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Chatrman Ray
THRU:
QDmen
Seneral Manager
ENEWETAK PROGRESS
This is In response to Mr. Gorman Smith's memorandum of September 21,
1973, to Mr. Hol Tingsworth.
For the past year, the AEC has been Involved with the Departwents of
Defense and interlor In planning for the return of Enewetak Atoll
to Its original Inhabitants.
From Gctober 1972 to February 1973,
the AEC conducted an extensive radiological survey of the ato]!
concurrent with a Department of Defense (00D) engineering study.
This study and our survey wlll provide 2 basis for planning the
cleanup of the atoll. Further, the 000 and the Department of Interior
(00!) are Jointly preparing a single Oraft Environmental Impact
Statement (BEIS) for the cleanup and rehabilitation of Enewetak.
These activities are derived from a mutual agreement reached by
representatl ves of the three agencles on September 7, 1972.
It was
agreed then that the AEC would fund for and canduct a pre~cleanup
radiological survey and provide recommendations for accomplishing
cleanup; that the 00D would conduct a pre~cleanup engineering study,
fund for and accomplish the cleanup; and that the 901 would fund,
plan for, and carry aut rehabilitation.
{fe was further agreed that
the AEC, on a reimbursable basis, would provide radiological support
to the BOD, as requested, during the cleanup operation. when cleanup
1s complete, the AEC will carry out a radtolagical and biological
vertifleatton program to Include perlodic monitoring fer an Indefinite
period.
Our radiological survey is now the principal AEC activity and will
provide the basis for the Judgements and recommendations for cleanup
and rehabllitation now being prepared for Commission approval.
The
Manager, Nevada Operations, with LLL's Radiochemistry Pivision Leader
as his technical director, planned, organized, and carrled out this
survey.
The reduction of data from nearly 4,500 samples of sall,
water, Fish, sea and land plants, afr, animals, and birds Is now
nearly complete with the final report ‘of the survey scheduled to
be published November 1, 1973.00
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P3200
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