.

The report of the Rongelap Resettlement Projects from the year 1994 can be downloaded here.