we -2- the atoll's Even if the entire contents of the dotte were somehow washed into y"--the committee central lagoon--a set of events the committee termed “highly unlikel there. stressed that there would still be no hazard to the people Placing the dome's contents in the context of the surrounding environment, the ~ committee’ said, "It is clear...that the radioactive material collected from the islands and deposited under the dome contains a small fraction of the activity that has been in Cactus Crater and nearby Lacrosse Crater for nore than 20 years and an even smaller fraction of the activity known to be on the bottom of ‘the lagoon." Members of the committee visited some of the atoll's islands in March 1980 to examine the dome and observe the drilling program organized earlier by the committee to provide information on the dome and its contents. The committee also reviewed data and reports on the DNA-directed cleanup and interviewed Key persons associated with the ‘program. The committee advised that while "no significant radioactive hazard would be created if the containment structure were to fail in any way...dnspection of the dome Should take place periodically and after severe storms." . . The test drillings of the dome revealed that water flows freely between the dome's contents and the ocean. However, the connittee pointed out that most of the radioactive elements which are fixed in concrete do not dissolve in water, and are ‘leached out of the dome very slowly, if at all. An analysis of water and soil taken fron the drill holes showed that the amount of radioactive elements was “far below the “maximum permissible concentrations for the general public in drinking water" and “comparable to soil sediment concentration in the northern part of the atoll." (MORE) IOGk 36