152
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RADIOLOGICAL CLEANUP OF ENEWETAK ATOLL
Master Sergeant J. S. Loggins, Engineer Construction NCO.
Accompanying them was Captain Charles E. Day, USA, from the Field
Command Hawaii Office, assigned on a 2-week temporary duty (TDY)
basis to provide radiological safety supportfor thefirst joint effort of the
project.34
153
FIRST NAVY SEALIFT: 14 APRIL 1977
Muchofthe sealift for the Enewetak Atoll Radiological Cleanup Project
was furnished by Commander, Naval Surface Forces, Pacific
(COMNAVSURFPAC) and subordinate elements, including
FIRST ARMY-NAVY TEAM: 5 APRIL-17 MAY 1977
Thefirst joint Army-Navyeffort of the project was removal of aggregate
from a stockpile on Enjebi (Janet) Island to Lojwa (Ursula) Island for use
in construction of the forward base camp. It was accomplished by four
Army equipmentoperators and five Navy boat operators assigned TDY to
the atoll for the aggregate operation. Procedures for accomplishing and
supporting the operation were developed by the atoll commander, the
H&Nsite manager, and Field Command’s chieflogistician.35-3 The team
used base support equipment—scooploaders, dump trucks, and landing
craft, mechanized (LCM-8)—to move the aggregate. The bulk-haul
system, which had previously been used to deliver soil for ERDA’s
experimental tree farm on Enjebi, was used to transport the aggregate to
Lojwa. With the bulk-haul system, the landing craft weil deck was loaded
directly with approximately 40 cubic yards of aggregate for each trip,
instead of with one truck carrying only about 8 cubic yards of aggregate.
This was the first use of bulk haul by a military team at the atoll. A year
!
Mobilization
later, after extensive radiological safety testing, the procedure would be
Commander, Amphibious Group Eastern Pacific, and Commander
Amphibious Group ONE. Their deployments of amphibious ships to the
Western Pacific several times a year called at Enewetak Atoll throughout
the project, bringing equipment and supplies. Without this extraordinary
effort by COMNAVSURFPAC—and the total cooperation of all Navy
echelons from the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations down to
individual ships’ crews—the project would have been in serious financial
Straits from the start.
The first such task group arrived from San Diego on 14 April 1977
(Figure 3-5). It included the USS ANCHORAGE, USS ST. LOUIS. USS
ALAMO, and USS SCHENECTADY.38 They delivered 2,588
measurement tons (M/T = 40 cu. ft.) of cargo, including a 90-ton crane
generators, trucks, causeway sections, anddistillation units from the West
Coast, and busses, shop vans, trucks, construction equipment, and
building supplies from Pearl Harbor. All this materiel had been acquired
and delivered to the ports of embarkation in less than 3 weeks by Field
Command, H&N-PTD, USASCH, and Pacific Air Forces in order to take
advantage of the no-cost sealift offered by COMNAVSURFPAC.
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employed to improve capabilities for moving radiologically contaminated
soil.
Work began on 8 April 1977 under the supervision of Chief Boatswain’s
——
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Mate Roger Black. During the week, the team camped on Enjebt in trailer
facilities originally established for the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory's
experimental tree farm. The Enjebi trailer camp was operated and
maintained by two H&N-PTD employees. On weekends, the team
returned to the main base camp on Enewetak Island. CPT Day
implemented the radiological safety program. Air samplers obtained from
the Nevada Test Site were set up downwind of aggregate loading and
offloading operations, and dust filter masks were worn by personnel in the
area. When the operation was completed on 9 May 1977, a total of 1,300
r
on Loywa
cubIC yards ol aggregate was stockpiled lo
construction forces.3?
FIGURE 3-5. CONVOY ARRIVAL,