DRAFT 7 7 May 53 ADMINISTRATION LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY Gen. K. E. Fields, director of military application, informs the AEC general counsel that the DMA "has always held that there is no need for purchasing or leasing" the land used at Enewetak and Bikini Atolls for weapon testing. He explains that with current AEC use of these atolls through agreement with the Navy and DOI, "We maintain possession to a sufficient degree” to conduct the AEC testing without hindrance.“ 26 Jun 53 WEAPON TESTING Adm.A. W. Radford, commander-in-chief of the Pacific fleet, states that, based on Ivy experience, the aerial survey could be greatly reduced during Castle and that atolls in the Marshall islands that lie within a potentially hazardous radius from the test site would require individual surveillance by the aerial technique.” 21 Oct 53 RADIATION RELOCATION Gordon Dunning of the AEC discusses safety precautions for the Castle series with the observation that the "main objection to evacuation is the high cost and the logistic problems presented in supporting such an operation." Edward Heller of the JCAE reports that this matter will be discussed with Dr. John C. Bugher, director of the AEC division of biology and medicine (DBM) whenhereturns from his vacation in mid-November.“ 31 Oct 53 RELOCATION WEAPONTESTING In its preliminary radiological safety plan for the Castle series the joint task force dogs. not expect to evacuate native populations before the Castle series. The rationale for not conducting such evacuations is based on February 1953 discussions ‘between cognizant. headquarters sections, radiological documentation from Ivy, "apparent unrealism in the assumptidn of health hazards of a magnitude: conjectured Ft hued cs Ce Csi ¢a3 for ivy," a policy of financial austerity for FY 1954, and the unavailability of task force equipment for evacuations. The plan states, "However, consideration of populated islands will be one of the major factors influencing the decision to shoot." Commenting on the proposals, H. G. Hopwood, chief of staff for the CINCPACELT, advises the CINCPACFLTthat the upwind populated areas "presentleast concern since they are situated in a potentially safe region" but that the “cloud tracking within the danger area will not provide information useful to CINCPACFLT in the discharge of his responsibilities for the safety of other units and populated islands of the Pacific . . . In the remote circumstance that extreme post shot conditions develop a necessity for the temporary evacuation of any populated island in the Marshalls, units of JTF-7 would be required to accomplish this emergency measure upon the request of CINCPACFLT.””