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SUBdECT: Heavy Element Mine at Eniwetok The debris from the Ivy Mike test is scattered over islands adjacent to the shot island and is concentrated enough so that recovery of heavy elements (plutonium and up) is feasible and desirable. vie . Benson went out to Eniwetok and collected about 600- 800 pounds of : hot coral from the island of Edna. This sample was an excellent source s of heavy nuclides and the idea of getting more has been enthusiastically y @mnced by workers at UCRL, ANL, and LASL. It has been decided that e next moves should be: . c@ 1) Collect more of the coral from hot spots onl%ina and 3c perhaps other islands as well. The maximum amount of such coral : ,j should be in the neighborhood of four tons; the minimum depends.: on how soon the hot spots play out. Obviously, it is best to “L collect coral with the most activity per gram. iv!4y 2) Survey Edna particularly, and also other islands and . coral at the crater bottom, to see whether or not more extensive (and expensive) mining is justified. The information needed is rg ~,; : how the activity varies as a function of coral depth and, of course, how the activity varies in various parts of the island. Cuo$’ My understanding is that Mjor John Servis will go out to x o wetok and supervise the survey work, using personnel now located !! 0 ~ % ElbM* @t. there. He will also act as contact man for the collection of the s r? Z- 4 ton coral samples, although it is assumed that Paul Spain Will z< ~; ; ~arrange for the actual collection and crating if we advise h what ~ I have talked to Harry S. Allen about shipping the coral back here. Allen is going to arrange for a C-54 to fly the samples back. - / / He requests that the 2 - ktons of coral be boxed, each packed box ‘ i to weigh no more than about 250 lbs. for ease”in handling. He also “\ P asks that Major Servis get in touch with him so that he can make I arrangements regarding the, activity levels etc. If additional details are needed for your teletype to Chelius lpf I and Spain, please let me know. Thanks a lot. o k