of

planning,

marine

an

samples

additional

for

a

program was. included

radiological

dose

to

assessment

obtain

for

terrestrial

current

or

and

potential

inhabitants of the atolls.
Therefore

the

objectives

of

the

Northern

Marshall

Islands

survey

and

assessment program were as follows.

* Obtain aerial photos and aerial radiological maps of the Northern
Marshall Islands atolls and islands.
* Obtain samples of soil, water, vegetation, food crops, animals,
marine life, lagoon water, and lagoon sediments.
* Process, analyze, and determine the radionuclide concentration of the
collected environmental samples.
* Prepare reports describing the estimated doses for alternate living
patterns at the atolls and islands.

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) was responsible for the
technical

direction of

the

survey,

work, and publishing of results.
DOE

was

responsible

interaction

with

for

other

subsequent

sample

processing,

analytical

The Nevada Operations Office (NVOO) of the

program

United

management

States

in

agencies

the

planning

phases

and

departments

and_

and

the

government and people of the Marshall Islands.
The

external

gamma

aerial

survey

was

conducted

from

the

major

support

vessel, the U.S.N.S. Wheeling, by EG&G with the support of the naval helicopter
group HC-1

Detachment

California.

3

from the

North

Island

Naval

Air

Station,

San

Diego,

TMe EG&G detector and data analysis systems were mounted on one

of two helicopters

(Sikorski H-3) carried by the Wheeling and

grid lines over the islands at each atoll.

flown on 46-m

A complete report of the external

gamma measurement program and the results is available as part of the Northern
Marshall Islands survey assessment.
The survey was conducted in three legs of about 20-d each.

The sequence

of atolls and islands visited during each leg is shown in Fig. 1 and listed in
Table 1.

The first leg of the survey included Rongelap,

Rongerik,

and

Wotho Atolls

Ailinginae Atolls.

and

Jemo

and

Mejit

The

second

Islands.

Taka,

Utirik,

leg included Likiep,

On

the

concluding

Bikar,

Ailuk,

third

and

leg

we

surveyed Ujelang and Bikini Atolls and made a limited stop at Enewetak Atoll.
The terrestrial and marine programs were conducted with small boats and
the helicopters using the Wheeling as an operation base.

The time available

for the terrestrial and marine surveys was dictated primarily by the length of

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