narrow,
elevated
land
strip
thus
vegetation and would serve as
tides.
However,
the
a
formed
would
be
planted
with
inedible
screen against wind and exceptional
high
present beach would be covered, so that the formation
of a new beach over a period of some years would have to be planned for.
Significant movement of radionuclides from the strip back into the island's
soil
is most
unlikely,
washed out of the soil
since
over
the
by rain.
past
25
years
cesium
has
not
been
If necessary, a membrane would separate
the strip from the island proper.
Psychologically,
uncomfortable for the Bikinians.
the
resettlement
of Bikini
this
alternative
might
be
The contaminated soil which has prevented
Island would be used to
form
its
new seaward
this
alternative
are
not
the
boundary.
The
minimal.
atoll's
Since
the
legal problems
reef
is
presented
now awash,
baseline, which in any case has
the
by
strip
would
affect
not yet been drawn, nor would it
affect navigation.
4.4
Soil
Replacement
The
removal
replacement
(Appendices
elevation without
sediment
dredged
conveniently.
added
to
the
total
cost
to
of
30
A,
B,
it.
If
from
the
The
for
of
E£)
since
some
lagoon
incremental
island-extension
about
cm
Bikini
the
reason
off of
topsoil
does
island would
replacement
Eneu
and
not
have
is
entail
sufficient
undertaken,
Bikini
could
be
the
used
cost would be some $25 million, which when
plan
$67 million
above,
(Table
for
9).
example,
would
If only small
bring
the
quantities of
backfill are needed, projecting sand spits could supply them.
The basic chemical
nature of lagoon sediment and of island sand
is similar to that of the island soils, but the upper layers of the soil
have
accumulated
nitrogen
s000034
and
over
sometimes
the
years
considerable
phosphorus
(Table
36
3),
amounts
of organic matter,
important
substances
for