Letter to Schlesinger, Et Al, Subject: Enewetak Radiological Survey

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cleanup, rekbllftation, and resettl~t of !tbe atoll in eoametlm the fir9t test *arie9 thera. SAHDSTOKE, belmg catdnctd b m SW@ lltboagh tbelr rmmber hm m l-s3cre8sed- Oboat 432. Ad4%tio%el test Gaograptiictit fom of tbe ltoll k * lB Figure 1. Its r-tma suggests inherent aatly operaticma m accoqlih the Eecessary surveys mad subqueot cleanup. rlgure ‘2Identi-f lee the imhksbds Of * stollj-.”:-“-”-- red general lotxtha ef the QUC.leu tests cuodwtod . --- to owwq eud e:lem q kfwetok Atoll Ut b htakaa tO h Emlvetok kebtteble. The program was dtvlded fmta thrme phama: (1) rre-cleamp

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. . and Resettlvt AS with Bikini MOM, raspmmibility for champ is raaponsibla for cmductin,g a radlobgical mnrcy, aasea~ing the results, ad estdlishixig critaris am cozutraint~ for cleanup end rehabiut ion, Izwol.vlngothax aganciofi M approprtita. Organization of the Erdwatok &dLolc)gkal survey, now dar way, in shown 10 ?*ur* 3. TtM Haahington Interagency Grcnrp la chugad with coordination of actions to effect OVUti Eniwatok Atoll o’bjectivea. l%. Manager, Nevada (lperatlom Office, has bean dlrectd m plsn, organise, amd conduct the radiological euvir~ t of IMiwetok Aml 1 Technical etandards and requiramants for the surwey and cleanup operations dll be provided by racponsibls dlvtsiom withb W Hadquiw ~erwt specifically i has the responsibility far rem.ewlmg end guiding the preperatim of a report w the radiological status of tha atou This report will h prepared by the Data Evaluation with DBEX and the Mvisfoo of Hilltary Application (N) for thesQ plane and their extension during the sumey vttb the Asalstant General Manager for Fkwiroumant and Safety (ACMES) . DOS will also provide inforMT ioo m the survey to EPA staff St the Washington level upon requlect. MM will review and evaluate all data and aeseaamm ts relevant to the feasibility of various cleanup mettmiu and methods for dtqosal of hasardous materials. Cleanup criterti, requiresaentn, guicmima, and environmental and health protection standardn to be qloyed durixtgclemu~ operations til then be dervatipedby DOS in consults’1 m with appropriate AEC staff (c) The AGMMA b th Ovaral.imut hority ad respousibllity withfn the AEC for coordioat iq mar aru related to the rehabilitation of tha Knfwetok Atoll The radiologlcd sumey, and the Lntarprative lffort aasociatd With it,, Is l large program 8uperimposad m l nmnber of t=hn$cally quallfiod organixat ionfs Survey activities and analytical efforts by refsponelble

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. . AI m axa=pl~ of tha COEPIU rmftolqfcd situatfcm uhich eriats on expmxre ratas al that la18s3d“ Gmtamfn8tlo9 from eight taeta Oa Emllt is -eumbla today. b early preltiq mmmy h tcmfimad tbo grati, end otlmr partical.mtaeon the island mrfam and tue.rmrf8ca. areas may be quitt differtit u to Immla ad vmrtti distributbo of radioactivity fn coil Data avallabla to tit. @ifcato that radidogical contaalnatloo la Ieeu eavsra m othm talamis bat is mifficlait to posa (a) T&e AH: will fund the radiological mspacts of tiM preeleanup u~y, the conduct of any other radiological eurvey activity that might be roqufred to under8of pwpla end davelopmesxa of”etandmis, end the conduct of pariodic follow-w radiological Immqw that take place done by t.tiaMC lo euppoti of c leanq, UC uhould be rulmbDOD wul.d be rmqmuaible for funding tba angktsq portions activities thak em required tc eupport clmmup operations and to insur, aafaty of’ pereomal involved fi chamsp radiological aad rmn-radi.alogfcaltmtiviti-. WI would be reqxmaible for funding rmhbi. trmtioo coats rmco cleanup 4.s Preeent best estima~e of tha cost of the MC preclexmup radiological eonitorlng acti.titleeare eathsted to be approximately $ll!par year rests U* ~tdy dependaut 00 the amount of eoti end debrla neadOd tO h removed end eubseuuant cllepoeal methods saupl.oyd. To data the IX3Dhas cossmlttd appr )~taly $SMX Im tbe pre{ lmmup qineering sumey.

