The Advisory Group is of the opinion that the recommended cleanup criteria
as discussed in item 2 below will result in average transuranic radiation
doses to subsequently exposed populations that will be commensurate with
proposed EPA guidelines. The EPA considers its guidance levels to be

equivalent to a lifetime risk of about 14 premature cancer deaths per 100,000

persons exposed and to perhaps an equal number of genetic effects, although
these estimates are based on many uncertain assumptions and are general ly
considered to be quite conservative.
An estimate of 14 cancers per 100,000
people would correspond to a 3% chance of one cancer appearing in a population
of 200 people exposed to EPA guidance levels for their lifetime; or
expressed differently, to a probability of one cancer in every 2100 years
(assuming a constant population size).

2.

Considering the physical and ecological limitations to removal of transuranics
from the Enewetak Atoll, the Advisory Group recommends the following. From

the information currently available and used for dose assessment, we believe
that cleanup of all one-quarter or one-half* hectare areas exceeding (with

70% confidence) 40 pCi/g of surface (0 to 3 cm.) soils of village islands

will provide a reasonable expectation that doses in the bone and lung will
be commensurate with the EPA guidance. In terms of radiation dose-sparing benefit to future inhabitatants, cleanup of a standard area

on a village island is worth about 4 times as much as cleanup‘to a
given level on an agricultural island and 12 times as much as cleanup
of the same area to the same level on a picnic island. However, in
the light of existing contamination levels and available cleanup
resources, it would appear that cleanup of all one-quarter hectare

areas on

Villiage islands that exceed 40 pCi/g should receive first

priority. Because the other islands may have increased use over that
currently assumed, a second priority should be the cleanup of

agriculture island half-hectare areas exceeding (with 70% confidence)
80 pCi/g.

A third priority should be the cleanup of picnic island

half-hectare areas exceeding (with 70% confidence) 160 pCi/g.

If

resources are exhausted, some islands may not be cleaned up; final
dose assessment may indicate that these islands will have to be
permanently quarantined. We note that the soil profile on Pearl is
anomalous. since the concentration of transuranics appears to be

uniform with depth. We believe that the possibility of effective
cleanup for use as a village or agriculture island is remote. However,

the possibility of covering Pearl with the less contaminated soil from
the village islands and, perhaps, from the agricultural islands
Should be considered for lowering the average surface contamination

levels and reducing the logistics problems of transporting the soil

from the other islands to

Runit.

“*1/4 hectare if IMP readings are taken on a 25 meter grid; 1/2 hectare if a
50 meter grid is used.

wa

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