ud r an atomic species of spoentancously emitted radiation. Although the tests revealed nothing unto- ward, they are indicative of a caution bordering on uncertainty about exposure to places like Runit. On Runit, two of the many detonations carved craters — Cactus and LaCrosse — and it is into Cactus that troops of the Sith’ Engineering Battalien from Schefield Barracks in (lawaii will be burying radioactive wastes.i:. Two troop teams will sweep across the rest of the atoll while 88 persons of Team C will go to work on Runt. Wilh them oat all times will be cight or nine radiological safety officers, part of a yroup of G3 persons dircetly responsible for radiotopic:al control. We will be concerned about Ube salely of the men doing the work as well as ourselves," said Cupt. Day. ‘Each person and his tools will be continuously monitored with instruments. “Our biggest problem will be with the pluloniym in the soil. Kicking it up in the dust and resus- pending the plutonium in the.air is the biggest risk. Our feelings are that the migration of plu- will be heavily dressed in full protective clothing: rey vemmember that jin the 1950s, we used to saya and complete face masks, ie said. The men wil] ”:Eayeather delay cost us $} million a day. Our operawork two hours, then take two hours off.‘because tiqnal gosts; running three to four months, were of the merciless temperature, ; é } we, maybe $100 to $150 million apiece." = Ray said he believes there is an institutional as Contaminated soil will be’ excised’? jin pinches placed in a canopy-covered dump truck and haul well as personal moral commitment to make the ed to Cactus crater to be dumpedintoits pit. atoll safe for the Enewetak People |lo resume their But what is the level of risk? pee wa of life. ata \e “We have no specific analysis of safety in lerms3::: ERDA has developed what tt 5 calling a“dose of a statistical expectation of numbers of cancerswv commitment" for the Enewetak people, ‘defined or deaths,’’ suid Noger Ray, assistant manager of...as.the naximum absorption of radioactive environment and safety for the Energy Research” _ materials they can receive without risk, and Development Administration (ERDA).'tWe Y : We hope the peopic will be here for a Hfetime just don't expect any guy who comes out here to and for gencrations," Ray said.,. end up with a greater exposure than he would ; So what wouldbe acceptable numbers in the have had if he had stayed home. way of radiation for a guy who is here only six “With the emission of any rays from the plucet.- months, galing meals prepared entirely (rom food tonium, you're talking aboul a mo%ement of tens. _ shipped in from oulside — well, those numbers ust be very much lower for these people. of feet or yards, Not Movement clear across the", : Hi “It's that sort of consideration thal accounts for atoll.” . v Peopte on the southern islands of the ‘atoll today 3“Us denying the atoll to them for so many years. are in the same kind of rudioactive environment, rt Sater thal one would find on the Meinland, he said. -“IF you go to Runit or other islands in the north, 4’ you come up with levels that, over a-long period _ of time, would be three or four times above ; what's acceptable. “So you start locking at what you |can remove. You can remiove a piece af contaminated iron — tonium should be very smal, bused on our esti- ‘that's 2 gamma emitter. It's going lo be less easy nutes of foot traffic and light velicles on the site. _to remove the seil.Besides plutonium, the radioactive. Contami“We'll have to determine this, however, by actwat excerience. We'll be controlling the dust by wants of Enewetak are cesium, strontium 90 and ater sprinkling, and by avoiding brule force on the soil. We'll be removing it at depths of 2 to 3 inches al a time, and of ccurs2 we ‘Ml closely watch the wind.’ All of the troops and radiological safely, officers: ee reaeee| ree 8 atesye alan SiS ae cobalt 60. Tire cost to rehabilitate the ntoll for the 460 people who wish to live here is budgeted at $32 million and may ren higher. But the money, the| United States spent in its 10-year testing program ran into the billions, recalls Ray, ; ae —— - To wt! Xr vS — a > . Sa - Ow - FS . 5013169 2 wr oer Ne Ne wr oe _ Al ahd otto J D owe oer oe wer we ee weee ee ee ee Ne ebb 18 ermmers LUTE enewetak s ON}