Comments and Recommendation by the Marshall Islands Advisory Group

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buried material and burial -in the sea or in the Cactus Crater seems to be logical. Uhere the OPLAN conditions are inadequate to fully represent the situation, or where it is unclear how the conditions are to be applied, the Advisory Group believ,es that situation-specific judgments should be exercised by the DOE technical staff at Enewetak in conjunction with the JTG. 3. Enjebi Experimental Garden Plot During the course of several meetings the Group has had the opportunity to r~fer to data that might be obtained from the garden plot on Enjebi. During its visit to the atoll in August the group briefly visited the plot. The Group has the impression that the garden has considerable potential for providing information on the relationships between radionuclic!es in soil and edible crops. Such information is of paramount importance in making informed recommendations about the future use of the northern islands of Enewetak Atoll and the return of the Marshallese to these islands. Based on our limited information concerning the garden plot and on our visit to it, we are particularly concerned that the garden will not be able to provide the information needed in a timely The group strongly recommends that the role of the garden plot as a part of an overall integrated plan for making radiological assessments be carefully evaluated. If the plot has a key role, it should be clearly defined and adequately supported to carry out its mission. This should include consideration of an alternate location in the event logistics problems are insurmountable after the JTG effort is completed. A review of preliminary data from the plowing experiment suggests that plowing decreased the potential for resuspension of plutonium since the plutonium in the surface soils appeared to be neat-ly uniformly mixed with all of the plowed soil. Thus, plowing probably wo(lld reduce the amount of plutonium that could be inhaled. However, while plowing might reduce the health risk from inhaled plutonium, the possibility remains that plowin to plant roots. To comment further on plo’wing, the Advisory Group 241flnlin p]o~led and Unp]owed soil and on the uptake Of these radionucl ides in plants grown in the plowed and unplowed soil. Dose assessments for the two conditions could then be obtained and used in determining the benefits of plowlng with respect to -rehabilitation of the Northern Islands.