Operation Redwing Radiological Safety (May - June 1956) (Deleted)

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diologicaf Safety, which remains classified SECRET/RESTRICTED DATA as of this date. Extract version prepared for: DEFENSE NUCLEAR AGENCY

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Dpcrrtlon REDUINC - Radlologlcal Safety Los Alamos Sctcntlflc Laboratory Los Al~los, New notlco Approved for public release; unlimited dlstrlbutlon. Thlr report has had the classified information removed and has been npubl1shed in unclasrlfled 2onn for publlc release. This work was performed by the General Electric Classlflcation Management Dlvlslon of the Defense Nuclear Agency.

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This report has had classified material removed In order to make the information available on an unclassified, open publication basis, to any interested parties. This effort to declassify this report has been accomplished specifically to support the Department of Defense Nuclear Test Personnel Review (NTPR) Program. The objective is to facilitate studies of the low levels of radiation received by some individuals during the atmospheric nuclear test program by making as much information as possible available to all interested parties. The material which has been deleted is all currently classified as Restricted Oata or Formerly Restricted Oata under the provision of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, (as amendei) or is National Security Inform&ion. This report has been teprod%ed directly from avaIlable copies of the original material. The locations from which material has beer, deleted is generally obvious by the spacings and *holes* in the text. Thus the context of the material deleted is identified to assist the reader in the determination of whether the deleted information is germane to his study. It is the belief of the individuals who have participated in preparing this report by deleting the classdfied materfal and of the Defense Nuclear Agency that the report accurately portrays the conten?s of the original and that the deleted material is of little ur no significance to studies into the amounts or types of raoiation received by any individuals during the atmospheric nuclear test program.

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Thlr report aontalna a dercr@tI~a of the dsrlon, oqaatuUoo, rod wtlvltier of Task Walt 7, T.ek Chup 7.1, Joint Tank Forcb SEVEN, cturhq Opcatlon Ruiwing. T_uk Unlt 7 was chrged with the mspoaalblllty of providlng radlologlcal-safety ruppolt for the Sulratlflo Task Group. TO 7.1. The varloua ch8ptem am devoted to l diacuaslon of the actlvitler etqaged Ln by the Task Walt d the oqphatlon necermry to provide ubquate of the etude of Opemtloa Redwing. Radlologlulrurpey remllts of the atollr following flrhg of the varlam devices am pmaetied. Specld problemr ulslag durhg the opemtfon am discussed.

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Task Unit 7 flu-7) wisher to aclamwlecke the cooperation axi mpport of the followtng orgaalutloa& Their combloed efforta wem largely mrpooaible for the mccema of the radldogiad-duty operrtlma durlq Operation Real& Divfrfcm, Loo Alamoe Sclcntlflo tikrrtoxy (LML) Supply and Property Deprtment, LAEL Albuquerque OperaUoam Offlcc, Atomio Energy Commlrslon (AEC) Holmes a& Namer, Ina. OWN), Lor Angelor, Cal& Ia addition, the following trdivIdrulr are to be cmditecl ulth nuking elgnlfkamt contrlbutlonm that materially rrrlsted Tt’-7 during all phuer of Tbomar L. Shipman, Health Dlvisloa, LASL Leo 0. Chellua, Health Dltislon, LASL Simon Shlarr, Health Dlvlelon, LASL Major Chuler L. Weavctr, U. 5. Army

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Procurement of Personnel Fxilltlas rad Services Shots and Survey Rezrulta 3.1 Facllltles ad Servtces 3.2 Shot8 ad Survey Resultr Film Procesrlng ad Record Poatlng

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Chapter 2 Enlwctok Opamtlonn Chapter 2 Enlwetok Operations t.l-Firing Schedule, Etrlwetok Atoll Chapter S Bikini Operatlonr 3.X-Firing Schedule, Blklni Atoll

