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. i in REPOSITORY COLLECTION BOX No. “poe / PASO Pp oe L WV. 128%, “ERWa2" Serge SORVET 6 4 9 rouoen 2EPT A ‘ aan et wry - OO 7 tt ‘ , oy BVO 7vr [eeiJ.