Planning and Operations Directive 1975 Bikini Radiological Survey

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA PLANNING AND OPERATIONS DIRECTIVE. 1975 Bikini Atoll Radiological Survey LLL, EPA, University of Washington Brookhaven National Laboratory

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PLANNING AND OPERATIONS DIRECTIVE 1975 BIKINI ATOLL RADIOLOGICAL SURVEY CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS 1 B. DIVISION OF OPERATIONAL SAFETY, ERDA/HQ 3 C. NEVADA OPERATIONS OFFICE 3 0. UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON 4 H. BROOUUVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY 4

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PUNNING AND OPERATIONSDIRECTIVE The Bikini Atoll was extensively used during the 1950's for atmospheric nuclear testing, necessitating displacement of the Bikinians. The rehabilitation of Bikini Atoll and the resettlement of people on Bikini and Enyu Islands has been approved and the project is underway with approximately 80 people now residing on these two islands. The need for a more comprehensive survey of Bikini Atoll was recognized in October, 1974, following a visit to the Marshall Islands by Defense Nuclear Agency, Department of Interior and ERDA representatives. ERDA became committed to the early accomplishment of this survey in a meeting with Trust Territory representatives in Anaheim, California, in January, 1975. The purpose of the 1975 Bikini Atoll Radiological Survey is to conduct a Gamma Survey which will supplement Brookhaven National Laboratory data and provide information for advising the Department of the Interior on the location of Phase II homes and to conduct a soil, plant'and water sampling\program. This planning and operations directive provides guidance and defines responsibilities for the conduct of this survey. Authorization and guidance for the Bikini Atoll Radiological Survey was furnished NV per teletype from ERDA/HQ dated May 19, 1975, attached as Appendix A. IV. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS DOE ARCHIVES The 1975 Bikini Atoll Radiological Survey will include sampling -, of biota, soil and ground water on Bikini and Enyu Islands (see Appendix B). Specifically, soil profile and surface samples will be taken around existing structures, proposed housing sites and in agricultural areas. Skimming wells will be dug to take soil samples at various depths and to collect

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CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS (Cont'd) Initial deployment of equipment and personnel will be via commercial aircraft and military aircraft from various CONUS points to Kwajalein. Personnel and cargo will assemble at Kwajalein and continue to Bikini via Kwajalein Missile Range (KMR) C-54 and the Marshall Islands Research Vessel (Liktanur). Upon completion of the survey, personnel will return to Kwajalein via KMR C-54 chartered aircraft. Sample shipments will be handled by military aircraft. The field survey itself will be followed by analysis of samples by McClellan Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Management of all survey operations will be the responsibility of the NV Field Survey Leader. The Technical Director (LLL) will advise and support the NV Field Survey Leader and has full authority and responsibility for the technical plan The survey party is expected to include representatives of: B. Office of the Assistant Manager for Operations @MO), NV F. University of Washington RESPONSIBILITIES DOE ARCHIVES 1, Grants authorkty for the conduct of the 1975 Bikini Atoll Radiological Survey to the Division of Opera-

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2. Assures that the Trust Territory and Marshall Islands Administrations and other appropriate agencies or organizations are aware of the responsibilities and guidelines of the survey. The Division of Operational Safety, EBDA/HQ,.is responsible for coordination with the Department of Interior and all other Washington level agencies and officials. DOS will also be responsible for program guidance, evaluation of survey data and the assessment of impact concerning plans for further resettlement of Bikini Atoll. C. Nevada Operations Office 1. Assistant Manager for Operations, NV Is responsible to the Manager, NV, for successful accomplishment of the objectives of survey and preparation of required survey reports. Is responsible for liaison with Trust Territory and Marshall Islands officials and with other concerned field agencies. Assures the appropriate technical and logiitic support for the conduct of the terrestrial survey. Will select laboratories to accomplish the laboratory analysis work. DOE ARCHIVES Assures that the appropriate survey reports are developed and submitted to ERDA/HQ as required. 2. Assistant Manager for Plans, Engineering and Budget, NV Will assist the AM0 as required in matters of field support and survey funding. .

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The Technical Director will be responsible to the AMO, NV, for the following: 1. Preparation of a detailed technical plan. 2. Direction of the technical effort in the field. 3. Preparation of the final survey report. LLL will be responsible to the AMO, NV,for the following: 1. Furnishing a Technical Director. 2. Supporting sample collection and laboratory analysis required for dose assessment, pathway assessment and lens water studies. EPA, NERC/LV will participate in the conduct of this survey by assisting the Technical Director in radiation measurement, and soil sampling programs. G. University of Washington assessment as requested. BNL will assist in sample collection, analysis and dose assessment as requested. EC&G will provide aerial photographic mapping of Bikini and Enyu Islands to facilitate position location in the ground survey (photographic mission completed May 23, 1975).