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The mlselon of TU-7, Task Group (TO) 7.1, was as follows: the sclentlflc mbslon of TG 7.1 except those in conjunctIon with aircraft and airborne collection of sclentlflc da& b. Assume responalbliity for TG 7.5 radiological sskty during the operatIonal phase of Bedwlng. logical safety probtems to aii task groups. d. Provide ail legal doslmetry services for Joint Task Force SEVEN. The operational concepta, calling for flr& capablllUes at both Blklnl and Enfwetok atolls, neceasltated a Task Unit orgalratlon that provided two separate organlzatlone were established at Blklnt and Enlwetok wlth over-ail control being malntalned by the Commander of TU-7 (CTU-7). The organlzattons at each atoll were similar, varying only in the number of personnel rssigned to the various sections. Each organfzatlon contained the foiiowlng aectionq aa shown In the organlzatlon chart In Fig, 1.1. a. Doslmetry and Records Sectlon for malntalnlng 1egaI doslmety b. Plotting and Briefing Section for conducting ail aerial surveys and briefing ail pemonuel going into radex areas. c. Monitor Section for provldlng ail monltortng 8ervlces and manning

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d. supply section for provtdlng rad-safe rupplles and laundry ae~icea (f&cllltler furnlrhed by To 7.5). 0. Decontaml.naUoa 3xtloa for opentlng facllltles for personnel and The Task Unit headquarters consisted of CT I:-7, a photodoalmetry officer, a supply supervisor, and an admlnirtrattve clerk. All photodoslme:ry work was uontrolled directly by CTU-7 lthrough the photodoslmetry off&r, thus rellevlng the atoll commandera of ‘respoaslblllty for the legal doalmety ~lscoxds. This arrmgement was ntidrr8ry bec8u8e of the requirement to matntaln, In many casee, duplicate doslmetry records at BW and Enlwetok, Under normal opentfng cu$ltfons the Edwetok organltation stnngth ly~l 65; that at Bikini, 50. All supply ptPblems wen handled through J-4, located at Enlw. tok. The nuster file8 of photodoslmetry recoxdr were mzlntained at Enlwetok uxi the fXlm badges lerued to membem of I‘0 7.2, TG 7.3, ud 2‘3 7.4 we= processed by the Enlwetok Doglmetry and Records Section. Radlologlcal safety support for TX37.5 was provided by H&N xmd-safe pemonnel, who wem incorporated into TU-7 during the operatlorJ1 perlod. Generally, the group comprlaed approxlm8tely 10 people. 1.3 Procurement of Personnel Pereonnel for manning TU-7 wem pnrmrtd from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The m8jorlty (102 offlcera and enllsted mea) came from the Army, 8a the eatlm complement of the U. 8. Army First Radlologlcal Safety Support Unlt tthe Plrat RSSU), E‘r. McClell8n. Alabama, wu made 8vdlable xvquIsltlowd directly from the Chemfcal Corps. Eight officer8 uxl enllsted mea axi thirty ctvUlan trainees wem provided by the Navy. Tbe clvlllans, employee6 of the Navy ai various ehlpy~rds throughout the Unlted S&tee, were used prlmarlty to operate control polnta and decoatarninatlon centera. Fart Navy enllsted hospital corpsmen provtded all mdlochemfstxy seIvIce8. normally the count!% of water aml sol1 sampler. Navy ofAcem were placed throughout the Task Unlt 88 requlti. Air Force offkere md enlisted men worked In thu Plotting and Brleflng Sectloru and In the MonItorlag Secttons. Air Force personnel performed all wcessary monltorlng functlona coacerncd

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T;;PLalae of the Tuk Uqlt p~monnel ad project monitors MI carried the Mmt RSSU prwldlng the tratnmg rtaff. However, man,, me&em of courue, conriucted by men&en of the Flnt RSSU, LASL, aad UCRL, t-4 monad ~ttencled the court, which lasted four and one-ha!f days. personnel wu conducted at LASL by a Lumbar of gruupr wttbln H-Dlvirloa The Navy hoepltal corprmen epent appnxlmately eight weelu la ltr varlow f&clllty at Tmsaeure ISI-A, San Francl8c0, rrrangementr belog made through the Naval Ra&Aoglcal Defense Laboratory (NRDL). Also, all Navy clvlllana used by the Task Unltn vwe gtven four week6 of hstnxtlou 8% NRDL prior to departure for the Pwziflc Proving Grwnd8. Monltoxut tralnlng courses were conducted at Parxy and Enyu lrlandr u requlrsd. Holmer and Nanwr personnel were trained u mooitora by the H&N orgaalzatlon 00 Parxy Wand.

