4 March 1975
LGLS (Mr. A.Futral)
MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD
Interagency Policy Meeting ~ Enewerak Cleanup - DNA - 25 Fepruary 1975
SUBJEC?:
The meeting was held at DNA Headquarters on 25 February 1975 at 1400 ror
1.
the purpose of discussing with interagency representatives policy determinations required in order to establish the future course of the project.
2.
A list of attendees is attached, Enclosure l.
3. The need for this meeting arose largely as a result of demanding comments
of Mr. Ted Mitchell, Counsel for the People of Enewetak, on the DEIS published
Demands by Mitchell in the name of the People of Enewetax
in September 1974,
was for total cleanup, disposal of the radiological contaminated material
away from the atoll, and restoration insofar as practicable to their original
state. Additionally, comments received from TIPI Environmental Protection
Board and ERDA (vice AEC) indicated a strong preference for ocean dumping
which had been abandoned in favor of crater entombment as means of disposal
because of potential legal problems and time delay before the DEIS could be
published.
t
Gentian) Itheron crened th. cecting with a statement which ernchosized his
belief that a consensus existed among all the primary agencies arter the
adoption of the radiological cleanup standards provided by AEC upon publication
of the DEIS.
He stated that since receipt of comments on the DELS several
statements made by representatives of some of the principal agencies concerned
would impose drastically more stringent standards for the cleanup as well as
require ocean dumping.
This caused him concern that there had been a dissolution
of the important elesents of the cleanup pian.
He reviewed the cost increases
and time delays which could occur if the more stringent cleanup standards and
disposal of contaminated material by ocean dumping were adopted.
The projected
increases and the reaction received during the 1975 MILCON hearings force hia
to consider whether to publish the final ELS rejecting the increased standards
or report to DOD that the project must now be viewed as technically, ecolegically,
and economically infeasible.
He pointed out he must make an early decision
to be ready to testify before Congress (some hearings to start o/a 12 March)
and that he needed the advice of the agency representatives present to assist
in reaching his decision. tle wanted to know if we should go ahead and publish |
the EIS as planned and if so, would litigation result and if it did would we
win or should he recommend that the project be considered infeasible.
5.
Since Mitchell proposed that cleanup be accomplished by the most costly
means expressed as Case V in the DEIS, the cost of which is on the order or
$196M - $300M, General Johnson suggested that he may be faced with the
unpalatable decision to adopt an alternative such as moving the Dri Enewetak
only to the southern islands.
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