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The qchedule for the 1975 Bikini Atoll Radiological Survey is: Junk 11 All survey personnel and cargo on location at 12 Personnel and cargo prepare for departure. ’ 15 0800 LCU departs Kwajalein for Bikini. 16 LCU arrives Bikini; personnel depart Kwajalein for Bikini via C-54. 26 Personnel depart Bikini via C-54; LCU depart Bikini for Roi Namur. 27 Personnel depart for Honolulu. Funding for this survey is the responsibility of each parSurvey reports from field personnel will be submitted to the Technical Director in a timely fashion. I The final survey report will be published by NV and submitted to DOS, EKDA/HQ for evaluation.

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Table 1. Number of soil sample locations on each Island (continued). No. of Sample Locations North of airstrip South of airstrip The exact soil sampling locations will actually be determined by a random selection process to obtain statistically Eaning,ful and unbiased results. Special samples will also be collected within "hot spot" areas or other areas of specialized interest. The samples will be placed in plastic bags with appropriate identification tags and readied for shipment to LLL, where they will undergo preprocessing and gamma-spectral analysis. It is anticipated that analyses for other radionuclides of interest, such as plutonium-239 and strontium-90, will be performed at a Purpose: Gamma-Exposure Pate Survey The gamma-ray exposure measurements program conducted on the ground is designed to provide detailed examination of the geographical variability of the exposure rates on Bikini and Eneu Islands, and to provide overall verification of exposure rate measurements made during previous Methods and Measurements The program utilizes the Baird-Atomic scintillation detector which consists of a 2.5-cm-diam x 3.9-cm-long NaI crystal with ratemeter readout. The instrument is calibrated with a 137Cs point source on the primary calibration range of the Xaiiona 1 Environmental Research Center, Las ['e&as, Nevada. h?ile the rrsponse of this instrument is energy-dependent, our experience at Enevetak showed that this was not a serious limitation because of the dominance of 137Cs in the radiation background on the Atoll. We will also utilize the Reuter-Stokes high pressure ionization chamber. The current produced by the radiation induced ionization within the chamber is measured by a sensititive electrometer with digital readout. The instrument exhibits a flat energy response over all gamma-ray energies of interest to this survey. It is capable of rwasuring exposure rates from about 1 uR/hr to 200 GR/hr with an accuracy of about 5X. Thus, the results derived from this instrument may be. chosen as a reference to which nrasurments obtained by other techniques can be compared.

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1975 BIKINI SURVEY PROGRAM -Bikini Soil and Gamrna‘Exposure Rate Survey Program Purpose: Soil Survey The soil sampling program is designed to identify the primary radionuclides contributing to the external gamma exposure and to determine the geographical distribution of these radionuclides in the soil on Bikini and Eneu Islands of the Bikini Atoll. Every possible effort will be made to integrate this sampling program with previous programs to avoid undue duplication of effort. The actual number of samples and their specific collection sites will be a function of (1) the expected activity levels, (2) future home-construction plans, (3) future agricultural plans, and (4) the number and locations of recent soil samples collected by other Methods and Measurements ?t;o types of soil samples Fill be collected for analysis: (1) a 15-cm-deep surface core sample of 60 cm2 area, and (2) a profile collection based upon sidewall sampling in a trench in which samples of 100 cm2 area are collected at 15-cm depth increments to a total depth of 90 cm. For purposes of planning the survey, Bikini Island may be divided into the north, central, and south sections alcng the respective second baseline roads. Eneu may be divided into the north and south sections divided by the airstrip. The approximate numbers of surface and profile samples to be collected within these sections are shown in Table 1. Note that a major fraction of the surface samples will be collected within the central section of Bikini Island. This is due to the relatively higher and mi?re variable gazna exposure rates in this area and to the fact that a major fraction of the returning Biklnians will most likely reside within this section. Only a few profile samp,les are planned in this *area because several samples have already been collected during previous surveys. The north and south sections of Bikini Island and all of Eneu exhibit relatively lorcer contar,ination levels; hence, the saenling density is lower. Special emphasis, however, wiil b2 given to the lagoon side of both islands since future homes may be erected in these areas. Table 1. Number of soil sample locations on each island. No. of Sample Locations North of second Baseline N South of second Baseline S

