DEFENSE ATOMIC SUPPORT AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C.
ACY3
20395
ADORESS REPLY TO:
2 SEP 1969
MEMORANDUM FOR:
SUBJECT:
1,
THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR
CHAIRMAN, ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
Fourth Status Report,
Cleanup of Bikini Atoll
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
Reference is made to Director, DASA memoranda of 2 May,
and 6 August 1969 to the above addressees, subject:
] July
"Status Report,
Cleanup of Bikini Atoll, " which report-d the situation through 31] July
1969.
2.
On 19-20 August 1969 the AEC-DOD Bikini Cleanup Project Manager
(Director DASA),
the High Commissioner of the Trust Territory, and
representatives of the AEC made an inspection vigit to Bikini Atoll.
3.
The cleanup work is proceeding satisfactorily, and is expected to be
completed by about 26 September,
The island work force numbers 66
men; nine Bikinians are included,
4, The AEC has completed radiation surveys of all islands inthe atell,
and is preparing the finel documents reguired for certification of radio-
logical safety,
In general, itis expected that these will show that the
islands of principal interest for perrnanent inhabitation are completcly
safe for that usage, as are a number of additional outlying islands (background radiation levels actually lower than in manyareas of the U.S.).
Some areas in certain of the outlying islands, though safe for intermittent
entry and use, are not safe for permanent inhabitation. (It is understood
that in pre-test years none of the areas now in this category were permaAnently inhabited.) All discrete physical objects showing significant radia-~
tion,
such as items of debris, have been or will be removed; the source
of the residual radiation is nuclides distributed, for exarnple, in the soil.
Thus it appears that the AEC should continue periodic monitoring of the
areas not yet fully safe, to observe or confirm the expected radiation
decay to fully safe levels.
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