Note by the Secretary, Subject: Interim Staff Report on 1970 Bikini Atoll Environmental Survey

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INTERIM STAFF REPORT ON 1970 BIKINI ATOLL Note by the Secretary The General Manager has requested that the attached memorandum of November 175 1970 from the Director of Operational Safety, with enclosure, be circulated for the information of the Commission. of the Commission DISTRIBUTION NO. OF COPIES Exec. Asst. to GM Spec. Asst. to GM Asst. GM for Admn. Asst. GM for MA Asst. GM for Operations

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ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION INTERIM STAFF REPORT ON 1970 BIKINI ATOLL ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEY Attached is an interim report on the 1970survey of Bikini Atoll. Included are observations on progress by Trust Territory in the rehabilitation program. The results fran air sampling are considered to be final values. Data fran soil sampling are not to be available until the end of November. At that time a final report of survey activities will be prepared. Martin B. Blles, Director Division of Operational Safety Bikini Atoll Report

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Interim Staff Report on 1970 Bikini Atoll Environmental Survey A followup radiological survey of the major islands of Bikini Atoll, tives from the U. S. Atanic Energy Commission, th University of associated field activities included general observations of prevailing environmental conditions, the collection of environmental samples for subsequent laboratory analysis, monitoring of scrap metal collected for sale by native workers, and an experiment to evaluate possible shielding effects to be expected from use of locally obtained aggregate in housing construction. Considerable progress by Trust Territory was observed for the agricultural portion of the rehabilitation program. The coconut tree nursery contained several thousand seedlings in various stages of growth and the job of transplanting trees into rows has been completed for much of the Island of Eneu. Planting is to start later this year on Bikini Island. The construction of housing had not started as of une 1970 and ?would appear to be still some time in the future.~ At the the of the team visit, there was a small Trust Territory administrative 1/ The total cost of the 1970 survey was about $110,000. DBM— provided $17,000 for logistics support. NV provided $30ZOO0 for PHS travel and sample analysis and $63,000 for University of Washington participation includinq program planning, transportation, equipment, salaries, and sample analysis. These contractor forces were provided from the capabilities being maintained to support AEC readiness-to-test response in the Pacific, and their costs were funded from the Readiness 2/ Plans reported in March 1970 by Trust Territory officials— called for initial construction of 30 houses on Bikini Island in 1970. While some equipment and building materials were observed in stockpile on nearby Eneu Island, such construction had not begun at the time of the nurvcy. !Jllencontacted on 40 lIOU:JCH were currently financed with completion due In 1!172. I’Ile‘rrustTerritory budget request for I>Y1972 wus said co contain a[litem of $125,000 for construction of bathhouses and outhouses on Bikini Island.

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from the tent camp on Eneu Island was no camp on that was constructed Bikini Island and any work done there was performed by workers brought by boat each day from Eneu Island. The work crew of more than-213Bikinians who are participating in the agricultural rehabilitation project rotates every three months from Kili Island, the present home of the Bikini people. Because of the limited facilities on Eneu Island, workers were not allowed to bring their families to Bikini Atoll even for a three-month period. Unless this restriction is removed, the first families may not return until 1972 or later. Those working in the Atoll are experiencing problems with cmununications, water transportation and equipment maintenance. Laboratory analysis of air filter samples collected over a twoweek period on Eneu and Bikini has been completed. Table 1 presents data for five stations on Bikini and four on Eneu. The values listed were obtained by analyzing one half of the filter for each day canposited by station over the total sampling period. The remaining half of these daily air filter samples is on file for possible future use. For comparison the Maximum Permissible Concentrations, MPCts, are included in the Table. Details of the location of the air samplers will be presented in a later report. The only unique aspect of sampler location is for Station 1 on Bikini wherein this sampler was exposed to dust from the jeep driven by the survey team members along the lagoon Table 2 presents the average valu’efor Plutonium-239 in air at Station 1 on Bikini for each of foqrteen consecutive days. The average value in the U.S. in 1968 is shown for comparison. It was expected that results for ahalysis of soil samples would be available in late September or early October. It now appears these results will not be available until the latter part of November at which time a more complete report of the 1970 Bikini survey can be prepared. Included will be data on air, water, soil, aq;regate, algae, rats, goat fish, lobster, coconut crab, exposure rates inside and outside bunkers and inside and outside a cistern built with local sand and aggregate in 1969, the shielding =periment, Bravo crater muck, and on Territory resident and one team for one Trust

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Radioactivity in Air (PCi/m3) was moved from upwind to downwind’ side or lagoon road after ‘tile