a. ’

To:

“om:

.

‘Wal Hollister

3 on 3

Wo J. Bair

In the next few weeks the following should be accomplished to improve

the capability to make dose assessments and guide cleanup activities:

a.

The analysis of coconut. and assocfated soils now in progress at LLL
should be expedited.

b.

The urine bioassay data from Bikini should be obtained and analyzed
for use by the Advisory Group. We believe it would be inforrative
to compare estimates of the body burdens of transuranics in the people

who have been living on Bikini with the levels of transuranics in
the environment and in the food harvested from Bikini islands.
c.

A data bank that accumulates a1] data from all organizations
participating in Marshall Islands studies should be started and made

available to all persons involved in the Marshall Islands progran.

d.

The organization and responsibilities of al? O09€ contractor
personnel should be reviewed and clearly defined.

e.

Questions raised concerning possible bias in IMP 24 readings
relative to soil Am and Pu levels should be resolved.

f.

An inventory of all current Enewetak projects for use by the
Advisory Group should be provided.
Further suggestions: will be forwarded folloying the next meeting
of the Advisory Group the weck of June 5, 1978. We plan to.
review the calibration of the IMP and the Am-Pu soil data; ~

review new data Dr. Robison expects to bring from Enewetak;
comment on the draft dose assessment report; consider long-term
issues related to final phases of.the cleanup operations,
certification and reassessment of dose based on contamination levels
remaining after cleanup; and review organizational responsibilitios.

Plowing may reduce the surface soil concentrations and hence reduce the
potential inhalation problem. Plowing is unlikely to reduce plant uptake,
since it merely redistributes the transuranics in the plowed area.
Decisions on plowing should await the results of the proposed plowing
experiment to be conducted at Encweatak. We recommend that a statistician
participate in the planning of the experiment and analysis of the soil

sampling data. Since DNA has requested advice on this technique,
the experiment should be conducted as soon as possible. I[t has also

been drawn to our attention that on Enjebi, for instance, the depth to

beach rock ig vartable and hence consistent Plowingtofcpth,PEXRG

impracticable.|

“\ Historian’s Office

In addition, experience has shown that there are Farge ARGHINESos of
unexploded ordnance and other dangerous hardware'in the subsurface.

These|pose to the operators a potential risk that may outweigh the

benefits to be obtained from plowing.

cc:
ec hv matt:

Select target paragraph3