\\\je Beeretariag.. olea> tan i) | | peste Renna Collection Neceda ION AG7S * “Rox 413-OR4 au ig 74 , Polder 4- ~~ ee | | APE rg yy aie 19 FH 22 3e OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Mr. Stanley S. Carpenter Director of Territorial Affairs 411477 Department of the Interior Washington, 0D.C. 20240 Dear Mr. Carpenter: This will resrond to your letter of July 5, 1974, to Chairman Ray, requesting AEC to address the saiety aspects of an early return of a group of Enewetakese to live on DAVID (Japtan). Detailed recommendations relating to retura and cleanup are to be considered by the Commission about August 1, 1974, The question you raised about some Enewetakese returning to the Atoll before cleanup has not been addressed. The Task Group report, which is to be the basis of the staff recornmmendations to the Commission, does contain the following: “The quarantine of YVONNE (Runit), put into effect by the Air Force on May 26, i972, should be continued in effect until the cleanup of plutonium contamination on that island has been completed. Should any Enewetak people return to the Atoll before cleanup is bezun or before completion, an authority responsible for enforcement of the quarantine should be identified and should be in residence in the Atoll when people return, '' As to the matter of safety for an advance party, the results of the radiological survey show that there is no contamination on Japtan which would present a hazard to people living there. ‘However, we would not recommend the return of people before cleanup and certification because: 2 There are a number of hazerdous situations on the northern islands and access to these islends and certain foods produced thereon must be restricted. Until qualified radiation monitors with proper equipment are available, scrap and other debris should be avoided. Move- ment of scrap which mzy be contaminated could svread contamination to the clean islands thus necessitating additional survey and cleanup. BEST COPY AVAILABLE peu! AV l.