Nitol v. United States

7 Cl. Ct. 405, 1985 U.S. Claims LEXIS 1049
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedFebruary 14, 1985
DocketNo. 543-81L
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 7 Cl. Ct. 405 (Nitol v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nitol v. United States, 7 Cl. Ct. 405, 1985 U.S. Claims LEXIS 1049 (cc 1985).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION

HARKINS, Judge.

These 12 consolidated cases are the remaining claims filed in the United States Court of Claims on behalf of the inhabitants of the Marshall Islands as a result of the United States nuclear testing program in those islands during the period June 30, 1946, until August 18,1958. The cases are before the court on defendant’s motion to dismiss filed May 13, 1983. The Memorandum of Decision filed October 5, 1984, in Juda v. United States, 6 Cl.Ct. 441 (1984), a related case, contains general information about the procedural posture of all of the Marshall Island claims, the nuclear testing program, and the status of United States political relationships in Micronesia. A Memorandum of Decision was filed November 30, 1984, in another related case, Peter v. United States, 6 Cl.Ct. 768 (1984). The general information in the Juda case, 6 Cl.Ct. at 443-45, applies to the claims in these 12 consolidated cases.

The complaints in these consolidated cases also assert the detonation of 12 nuclear devices at Johnston Island, from July 1958 through June 1962, was part of the United States nuclear testing program on which the claims are based. Johnston Island is located 1,000 miles east of the Marshall Islands. Politically, it is not part of the Marshall Islands, or of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Plaintiffs do not show how the Johnston Island tests produced any effect that has a bearing upon their claims.

Limojwa Nitol, et al. No. 543-81L

In the Nitol series of cases, 11 complaints were filed simultaneously on September 9, 1981 (Nos. 543-81L through 553-81L); the twelfth case, No. 372-82L, was filed July 26, 1982. At the close of oral argument on August 2, 1983, unlike in the Juda and Peter cases, a final decision on the motion to dismiss was not indicated for the Nitol cases. Decision then was reserved because the initial complaints were unclear as to the basis for an alleged implied-in-fact contract.

On August 9,1983, in all cases, plaintiffs filed first amended complaints. On August 15, 1983, defendant filed a supplement to its motion to dismiss; and on August 25, 1983, plaintiffs filed a supplement to their response. For purposes of defendant’s motion to dismiss, the facts alleged in the first amended complaints filed August 9, 1983, are taken as true.

In each of the 12 cases, the complaints allege that the plaintiffs are citizens of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and of the Marshall Islands. Each complaint alleges that the plaintiffs hold certain ownership rights under Marshallese custom in the particular atoll or island involved. All of the complaints allege that the United States unlawfully has taken and has damaged plaintiffs’ properties, and has assumed and breached fiduciary duties owed to plaintiffs.

Structurally, the 12 amended complaints follow a common pattern. Many paragraphs are identical, with changes only as [408]*408required to designate the name of the particular atoll or island involved. Four paragraphs in each complaint are different because they contain information peculiar to a particular group: paragraph No. 3 identifies and describes the plaintiffs; paragraph No. 6 describes the location, size and population of the particular plaintiff; paragraph No. 17 alleges radiological fallout has been studied on certain atolls and islands and describes the removal of populations of three atolls; and paragraph No. 21 alleges defendant has recognized radiation contamination in certain places, and describes its extent.

The following chart sets forth information alleged in paragraph 6 of the complaints:

Case No. & Name Atoll Population Area *
543-81L Limojwa NITOL, et al. Maloelap 500 75 Islets; Dry Land Area — 3.79 sq. miles; Lagoon Area — 375.57 sq. miles
544-81L Manini KABUA, et al. Ailinginae ** 25 Islets; Dry Land Area — 1.08 sq. miles; Lagoon Area — 40.91 sq. miles
545-81L Manini KABUA, et al. Wotho 202 18 Islets; Dry Land Area — 1.67 sq. miles; Lagoon Area — 36.65 sq. miles
546-81L Anjua LOEAK, et al. Rongerik ** 14 Islets; Dry Land Area — 0.65 sq. miles; Lagoon Area — 55.38 sq. miles
547-81L Manini KABUA, et al. Ujae 378 15 Islets; Dry Land Area — 0.72 sq. miles; Lagoon Area — 71.79 sq. miles
548-81L Limojwa NITOL, et al. Utirik 548 10 Islets; Dry Land Area — 0.94 sq. miles; Lagoon Area — 22.29 sq. miles
549-81L Manini KABUA, et al. Rongelap 426 61 Islets; Dry Land Area — 3.07 sq. miles; Lagoon Area — 387.77 sq. miles
550-81L Limoj'wa NITOL, et al. Taka ** 6 Islets; Dry Land Area — 0.22 sq. miles; Lagoon Area — 35.96 sq. miles
Bikar ** 7 Islets; Dry Land Area — 0.19 sq. miles; Lagoon Area — 14.44 sq. miles
Jemo Isl. ** Dry Land Area — 0.06 sq. miles
Bokaak ** 10 Islets; Dry Land Area — 1.25 sq. miles; Lagoon Area — 30.13 sq. miles
[409]*409Erikub ** 16 Islets; Dry Land Area — 0.59 sq. miles; Lagoon Area — 88.92 sq. miles
551- 81L Likbar ANNI, et al. Mejit Isl. 150 Dry Land Area — 0.72 sq. miles
552- 81L Limojwa NITOL, et al. Wotje 350 75 Islets; Dry Land Area — 3.16 sq. miles; Lagoon Area — 241.06 sq. miles
553-81L Manini KABUA, et al. Lae 314 20 Islets; Dry Land Area — 0.56 sq. miles; Lagoon Area — 6.82 sq. miles
372-82L Ailuk R. Limojwa LANITTOL, et al. 450 55 Islets; Dry Land Area — 1284.48 sq. miles; Lagoon Area — 68.47 sq. miles
Total population asserted: 3,318
* all areas approximate-
** uninhabited

The allegations applicable to all complaints assert that at the end of World War II, the United States government knew about the acute medical danger of nuclear radiation to human beings. In order to resolve questions as to the actual nature, effect and force of nuclear weapons, the United States government planned a program for controlled tests to study such effects on naval vessels. The tests should be held overseas until it could be established more definitely that continental detonations would not endanger the public health and safety. The search required the location of a site which would satisfy the following conditions: control by the United States, an uninhabited or sparsely populated area far from United States population centers, and a large, shallow lagoon suitable for anchoring target vessels.

In January of 1946, the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff selected Bikini Atoll for the first test, Operation Crossroads, and this choice was approved by the President. The United States detonated 23 atomic and hydrogen bombs at Bikini Atoll between June 30, 1946, and July 22, 1958, and during that same period, detonated 42 nuclear devices at Enewetak Atoll. The largest test was the 1954 detonation of an experimental thermonuclear device, “Bravo”. Between 1958 and 1962, 12 additional nuclear devices were detonated at Johnston Island. The testing at Bikini, Enewetak and Johnston Island allegedly was a critical part of the United States nuclear weapon development.

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Bluebook (online)
7 Cl. Ct. 405, 1985 U.S. Claims LEXIS 1049, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nitol-v-united-states-cc-1985.