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Declassified record · U.S. Department of Energy

Letter to C Nichols, Subject: Information Requested in Letter of 21 January 1980 - Enewetak

Dated
Dec 31, 1980
Document type
Correspondence
Length
3 pages
Open the original scanArchive record OSTI ID 16377551 · public domain

Document text

Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.

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informationyou requested in your letter of 21 January 1980 is Medical Records- The individualmedicalrecord should contain DD Form 1141 or an equivalent record which shows dose received as a result of radiation exposures assignments. For personnel assigned to Enewetak, information on radiation during duty related valuesfor the period May 1977 thru October 1979 have been reportdd to the individu~l~s new duty station for inclusion in the medical record. Values for subsequent periods will be reported when received from the fL ‘ ‘- .s. laboratory. If the appropriate form is not in the individualmedical record”,the individual should contact the Camsander, Field Command, Defense permanentrecords for doses receivedduringthe Enewetakoperations are maintained. In the case of Air Forcepersonnel,a centralizedrepository of these typo recordsis also maintainedby the Occupationaland Environmental Uholo Body count - If an individualconsidersthe need for l wholo hdy count essential,that indivi&al shouldcontacthis local medicalfacility. Gen&ally, the equipmentto perfons a wholebody count is centralizedat on. of the largerSenice medicalfacilities,hencethe localmedicalfacilityccwldmake arrangementsfor the individualto have a whole body count. Mwever, it shouldbe noted that the equi~ent used for this purposewill only measureinternalgm radiation. Consequently, LGEC 1/31/80 BEST COPY AVAILABLE

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such measurementswill probably mt Provido ingestionof alpha emitters. Eneuetakwere from inhalationor used on Eneuetakwere the full face piecepositivepressuremask, the half face piece positive pressuremask, the fill face piece negative pressure mask, and the paper surgicalmask. The positive~essure masks containa cannisterand portableelectro-mdumical air supply. Those masks providethe highestdegreeof protectionfrom inhalationor ingestion of contaminatedairborne particles. Tho next most effectiveis the negative pressuremask. This mask is operatedthrougha littlecannisteron the negativepressuredevelopedby tho individual’s lungs. Uhile this is & effectivemask it was not used in high hazami operations. The surgicsl mask is the only paper mask that was used. This was used to pzwvidea mechanical filtering capability in as s means to encourage discipline persomel to #cfmin fra smoking, 10U risk areasbut more importantly, in controlled areas which required -ting, drinking, and putting fingers in the nose or mmth thexvby redwsiag the potential for ingestion of Post c1eemkp Discovery of Rsdiocctive Debris - Since capleting debsi8 @ l result of shiftiag M sands and othernaturalchanges. To ac~te dispos81of this 8atmlal two (2) box type additionsto the cmter, each 20 feetby 20 feet,have been built to the ssme standards ls the containment structure. A third 8 feet by 8 feet additionis now under constmction and wiIl be used to contain any radioactivescrapdiscovered

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through the exxlof March 1980. After that date DNA will not search for or dispose of any further radioactive scrap. The DNA operation will be completed by that time and personnel and equipment will not be available for furth-ersearch and disposal operations. After the departure of the Task Group, the Department of Energy is expected to monitor the people and their environment. To obtain more details on the methods by which this will be accomplished, you should contact Mr. Roger Ray, Nevada Operations Office, Department of Energy, L&s Vegas, Nevada 89114. Shell Collecting - An order was issued by the Commander, Joint Task Group proscribing the collection of living sea organisms. This included shells with living inhabitants. The purpose of the order was to conserve, insofar as possible, the fragile ecosystem of the Atoll reefs. The order was repeated to all personnel one to two times a month in the daily-bulletin. Shell collecting was permitted, however, provided the shell contained no living organism. It should be noted that the beaches on Enewetak are formed by bits of shell and coral and are primarily calcarious material; consequently it would be difficult to strip the beaches of shells. Perhaps a more appropriate interpretationof the information which was provided would be that the more desirable uninhabited shellshad been collected.