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ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION Chairman, Advisory Committee f o r Division of Biology and Medicine U.S. Atomic Energy Commission To be attractive to industry the Cods sion ' s program of peaceful nuclear applications must be economically justifiable. It has been estimated by industry that the cost of drilling and casing a hole for an 18 inch diameter explosive inthe 10 KT - 100 KT range ata depth of 10,000 feet is approximately $1,500,000, whereas the cost of drilling and casing a12 inch device of the same yield at the same depth i s estimated t o be $600,000. While the present classification guide indicates that unclassified assumptions should reflect the need for use of an 18 inch device inthe 10-100 KT range, the fact that we are capable of fabricating a TN device ina diameter of 11.8 inches is unclassified. The Commission has determined that the following statement may be declassified and published without undue risk to the national defense and security and has approved revision of CG-PNE-1 Biology and Medicine Nuclear explosives have not been designed spec if i - call y for underground engineering applications. When conditions warrant, such special designs could be undertaken. It i s reasonable for industry to assume, for first generation designs, that yields of 100 KT could be obtained in a canister with an outside
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diameter of 11 inches, ' suitable for emplacement i n a standard 13-3/8 inch OD casing designed with a t least a 12-1/8 inch clear inside diameter, o r when appropriate, an open hole of the same minimum size. Unusual formation pressures and temperatures may present special problems requiring larger diameters Furthermore, the Commission has determined t h a t it would be desir able to release certain information to facilitate the Canal Studies Program and in addition reassure biologists that there would be no adverse health effects resulting from nuclear excav ation applications. To accomplish this the Commission has which includes a table concerning the nature and quantity of radioactive debris that may be released tothe atmosphere as a result of nuclear excavation applications : I n order t o plan for major excavation projects, the following factors relative to release of radioactive debris should be taken into account. The amount of radioactivity airborne in the cloud and in the fallout is minimized by scavenging during the venting process, by special emplacement techniques, by utilizing minimum fission explosives, and by employing extensive neutron Based on reasonable assumptions about these factors,the following information can be used i n pIanning for cratering events of useful magni tude for each individual nuclear explosive detonated, the sum of fission products airborne in the radioactive cloud and i n the fallout can be expected t o be as low as the equivalent o f 20 tons. The tritium release may be less than 20 kilo curies per kiloton of total yield. The sum of activation products airborne in the radioactive cloud and i n the fallout may be expected t o be a s low as the amounts shown i n the following table :
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Representative 'Set of Induced Radio activities (Total i n Cloud and Fallout) Nuclide Production, Kilo curie for Yield of