4. MEETING THE PROTECTION STANDARDS Operationally, Standards: (a) there are three ways to meet the radiation protection decay of reduce the uptake of cesium-137 by food plants; (c) Remove the contaminated soil. In radionuclides the can following, we Delay resettlement so reduce contamination; first note the that (b) options spontaneous Treat the under soil each to approach and then continental. U.S. compare effectiveness, cost, and time required for execution. The estimates of cost in 1984 dollars are based experience and especially on the experience of the Army Corps of Engineers in the Pacific. without They assume that work on an construction resources, employing isolated, uninhabited atoll | imported cost 2.4 times as much aS on the continental U.S. U.S. personnel, will Such costs might be materially reduced by the extent to which a Marshallese work force could be employed and locally available equipment from Kwajalein or Majuro miles away) could be employed. The staging costs, (250-500 nonetheless, would probably be relatively high. Of the 13 islands that do not meet the federal are potentially in need of decontamination are them are larger than 25 hectares (Table standard and therefore 6), only three of them (1-hectare = 2.47 acres) -- Bikini (240 ha), Enedrik (96 ha), and Nam (54 ha). The levels of contamination on Bikini and Nam are relatively high, that on Enedrik appears marginal. Only Bikini, however, is physically suitable for settlement (Appendix A). 4.1 Delay Resettlement BB The simplest technical decay of 29 years) cesium-137 decontaminates objective can doing (half-life, nothing the that it 30 years) soil. be achieved over a is approach is to wait until In period costs the and strontium-90 case of Bikini of 80 years. little or nothing disadvantage is that the Bikinians are deprived of the land for 80 years. 9000027 ~ There are two variations of this plan. 29 the spontaneous The (half-life, Island, advantage directly. the of The use of their home