41 eed
'
SRR,
2
ed
f we
.
B
"ess
Department of Energy
Washington, D.C. 20545
VY,
£
-
,
A
ty
wi
Ih
Woy
,
A
MY
'
pe Ve
Aetor 141g A
Ruth C. Clusen, Assistant Secretary
for Environment
THRU:
a
4
yr
Robert J. Catlin, Dir., OECO
INTERAGENCY MEETING ON RADIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IN THE MARSHALL
ISLANDS OCTOBER 12, 1978
At the recent Department of the Interior, "Interagency Meeting
on Radiological Problems in the Marshall Islands" which you
attended with representatives of this Division, a number of
substantive items were discussed.
We believe it would be
informative to enumerate these where commitments were made or
where the items may be the subject of future discussions.
The summary highlights of the speaker's presentations at the
meeting are also enclosed for your information.
The items
1.
2.
are:
The Northern Marshalls "13 Atoll" radiological survey
now in progress will provide information in early January,
1979 on the question of whether any of these islands are
unsafe to inhabit.
It was so stated at the meeting.
The
comprehensive final dose assessment report will require
nearly 2 years to complete.
Radiation dose predictions based upon data from the garden
plot on Eneu Island in Bikini Atoll, will be obtained
through a separate research contract with the Lawrence
Livermore Laboratory.
These predictions were promised in
the January-February 1979 time period.
3.
Admiral Robert Monroe, DNA, urged resolution of the
"coconut planting" problem in the Northern Islands of tne
Enewetak Atoll.
The response was that additional work on
characterization of the radioactivity concentration in the
soil of these islands, now being cleaned up by DNA, will be
done by the contractors supplying the radiological support.
Additional soil sampling at this time is not ‘considered
necessary.
The extensive data reported in NVO-140 and
the radiological data obtained at Bikini Atoli are considered
an adequate basis for making the recommendations for coconut
planting in Enewetak.
eee SITTER
The High Commissioner of the Trust