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Measurements of the exposure rate at 1 m above the ground will be made with the NaI scintillator at each of the soil sampling locations on both islands. The ionization~~hamber,will be primarily used for measurements within the central section of Bikini Island with additional measurements to be made at selected areas. Thus, from this program a comprehensive picture of the gamma-ray exposure rates will be available for both Purp >sC?: To establish a network of well locations on Bikini and Eneu Islands in ordt?r to assess the ground water quality and to systematically study the hydrology and geochemisty of radionuclides, major and trace elements in the ground water system:Wstc!r movenc"nt and residence times will be assessed to deduce the transport rates aid m?chani-sms for radionuclides deposited in the soil zone or taken up by v2geiation. Methods and Measurments Approximately 7 holes will be drilled with a ground power auger at selected locations along the centerlines of Bikini and Eneu Islands. Pits will be dug with a backhoe to a maximum depth since the ground water reservoir surface will be approximately 2 meters below the ground surface. We must emphasize that the progress of this program will be seriously hampered if a backhoe is not available to support our effort. The auger will penetrate the ground water lens to a depth of approximately 3 to 5 feet. Each hole will be cased with slotted 2" diameter PVC pipe and the pipe k-ill be extended to the soil surface. ?"ne pit will be.backfilled to essentially provide no environmental impact on the area. The first hole will be located near the island center. The salinity of the water will be masured with an in-situ conductivity probe. Two holes will then be drilled to bracket the cen;er hole a;ld the salinity will be masured in each. We will continue drilling up &o 7 holes on each island proceeding in the direction toward the freshest indicated ground k-ater; this will provide the maximum number of well sites having the freshest water icr poter,cial utilization. \Jater will be ymped from the wells, filtered, and samFled. Radionucljdes, major elements, nutrients, and bacteria measurements will be made at the laboratory to provide data for water quality. Specific wells (to be defined in the field) will be pumped continuously over a day and serially sampled to follow the changes in water quality as a function of usage. Recommendations will be made on th? potential usefulness of the ground water reservoir for agriculture, household, or drinking purposes. Tbo closely spaced wells, located in high Cs137 disturbed soil columns on t!le local ground water quality. Soil leaching and lysimctcr experinints are also planned. The well locations, drilling, and sampling, however, are our first priorities during the two weeks allotted for this program. *

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Assessment of the fresh water residence time will be made from the data. The well network, once established, will be available for resampling on subsequent trips we plan to the atoll to thoroughly assess the :- dynamics of radionuclide cycling in the ground water reservoir and to maintain a surveillance on the water quality. The program operation will' be fashioned after our Enewetak ground water study and comparison of the data from both atolls should be especially valuable for predicting the mechanism and rates of constituents in ground water at Pacific atolls. bility for major element analysis and LLL (V. E. Noshkin) will have the responsibility for radionuclide assessment. We will determine the concentrations of Cs137, Sr90, and plutonium in all samples by radio chemical techniques. Gama emitters present in a ferric hydrcxide precipitate will be identified and the levels assessed from the spectrometry data. Tritium will be measured on selected .samples. Purpose: The main thrust of the program will be to determine radionuclide concentrations in food species, to correlate these with soil concentrations at various depths, to determine nuclide availability to plants in the coral soils, and to relate the food-species radioactivity to other indigenous nonfood species which may have indicator species potential. The information that this survey will provide is: The relationship between food species and nonfood species at the The relationship between total soil radioactivity and the radioactivity which is available to the plant in the soil1 solution at the time of sampling. The relationship of vegetation, soil, soil xater, litter, and humus in the overall cycling of radionuclides in meture food crops. The relationship of lens water radioactivity to that in soil water and plants growing above the lens zone in order to determine the rate of loss (time dependent information) from the coral Intra-island variability in vegetation radionuclide concentrations. Supply the data base for assessment. of terrestrial food chain transfer of radioactivity from the soil to man for long-term dose evaluation upon rehabiliation of the atoll.

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Methods and Measurements The sa_mpling program will therefore consist of integrated sample series composed of food species and soil profile samples which will be obtained on and ad hoc, species available basis. A broader sampling program which will be based upon a wideley available species, probably Messerschmidia or Scaevola, will also be carried out to determine the intra-island variations in vegetation radioactivity. These data will be valuable in recommending future agricultural sites and to correlate with the broad soil radioactivity survey and the aerial survey. An attempt will be made to correlate some sampling sites with the ground water survey to provide data on the cycling or radionuclides at the given site. hll food species …