▁yield ▁of ▁ 1 0 8 , 4 9 6 ▁kil ot ons , ▁over ▁ 7 , 2 0 0 ▁times ▁more ▁powerful ▁than ▁the ▁atomic ▁weapons ▁used ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II ." ▁With ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁test ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁U . S . ▁hydro gen ▁bomb , ▁code ▁named ▁" I vy ▁Mike ," ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁El ugel ab ▁in ▁the ▁E new et ak ▁at oll ▁was ▁destroyed . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁At omic ▁Energy ▁Commission ▁regarded ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Islands ▁as ▁" by ▁far ▁the ▁most ▁cont amin ated ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁world ." ▁ ▁N uc lear ▁claims ▁between ▁the ▁U . S . ▁and ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Islands ▁are ▁on going , ▁and ▁health ▁effects ▁from ▁these ▁nuclear ▁tests ▁l inger . ▁ ▁Project ▁ 4 . 1 ▁was ▁a ▁medical ▁study ▁conducted ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁of ▁those ▁residents ▁of ▁the ▁B ik ini ▁At oll ▁exposed ▁to ▁radio active ▁fall out . ▁From ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁to ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁at ▁least ▁$ 7 5 9 ▁million ▁was ▁paid ▁to ▁the ▁Marshall ese ▁Island ers ▁in ▁compens ation ▁for ▁their ▁expos ure ▁to ▁U . S . ▁nuclear ▁weapon ▁testing . ▁ ▁Independ ence ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁the ▁Government ▁of ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Islands ▁was ▁officially ▁established ▁and ▁the ▁country ▁became ▁self - g over ning . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁the