” 401454 SEP 29 1978 VAD R. R. Monroe, USN Director, Defense Nuclear Agency Washington, D.C. 20305 - Dear Admiral Monroe: This’ is a followup to your recent cail to Dr. Liverman and our subsequent telephone conversation about the delay in planting coconut trees on the Northern Islands of Inewetak. A copy of the August 16 TWX to NV in response to the Avsust 9 TWX that relayed the H&N question is’ enclosed. We do not recommend planting any coconuts on the Northern Islands this planting season. 1. We have made an island-by-island comparison of the cesiv concentration in iEnevetak. soil as contained in the NVO-140 report and the cesium and strontium concentrations in soil of Bikini and Mneu Islands. All the Northern Is at Enewetak Atoll exceed the Bikini and Enev Islands 2. th We are concerned about a second problen wi th the coconuts which deals with the amount of contamination in the copra . products. Some studies of this problem are just besinning. LLL will be studying where the cesium goes in samples -that are run through a copra processing plant. We caunot reconmmené planting coconuts wntil we are certain the contamination will not become a problem for commercial utilization of copra products. Yherefore, we believe it is not prudent to sian on planting coconuts in the Northern Islands this growing Season. . The enclosed table contains recommendations on the islands which can be planted. We will cooperate in any way possible with the staff study that is wderway as a result of your TWX of Sept. 25, 1978, in examining possible alternative locations for planting the coconuts. BEST COPY AVAILABLE