levei of residual contamination on these islands was generally less than that of
most locations in the United States. At the outset it was hoped that the dri-Enjebi
could return to their home island of Enjebi in the north. However, upon analyzing
the results of the radiological survey, AEC (DoE) decided in 1974 that residual
levels of suburanics in the soil of Enjebi would be such that the lifetime body
burden accumulated by people eating crops grown in the Enjebi soil might exceed
levels then considered acceptable. Accordingly, the Master Plan developed by the
People of Enewetak and the U.S. Government in 1975 called for both the driEnewetak and the dri-Enjebi--then numbering about 450 in total--to reside on
Enewetak, Medren, and Japtan in the south. Because of the relatively short halflives of the principal suburanics in the north, it was recognized that eventual
return to Enjebi would be possible.
In addition to identifying the three large southern islands as the location for
residence and subsistence agriculture, the Master Plan also outlined virtually all
other major aspects of the future life-style of the People of Enewetak after return
to their afoll. For example, in it the people set forth their property boundaries,
the desired location of each family's home, the house designs they had selected, the
location and configuration of the community centers, their decision not to have
electrical power in their homes, their option for individual water catchment
systems rather than a distillation plant, etc.
The planning documents identified the desired utilization of each island as
either residential, agricultural, or food-gathering. The acceptability of each island
for the desired use depended upon the residual radiation levels, as follows:
o
Islands whose soil met the tightest standard for amount of residual
o
{Islands whose soil met an intermediate standard of residual trans-
o
Islands whose soil met a lesser, but still acceptable, standard for
transuranics could be used for residence (including subsistence agriculture), provided suburanic levels were acceptable.
uranics could be used for agriculture (e.g., coconut trees for copra production).
residual transuranic contamination could safely be visited for food-gathering
(fishing, bird's egg gathering, ete.).
o Only one island of the 40, Runit, had such extensive sub-surface
contamination that cleanup to meet any of the three standards was not feasible.
With the agreement of the People of Enewetak, Runit was to be quarantined
indefinitely.
o The lagoon was safe for aff purposes, including fishing, for which the
People of Fnewetak would normally use it.
The radiological cleanup itself consisted of three phases spanning 35 months.
Phase I, Mobilization, commenced on-atoll on 15 May 1977 and lasted six months,
completing on [5 November !977. Phase Il, Cleanup, was scheduled for 22 months,