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lhfwetok AtoL2. These atttvltlea comwm tha survepm ~tial to the claup, rehabllltation, and raaettlament of tbe atoll in eom.nactloci Edwetok vaa dealgnated l macl r te8tinq site in Decesahar1947, vith Of 1948. RioT to SANDSTOME the ‘Eniwetok~ple, about 1% in nb. were movod by f~beUnfted Sd es to Ujelang Atoll where they stfll reside, altbougb tbalr nwmber* bav ;mow increased ta lbout 432. Additional t-t The bet of 43 tuts wad b July 1958 Al! teats tu~e been listed publicly. Geographic locatloo of * ltoll la abmm in ?igura 1. Its resnoteness correctly eqgeste iphereutly costly operatbus to eccoqlish tits Oo April M, 1972, High Msshiaur Jonnatoa and tissador Wlllf-n8 jointly anwuK@M the iotentlon of tbe Vnited States to return Eniwatok Atoll to the ITPI subject te retentbn of same ~ realdual rights. Subsequently, tha Mpar-t of Iat erior (!M1), De~ t of De femse (DOD) , sad AM detcwmlsad tkuita coqrehenml- aad coordlnatad program to survey and cle-ao up ~iwe~ok Atoll mnst be undertaken to uka Eaiwetok babltahle. me program was ditidad fnto three phaes: 0) Re-cleamfP

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l . arid lbaettl~t. & vlth the rdiabilitattm of Blkinf Atoll, rcqxmelbllfty for cleanup and rehabilitation wta with t4 KKl ad lslumds. Typical judgmamts reqadring this Lnformat aonditloru affecttng aafa rdnhabltath lmda to ch rsdiolog$ul uhlch may k lodimitd on the uao sfilam! H watmr Areas. charged with coordination AX radlologlcd field eurvay to develop +$icient data cm the tetsl radlologiul and rurmsnt of Mwetok Atoll, Technical st~ ~ requir~ts for the survq and aleanup ~rati.ons vI-U be provided by 7preparation of l report oa ttM radlolotical statue of the ateli* Thio report till We pEqarod by tha Data Bvahation for pl.mmlng tha euncy d till provido the coordination of these plans and their axtenslon during the SU=V with to XPA ltaff l t tlyeWaahingtou laval upon request. m8 will ltandardm to he aaployad during cleamsp operatitma will then ba developed by MM in COUSW]tar~oo with lpproprtite MC staff The AGHMA ham tkm overall authority and respossibfiity vlthin of tha Kmiwatok Atoll Yhe radiologlc81 eumey, and the imtupret Ive lff Ott eseoeiated with it, La l hrga progt= auparimpos.d an l mnnber of technfally qualified organlaaticm. Su~ey lctlvitlem & analytical lfforts by responsibl-

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Enlwetak, one bland - Run%t - ia shown in Figure 6 with l plot Of P f8 me.aeumble today. An Mrly pralinlnary eummy ,* confirrad the presence of l plutonium baarin8 amid hyar outer ping on the ocean side of the fsbnd, and tho axiatamco of ml.ld pluttA baarlng chunke, graf.ne,and other partlcuhtes on the island wkfaee and near surface. Earth 8nd debris moving activltiaa during and ‘,dtu test operatiom have raeultd in 4 eoecplax redl.ologicml. lit#t ton in vhich tijacent areas may be qu$ta different as to levels dd vartical dlmtr:buticm of contaml.nationia leas lavere m other tda!d~ but b eufficfant to pe The MC wtll fuad the rtiiological aspects of tha conduct of amy other radiological mndft Loos in the ao+ircnnaan t l tbq rolato m axpoeurae of people and &el#pments ef standards, and the cmdxt lfter cleanup. @ later fielcl UUI1OT laboratov uerk La DOD wuld be responsible for fundl~ the engineariag portions of the pre+aanup eurvuy and thoee monitoring and mmq lctlvit lea tlmt are required to support cleanup operetiona and to lneira ufety of panonnml bvolvd h elumw raspor~albla for funding rahabil i tat Laa coats once cl~up 18 are eatimatul l lt betvean $20-40M ad may go higher. The actual final costs l re highlr tixndent em amount of mf 1 d Uebria naadad to be removed and lboaquant disposal mathoda asqlc!yed. To date the DOD has