124
RADIOLOGICAL CLEANUP OF ENEWETAK ATOLL
noncontaminated scrap.278 There was some question, however, as to the
ownership of the scrap and theeligibility of a foreign buyer. Under the
existing agreement between the United States and the TTPI for the use of
Manning and ‘rogramming
Dean Easton, Chief, DPDO Naw
al, ey mer
-Enewetak Atoll, the scrap material would have been abandonedin place.
According to the Engineering Study and the EJS, it would be dismantled
—
f.
i
|
and stockpiled for use or sale by the people. The. TTPI-Marshall Islands
District Early Return Program anticipated some employment and revenue
for the dri-Enewetak from the sale of scrap. The Marshall Islands District
Administrator, Mr. Oscar DeBrum, expressed an interest in contracting
. for the sale and removalof the material. Initially, this appeared to provide
an excellent means of accomplishing much of the southern islands cleanup
and reducing the effort and cost of the DOD project. Accordingly, in
conferenc
December 1975279 and in January 1976,289 Field Command
Property Disposal Office (DPDO) officials in Hawaii regarding another
their iroijs and
in the law, the
owever, given
mantle buildings 190 and saa re
re
and tak
e .the material to
pene Uheir removal of
these buildi
syso cleanup work for DOD forces ngs 5:aved an estimated 400 man.284
.
.
n
Nov
recommended that the facilities and material required for the cleanup
operalions be identified and that the remaining facilities and materia!
revert to TIP] under the use agreement so that TTPI could contract for its
sale and removal by commercial contract. At the same time, LTC Hente,
of Field Command’s Pacific Support Office, was coordinating with Defense
scrap.
On 13 January 1976, the HQ DNA Logistics Directorate advised Field
Command that a recent change in Public Law 40-USC 472 and Federal
Property Disposal Regulations prohibited transfer of the materia! to TTP!
or the dri-Enewetak without prior determination by DPDO that the
material was ‘‘uneconomically salvageable.’’?8! This guidance did not
a
™
eam
4, 000 gross ton
onss)
) of the material
DPDOcontracto
i was ;
r inventory and that
any proceeds of is sal
e ha
penses, would be return
ed to H&N-PTD for cre
base support contra ct.
dit against the
Thiis was confirmed ;
Agency
e on 2 September 1976.2
8 18 DNA-Defense sup
At Enewetak, follow
ply
ing the 16 Se
alternative —that of having DPDO contract for the sale and removal of the
teem
125
suggestion was rejected.
Field Command contin
ued to
LTC Hente escorted Mr.
apply to buildings left standing by cleanup forces. Thus, in planning the
disposition of Lojwa Camp, it was determined that cleanup forces would
remove the installed equipment .and facilities for which DOD had other
requirements, and that the remaining buildings which had been erected
for the project would revert to TTPI for use by the dri-Enewetak or
disassembly by TTPI forces.
The HQ DNA Logistics Directorate also advised that it would be
extremely costly to conduct a special radiological survey at that time to
assure the material was noncontaminated. Therefore, the survey and sale,
if any, could not take place until cleanup operations had begun.282 Mr.
ised on 3 February 1976.
The advantages of accomplishing some cleanu
to be explored. Since mostof the facilities and material had been acquired
under the Enewetak base support contract, it was suggested that the
current basesupport contractor, H&N-PTD, removeandsell the material
as a plant closure action, with net proceeds being credited to the base
support contract. However, in view of the 13 January 1976 decision, this
usae
bleematerial
ancould no t be left for them
Pe oasen to dis
Colonel Mana "Sanches ye racom
ted
» monitoredma
ra .
.
- S,
: nant
all allnd
of th by Lieute
rm
aeaive
contamina
tion and, together with a team from DPDO.H. for
OF Inspection by potential buyers.285 The scrap sale 4
operations are described in Chapter 4.
,
Hawaii,
nd removal
_ OTHER PLANNING AC TIO
NS: NOVEMBER-DECEMBE
RI
976
BG _bac
Lac
y y iand ia few ke y
stalff offi
offici
cials
i
DN mating conferences
in November 1976. The
Tiree atH
status oni November. was
to brief the Director on
the current plannin
COND Ne establish a
new D-Day. When the 2
July 1976 version of the
had boon
nas forwarded to the JCS
, a tentative D-Day of |
March 1977
aporenay i theJCS ee
at November, the CO
NPLAN still was not
» Me Military Services still
had not be en t
oread vc cleanup, and
a radiological Support
plan had not heee
aaa gine was
behind to the extent tha
t
BG
Lacy felt that the
'
-Day could not be met.
He recommended that D-D
aybe
Services.286 Instead, , LTG J ohn
son chose to fix a new
t:
june 1977 and challenged
the planners to meetit.
far
mer 2-Day of I
€ next conference wascall
ed by the District Admini
strator of the
Marshall Islands, , at Maj
fajuro, on [5-19 N
izati
rep
resented included Field
Command, TTPL ERDA
L H&N. enz
ations