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Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
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to reflect change on Battelle Pacific Northwest I.aboratories Below are comments on draft material on Enewetak visit [h.lt I received from you on 5 September. Please excuse the delay in response. Actually I have little to add to yOLlr summary, as items were cliscusscd in considerable detail on 23 AUgLISt at ~rrewetak. 1. Aomon C1-yQ–-l.!esimply do not have enough informacirrn abo~(t now because I believe problem afrer the I’RU of the Atoll that wil after the currenc JTG see much sense in mov hole to another. the overriding potcilr al radiolofii(:.11 clcall–LJp(/i]I be from fission produces on parts require some remedia or surveillance action effort is complcced. At prcscllt I c’lnnot ng unknown quanti Eles of materi.11 from onc guidance as a goal realizing tl):ltthe measurements used in determining:: contamination and sl)bseclllcntsoil removal tecl)niques are not without error. I would hope th.lt no one wLJulcihe overly concerned abo(lt 3. Hot Spots–-I WOUICI su~~est that common sense be used and ti~at [, . Plowin&-–kle need Llle experimental data analysis before we cfin offer me~ningful advice. I believe tile resulLs will suggest Lllat repeated plowing will cause a [;(,neralmixing down LO plow dc!pLh.
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Dr. William J. Bair September 13, 1978 6. Contaminated Bunkers-–The proposed response is adequate. I would suggest we also recommend that the Kickapoo tower anchor blocks not be removed. 7. Subsurface contamination––I am not in favor oi recommending criteria for subsurface contamination because I am not certain we have any meaningful estimates of the possible extent of subsurface contamination for the Atoll. I suspect this issue may best be handled as part of the larger problem I mentioned earlier–that is the uncertainty of dose contribution from the major fission products. I suspect some useful correlations may exist for cesium and plutonium for many of the test locations on the Atoll. 8. General comments–-I hope we can avoid providing the JTG with advice that implies a level of precision or understanding or> in fact> ~ the existence of information that really does not exist. I am also very concerned that no organizational entity zppears tO have the responsibility for avoiding another Bikini situation. Once again the fission product problem. lJhy build houses and consider coconut planting if resettlement may be decades away? Are the Enewetak people aware of this possibility? Which agency has the responsibility for the next step? \fio will perform a resurvey of the Atoll, and what is the time schedule ior such action’!’ tlore important oerhaps is the question of who will tell Congress that the job was only partly done. .in airing of these issues as soon as possible with DOE and others may be the most imporrant function our committee can perforn. I am also concerned that the high level of interest shown at our Livermore meeting on the possibility of rediscussiog ocean dumping with EPA was not recorded in our minutes or those of 5. lJ. I:achholz. As I ‘nave indicated on previous occasions I believe t!leplacemerLL of transuranic elements in the crater on Runit island is a relatively short tern remedial action and, in fact, less desirable than ocean dumping. The issue is not entirely academic because of the possibility of del.lying decisions on what to do with the materials now in the Aomon Crypt. It is also possible that the 13 Atoll survey now underway may also indicate the. need for ~clditional remedial actions. ‘ In addition there may be other pieces of real estate in the Pacific and other locations that might require disposal of naterials or soil contaminated with transuranic elements. I SLISpeCt that in the future people will question the wisdom of these expensi~re and rather heroic remedial measures to move large quantities ~)i contaminated soil a few miles [or fixation in Cactus crater for what may t~lrn out C(3be relatively short periods of times. I wonder if the record is examlnecl at son>e future date who would be held accountable for L[le current situ.ltion.