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M. E. Gates
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at least initially it might be more reasonable to authorize a "level
of effort" program rather than to try to define and design and schedule
as one might in a more conventional engineering job. Second, and
perhaps the most important given, is the fact (and it is fact) that
there is no way that Enewetak can be restored radiologically to the
Atoll that it once was. With the limited resources that have been made
available, there will of necessity be tasks left undone and conditions
left unimproved. Many compromises with desired standards will be
required, many trade-offs will be examined. Third, and finally, overall
responsibility for the cleanup of Enewetak has been squarely placed
upon the Director, DNA. His must be the decisions, and it is he who
must answer to the Congress for the rationale of decision,
the steward-
ship of resources, and of course, the end product—the condition of
Enewetak when the project is complete. Our role, as I have repeatedly
said to both the Director DNA and the Commander, Field Command, is to
assist the responsible agent of the Director (the Commander of the
Joint Task Groun) in assessingthe radiological component of his
decisions, Note that the decisions which this paper addresses have
to do exclusively with the removal of soil which is contaminated with
transuranic elements.
At this time we have only a gross picture of the surface concentrations
for most of the islands of Enewetak. We are acquiring more detailed
information, island by island; and DNA hopes, in the very near future,
to commence soil removal. The guidance for soil removal provided by
the AEC in 1974, is admittedly just that~-general guidance. It
recommends soil removal wherever a concentration of 400 pci/gm or
greater is found; it accepts concentrations below 40 pci/gm as requiring
no action; and it provides for a "case-by-case" determination in the
range between 40 and 400. It is really this case—by—case determination
which becomes the issue. for the DNA command authorities have chosen
to consider the "above 400" criterion as direction rather than guidance;
and, thus, the removal of all soil exceeding that criterion as the
sine-qua-non of a successful cleanup. Many (perhaps most) of the
informed DOE observers have disagreed with such a literal application
of the guidance; but again, Director, DNA, has the mandate and the
"monkey."
'
*, When one looks at the portion of the task which the Commander, Field
Command, chooses to term "discretionary"-—-that is, soil removal in
the 40-00 range--it is apparent that it will be a major consumer of
resources and will likely have the greatest impact upon resettlement
options. It is generally accepted that (other conditions being equal)
the potential usefulness of an island will be in inverse proportion to
the average concentration of transuranics remaining after cleanup.
Thus, an island which has been brought to below 40 pCi/gm may be
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