ABOLISOdSet ACS Lie UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION NEVADA OPERATIONS OFFICE P.O. BOX 14100 LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 89114 March 15, 1971 Maj. General Edward B. Giller, USAF, Assistant General Manager for Military Application, HQ BIKINI SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM The purpose of this communication is to inform you of the clear: requirement, in our judgement, for conducting a continuing environmental monitoring program at Bikini Atoll. I believe that there are important points, not previously emphasized, which should be recognized in establishing the need for such a program. These include the following: a. When the Commission announced its could be safely returned to their have recognized that a continuing This point was a critical part of (see attachment, Paragraphs 3 and concurrence that the Bikinians homeland, it must certainly monitoring program was necessary. the Ad Hoc Committee's Report 4). b. Actual radiation levels at Bikini as measured in the food, soil and water clearly require that a continuing monitoring program be conducted in order to assure that human exposure will remain within the guidelines of the Federal Radiation Council. Some remedial measures may be required. These facts were recognized by the Ad Hoc Committee. ce. Plutonium concentrations on the surface soils of Bikini are about 75 times higher than any concentrations measured so far in the environs of the Nevada Test Site. Peak soil concentrations measured at Bikini are also five times higher than the highest concentration of plutonium measured outside the perimeter fence at Rocky Flats and much higher than at any populated area. These concentrations are not believed to represent a health hazard but we cannot be sure until verified by additional monitoring which would be conducted in a manner to reflect average air concentrations of Pu resulting from normal living activities of the Bikini residents. d. As you are aware, plutonium is a bone seeker and the calculated exposure to the bone of Bikini children is expected to be about 85% of allowable dose even when considering only the contributions of Strontium 90, Cesium 137 and Tron 55. The plutonium contributions will have to be added to this figure and at this time is an unknown factor.