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Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
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MEMO ROUTE SLIP 1Form AEC-93 (Rev. Mav 14, 1947) AECM 0240 Seeme about this. For concurrence For action. Note and return For signature, For Information.
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ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION Your memorandum of October 6, 1972, to Martin Biles dealing with planning for the Eniwetok cleanup was in my view unnecessarily harsh. I also read part of the last paragraph to mean you wish OS counsel only within their clearly defined area of responsiWhy don’t we focus, as you suggested, on getting the best job accomplished rather than whose ideas are followed. I would hope that MA is prepared to recognize advice worth accepting and feel perfectly free to reject any that falls within your program responsibility without resorting to this type of
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Major General Frank A. Carom Assistant General Manager for Military Application During several meetings these last few days, the Division of Operational Safety has presented comments on the Eniwetok Survey Program. This memorandum is intended to confirm the more significant of these comments. 1. Enclosed is a draft copy of the OS recommended plan for a comprehensive radiological survey of Eniwetok Atoll. This, coupled with the marine biology program of BER should provide the basis for evaluating the radiological conditions on all islands of the atoll. Although the survey was designed as a sary for evaluating rehabilitation and planning restoration measures. The development of the plan was a joint effort of NV, OS, and the University of Washington. 2. Our experience in the restoration of Bikini Atoll convinces us that the survey team must be made up of multidisciplined technical persons S preferably led by scientists experienced in terrestrial, marine, and radiobiological work in the Pacific Islands. Acceptance of the results of the survey will be enhanced if the team is recognized by their peers in the scientificscommunity as including leading independent experts in the study of effects of nuclear tests on the marine environment. The staff of the University of Washington has this experience and qualifications dating back to the Crossroads in 1946. A competent scientist from the University of Washington should play a prominent role in directing this survey. 3. The most difficult and controversial long-range problem is the dose assessment. This is primarily a responsibility of BER; however, its success is dependent on having the proper input from the radiological surveys. A recommendation regarding rehabilitation of the atoll cannot be made until thorough estimates are made and carefully reviewed. As you know, Dr. Burr noted that BER will probably ask an outside group, such as the National Academy of Sciences, to review these assessments. The
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increased public awareness and concern for the effects of low-level radioactivity on the environment and man almost guarantee that the results, conclusions :nd recommendation will be subject to close public scrutiny. NV has assigned the lead technical role for the cleanup to LLL. However, we believe that it is important to take advantage of the extensive experience in plutonium contamination in various environmental situations, and the long standing studies of the biological effects of plutonium, which have , been done at LASL. We understand that there is to be a meeting at LLL on September 19-20, 1972, to review the draft radiological plan, and to develop a final plan for the sunrey. We plan to have appropriate representatives at the meeting to provide input and approve the plan. To minimize the possibility of oversights, we recommend that another review of the program be made after the survey team returns. Under the authority delegated to this division, I consider the following to be our responsibilities: lines and the overall exposure criteria for the cleanup b. to provide technical advice and assistance to MA on the adequacy of the survey and cleanup plans; and. c. to assist BER in making the overall dose assessment based upon the data obtained from the radiological survey of the Division of Operational Safety