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2.1 Facilities and Services In support of the operations at Eniwetok Akll, check pofnts controlling entry and exit from contaminated areas were established under the direction of the Plotting and Briefing Sectlon of the Had-Safe Center as required. Mafn check points utilized at all times were located at the alr dlapatche? s office and at the boat landing. As the situation demanded, other check points were establlshed at the personnel pier aad on tslands in the atoll other than Parry. All persons entering or returning from a radex area were processed through these check points. An area was consIdered a full radcx area if the contamination exceeded 100 mr/hr and full protecilve clothing was required for entry into it. Limited radex areas wars established as necessary where the contamination ~9 in excess of 10 mr/hr but leas than 100 mr/hr. In these amas the clothing requircmente were dlctstcd by the sltuatlon and the Job to be performed. 2.1.1-Personnel-decontamination facilities were removed from the RadSafe BulldIng and established on the beach across the road from the Rad-Safe Center, shce the faclllties in the Rad-Safe Bufldlng bad been found to be completely inadequate during Cperstion Castle. The faclllties conslated cf clean and shot” change areas and showers. A total of 1560 parties, with 1 to 50 men in each, were processed through the Enlwetok check points from 5 May to 20 July 1956. Of thts group, approldmateiy 1600 indlvlduals were processed through the personnel-decontamlnatlon station. Laundry s*tices necessary to malntain the protective clothing W~IW provided by H&N under the dtrectfon of the Supply Section of the Rad-Safe Center. lkro complete laundry units aonsieting of washers and driers were used for contaminated 2.1.2-The equipment-decontamination etatlon on Parry Island processed a total of 225 vehicles, ranging from jeeps to large moblle cranes. In

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addltlon, aumeroue pieces of emall equipment weI’8 cleaned up for the varlou6 proJcct6 and for H&N. Normal proccdurv called for all heavy equipment returnlng from shot lelandr to be monitored on removal from bode at the boat landing azrl directed to the decontarnlnatlon etatloa if neceasaxy. Vereene and cltrlc acid were the common docontam!natlng agents employed, m;i a eteam generator was used to provlde hot solutlone for the necessary waehlng. When equlpmcd US not needed lmmcdiatcly, the vcNcle6 were held in a *‘hot*@parldng lut for varying length6 of tlme before decontamlnatfon ln order to reduce contamination levels by radioactive decay of the contaminants. 2.1.3-The P;ottlng and Briefing Scctlon was responsible for the conduct of all radiological suncys on the atoll, the majority of which were made by were made as requlred. The basic 1nntrL’ment uecd in the aerlal surveys was a special lonizatlon chamber hilt by ,‘. dan Electronics, Inc., to the 500 r/hr were de0 ueed. When neceseary, data were radloed back to the Rad-Safe Center from the survey helicopter. Plotting and briefing stations were maintained la the Rad-Safe Center and the J-3 office. Ground survey6 of island6 in the atoll were conducted when rtqulred. necessary. The demand ~6s quite small. Normally, no more than two or three were furnlehed after any one shot. 51 general, proJect6 provtdec? their own monitors as members of the recovery partles. Monftorr, were responelble to party leaders, who were cxpccted to accept a monltor’s advice and plan their operation6 accordingly. 2.1.5-L&oratory facllitice for radlochemistry work at Entwetok Atoll were obtained from the Army Signal Corps. One radiochemistry trailer, AN/MDQ-1, wa6 parked Lear the Rad-Safe Building and used for all aample preparation and counting. The work load of the Laboratory Sectlon at Enfwetok wa6 quite small. Approximately 100 sample6 of lagoon water were processed after the KMAMK, APAQiF,& HURON devices were fired. In addltlon, seveal trltlum urine analyses were performed. Because of alpha contamlnatlon after the Y&IA and the KXKAFCC 6hot6, a ccrlected and counted periodically for gross beta-gamma activity or total alpha acttvtty. Chemical analysis was not rcqul red. 2.2 Shots and Survey Result6

