@Baitelle December 21, 1978 Pacific Nonhwest Bauelle Boulevard Richland, Telephone Mr. Hal Hol 1ister Scientific Advisor Office of the AssistantSecretary for Environment Department of Energy 20545 “Washington, D.C. -. Telex :----.— .: .... \Vashinglon laboratories 99352 (509) 32-6345 ...: ..... .. -. ....,: ::.:+ .. .....-. . ,.-...-. Dear Hal”: This letter is in response to your request for suggestions on the management of the Northern Marshall Islands program following our discussion of the subject with Mrs. Clusen. As you remember from my letter of 0ctober23,1978, a“major concern of the Northern Marshall Islands Advisory Group. is the Iack.of a coordinated effort Me believe this fragmentation exists because there in the Marshall Islands. is no single DOE administrator with overall management responsibility and Mhile the members of the Advisory Group are in agreement about authority. the nature of the problem, we might not all agree upona solution. Therefore the following represents my own view. A major source of this fragmentation is the independent funding of projects in the marshall Islands by several divisions, within the EV program and by the Nevada Operations Office. The information from these projects ii generally’ (but not always) shared among the DOE organizational components. However, since the areas of interest and concern vary among these relatively’ independent projects, it is necessary to provide ongoing administrative guidance to integrate and focus their activities to the needs of the Marshall Island inhabitants and the U.S. government. I beiieve that guidance can be best achieved bymaklng the overall management responsibility and authority for the program independent of the current participating organizations. Therefore, my first suggestion is that the Marshall Islands program be directed from-the Office of the Assistants ecretary. This will have the added value of correcting .two weaknesses of the current effort. Itwill provide the high visibility needed to assure DNA and DOI that the Assistant Secretary for Environment recognizes the sensitivity and importance of the Marshall Islands issues...--Itwill also. assure that. the Assistant .Secretary’s authority is ---... behind the Marshall Islands program management. Concerning the.program management organization, I.believe the Marshall Islands effort will be best served by forming a task group with a program manager as This task group should include persons from the EV Divisions who have chairman. responsibility for the various projects and persons from the Enewetak Radiological Support Project, which reports to the Nevada Operations Office. The taskT~;oup should report to the office of the Assistant Secretary for Environment. program manager would serve as the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary on matters concerning the Marshall Islands and, at her discretion, would represent the Assistant Secretary in relationships with other DOE components and other It should not matter to whom the program manager reports governmental agencies. -