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SUBJE~: Radiological Surveys of Several WrskU Islmd Atom 410608 were conductedas a result of contamkatkn depositedon the ~ffectedatby BRhVO Shot, OperationCASTE, fired from a reef approxkte~ one and one half nauticalmiles southwestof Namu, Bikini Atoll. BRAVO Shot time was 2* Water and soil samples were shippedto the Healthand SafetyIabora-
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA SUBJECT: Reporton Soil and l%ter Sar@ng Mission Joint Task Force SEVEN :ation~ San Francisco, CalMornia Folder 1. In compliancewith your oral instructions,the undersignedtisiteduand AIUJK Atolls,JRdO Islandand WIT Island in the EasternMarshaUs between the period 5-8 Msrch 1954 for the purpxe of collectingsoil and water measuringlevel of gamma radlatIon presentat those placesin connection th BRAVO. The mission,consistingof the undersignedand a ~rshallese interpreter, b Lakapun,embarkedon the USS BENSHAI!(DD499) at Kwajakin, visited the four formed by PEW There followsa detaileddiscussionof the findingsat each locaa. LIKIEPATOXL. The sampleswere taken on Kkiep Island,which had tk krgest native population. Access to the lagoon was gainedthroughSouth pass. Poor ~t at the end of the day and numerouscoralheadsnecessitatedanchorx about 4 miles from LikiepIslsnd. Trip in was made by whaleboatthe followtig KIX)rdJ& A water sampleVIMStaken from a large cisternfed from the roof of the Catnolicrectory, and earth samples were taken from randomspotsabut the island hich were unsheltered by trees or other growth at approxbmtely C8~ M 6, Mrch J and showeda mmimum of 3 milliroentgena per hour, No vnrtitions from this readingwere noted on clothingor bare feet of individuals. Accordingto account~ lnd blast wave, the latterwhich reportedlyarrivedabout 30 minutes subsequent to the light fhtre. Accordingto BishopFeeney, ~ urchattendancewas greatly ~tinulatedon the day of the test. ~onsists of a all heatily lwooded isL~nd, surrounded by n limo coral reef with heavy surf on three sides. Therebeing no place for landinga vtmleboat,perscmne. and equipmentwere transferredfrom the whaleboatto the reef by a one man rubberr raft. The undersigned transferredhimselfby svdmhg. The id-d proved to be ~ dnhabited, and reportedlyis a sea turtle preserve. Turtlehunterserected ~ severalhouses, a rain barrelof which provideda water ample. Earth samples == were gatheredat randa from 0~ areas, ticlutig one of ~lch sand above the ,~ him tide anrk. The Party was led straight across the island and bck to the land-
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Lcollectedat approxlmte v 1.200 M, 6 March 19540 Instrumentreadingswith the Mxhigherscaleshoweda lower reading. c. AILUK ATOLL. The ship reachedthis ato l~rch1954, tandsltwly moved to an canchoragcoff Ailuk IsLmd, the MO+ heavily populated. The lago& has not been swept, and numerous coral headsand pinnnclcs protidedconsiderablehazardto shipmovement. The landingpartymoved ashow by whaleboat withoutdifficulty, ,andag:.iaobtainedwater samplesfrom the most prd cnt cisternand soil samplesfrom xandomunshelteredspots. Readingswith the MXobtained. The MX-5 reading is probablynearestcorrect. No significantvariatio~ d. MEJIT IsL~md. This singlocoral islandis also surroundedby a reef: IS is JEMO,but landingMS possiblowith a whaleboat,&c to an area protcctcdf: the surf. The islmxiwas found to bc heavily pqxiktcd h view of its sizc,&hc tctal numberof peoplebeing327, accordingto the islandmagistrate. Soil Canal I water sampleswere taken as in the preciouslydescribedmnncr, at appro*t~Y 1300 M, 7 March 1951+. Rcadhgs with the MX-5 showedmaximumof apprcfitcly 3 xitha PDR 27 E was 10 mr~r. The true figurcwas prcbablysomowhercbetweenthe iieldtistrumcntsof the type used aro highlyunsatisfactory &c MC-5 and three nd variedamong each other when exposedto the same radiaticn. ~ AN/PDRT1-B provedcompletelyuselcss nck holdingto zero even after an hourswarmup, and dso showing widelyvariantreadingson differentscalcs~ 3. RECOUMENDLTICNS,hnding partiesin M_ands such as JEW and WIT shod oc protidcdwith a rubber 6-man or t%an pmumtic boat, to providegrcctcrsafct; !~ithless dangerof the -b~.tbeing stove in. Ships assignedto such missions shoulddraw such cquipncntprior to departure. .’ilford, USN, and his officersand men. Theirntcrial contrikuticms wmc neccssar to the mission,however,the many Valublc suggcstims and assistancein scluti~s of problemsprovcd invaluablc.