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any one rhot did not materially bterfem with prepamtiona for the aext. In cemin maea, exude decontxminaffon mcamrea were necesraxy Ln order to mduce the contpmlnatloa level to a pdnt whells a normal dry’s labor could and bulldottng operrtlona worn all that was neccasary. Table 2.1 glvee the flrlng schedule for Enlwetok Atoll. TABLE 2.1-FIRING SCHEDULE, ENIWETOK ATOLL reduced efgnfflcrmt amounts of con~tlon on dI Maads north’ of unit. Sunrey mesults four hours after shot time am shown fn Fig. 2.1. Because of contamlnatlon, the camps on RoJoa and Teltelrfpucchl WCII)permanently closed after thts ehot. The camp on the south exi of Ranit, tamination amund the air dlspatcher~s office on BIlJlrl ami along the road8 wtthln the Aomon-RoJoa oomplox was accompllrhed by using road ecraperr and bulldoxexn. Thlrr materially reduced the! dosage that personnel racelved in tmanslt to working rlter. In addltlon, the area8 aroumi the tower sites on permitted work to continue there ln a normal manner tithaut exposing perronml to radIaUon doacs ln excoaa of the maxtmum permlseible expomns.

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added pxecautlons were taken la from recovery operations. The tower site device on Aomoa was not matertally affected, howfired on Runlt In the vtclntty of the airstrip, produced heavy coma only on the shot isl;md. Survey results at H*4 hr are shown in Flg. 2.3. Islands north of Run!t la the atoll were but sllghtly contaminated and no tnterference with preparations for $hsr shots resulted. Bulldoztng operattons were carried out on Runlt in ths)BIsckfo0t Jtowerareain order to mduce exposures to an acceptable level for personnel requiring PCproduced extremely heavy contamination on the Teltefrtpuccht-Bogon complex. Survey results are shorn In Fig. 2.4. Certaln recovery mlsslons requfrtng entry on the south end of Teltetrtpucchl were held up for approldmately two days. Entry Into the bunker on Bogon by hellcopter was not matertally affected. 2.2.5-Heavy contamlnatton from the Blackfoot lzhct, fired on rentral Runit, was limited primarily to the shot island. c owever, the photo tower on Mack was highly contamtnated from the fall-out. The contamination on Mack was reduced to some extent by local rain showers; in general, thts contamination complicated preparations for other shots, since it made full protective clotnfng mandatory for any operations In the tower. Survey results at H+4 hr fired on Ao_mqnand resulted a9d psrsonnel-decontaminatlon facllitles on the south end of Aomon In order to facilitate recovery oyerattons. Durtng these operations extreme precautlons were necessary, and certain of the operations requfred the use of supplted-sir breatblng apparatus by welders, as for example, when cutting torches were used On pi showed that no detalled survey was required and that recovery operation9 fired ou RUJON, praJuced heavy local contamlContamlnatlon on the adjacent island of Ebe14~

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Flg. 2.2-. 4 radiation Intensltfes on Enlwetok Atoll at H+4 hr. In r;;illfroentgul$per hour. Shot islad was AOIXLOZL

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was of no c 3nseque~ce and did not interfere with preparation for the firing of the *tWu device. Survey results at H+4 hr are shown in Fig. 2.7. 2.2.9-Extremely heavy local contamination resulted from the firing of t on we& deposited on the northern islands of the atoll. Survey results are shown ln Fig. 2.8. Certain recovery opcratlons on Eberiru and ad)aceat Islands were delayed for several days as a result of the contamination. 2.2.10-In order to fire UteLApache ldcvice in the Mike crater aff Teltolripucchf, a consIderPble amount of earth-movtng wan required. This was necessary because of tha need for an uncbstructed line-of-si ht from the bunker on Bogon to the ehot barge in the crater. When the Seminole was f 2fired on Bogon, it dug a rather large crater and threw up considerable ehris that had to be moved to meet the line-of-sight requirements. Since contamlnation levels ln the Teitelripucchl-Bogon cosplex were of the order of 4 to 5 r/hr at the time the c,onstNctioa WK~ was requlred, extra precautions were necessary to ennure against*ove=xposure of equipment operators. Accordingly, a cab shfclded by I/2 to 1 In. of lead was built onto one of the bulldozers. This bulldczer was used ln moet of the work of moving the …