DRAFT 8 11 Dec 53 ADMINISTRATION RADIATION RELOCATION WEAPONTESTING The AEC appoints Maj. Gen. P.W. Clarkson as the senior AEC representative for Operation Castle at the PPG. Among his responsibilities are decisions to act in emergency situations to protect the health and safety of task force personnel and property and "the national interest." Clarkson also is the military commander for JTF-7. Revising the Castle radiological safety plan, Clarkson emphasizes, "Temporary evacuation of native populated islands is not recommended as a pre-shot measure." He will use weather as a major safety measure to detonate shots “when wind conditions present minimum hazards to inhabited islands and air and surface routes of the Pacific." He augments the cloudtracking for Castle and places the downwind area from the shotsite as first priority, the upwind area in the task force campsite as second priority, the upwind region of populated atolis in the southeast quadrant as third priority, and air and surface routes through Wake and the Marshall Islands as least priority. Clarkson acknowledges "a remote possibility of adverse conditions out to populated atolls." Because of "operational difficulties’ Clarkson has insufficient documentation of fallout from Pacific high-yield shots, especially on the area above the Pacific tropopause, which is 15,000 feet higher than the Nevada Test Site tropopause. Healsocites limitations on weather and radsafe forecasting techniques that make it impossible to assure "that no radsafe conditions conducive to possible adverse criticism will ensue." Relying on an earlier prediction by Dr. T. L. Shipman, LASL health division leader, Clarkson cites Ujetang as a remote possibility for fallout hazards. The commander considers similar hazards at other populated islands “very remote." If temporary evacuation of the natives is required after a shot, Clarkson will use task force security ships for that purpose, and personnel with T.T. administrative and interpretation experience will be required to supervise that effort.’ 1 Mar 54 RADIATION WEAPON TESTING Se, The United States detonates an experimental thermonuclear device in Castle Bravo at Bikini. Because of a surprisingly higher yield than expected radioactive fallout extends beyond the announced danger area and reaches Rongerik Atoll, site of a U.S. weatherstation, and inhabited areas, including Rongelap and Utirik Atolls in the Marshall Islands. Also, according to the AEC, these atolls “were contaminated by radioactive fallout because of an unexpected shift in wind conditions."” 1 Mar - 15 May 54 RADIATION WEAPONTESTING Operation Castle tests are conducted at Bikini.” Estimates differ on the amountof radiation exposure received by the Marshall Islanders. A military report made shortly after the detonation suggests Rongelapese exposures of "150 r. whole body gamma." Another military memorandum reports that 64 Rongelapese may havereceived up to 130 roentgens over 51 hours; 17 additional Rongelapese on Ailinginae, 80