106 WETAK ATOLL RADIOLOGICAL CLEANUP OF ENE h ouse authorization conference whic line with the thinking of the Senate-H ‘mit 200 ane 1 target rather than a hm had authorized $20 million as a to resolve ne ommtt € conference Senate-House appropriations after lene ssi eos differences on funding, the Senate conferees, an . tly agreed to defer funding. . be rool belore mou atoll the of restoration ‘ltornatives for 7 progra , clive 1 5 were spent on what could be an inetie mand aT ey project cleanup the chances for funding and beginning comma av in changes many of That autumn also saw the first Cleanup Proiect RA y Patio management ofthe Enewetak Atoll Bri and was replace d by his deputy, i nder, retired ane Logistics of COL Esser, the Director Oe alThomas E. Lacy, USAF; by replaced Group, retired and was Chairman of the Enewetak Planning nad ae Scn Since BG Lacy and COL Colonel J. R. Schaefer, USA. . +9 co ning the project, involved for more than a year in plan t the manage ment continuity. id not have major impact on er did geoverd chanaav re FY 1977 MILITARY CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM:1976 funding for the project in FYWie After Congress d eclined to provide ce with ASD{ISA} to reviey ane LTG Johnson requested a conferen o future atoad me confers re program and determine a oe for i ae 08ey fon place on 5 December 1975. Participa an eputy of ASD(ISA), LTG Johnson, inci l FE. Shedd, IE, evi ral Gene r Majo ion, POons and "administrat If was agreed t 0 ition for the USA. After a review of the situation, mit the amount of © DOD would seek FY 1977 funds in project. _— fy on for other agencies to testi e ASD(UISA) would assist in a rranging behalf of the project. tary f DOD’s intention to use TDY mili ® DNA would advise the JCS o nnel for the project. ootion cing MILCON costs OY aT e DNA would look into redu < ,“"~ debris noncontaminated scrap and buyer remove the and.204 suggested by Field Comm In January 1779, te iona staff began work with Congress Planning and Programming 107 on a tour of Enewetak, 8-13 February 1976. The better part of 2 days were spent inspecting the islands, including Enewetak, Medren, Japtan, and Runit.2°6 The Congressional staff visit proved valuable in obtaining funds for the project. In addition, Mr. Rexroad was instrumental in developing the concept of augmenting MILCON funds with available worldwide Military Service assets on a nonreimbursable basis. During this same period, the Field Command Enewetak Planning Group began developing and pricing optional concepts to conform to the Congressional authorization of $20 million, It became obvious that the goal could not be achieved without considerable assistance from the Military Services. A February 1976 CONPLAN was developed, which resulted in a total cost of $26.016 million, with two cost-reduction alternatives: (I) assigning personnel on a PCS versus TDY basis, and (2) using cut-and-cover trenches versus crater containment of contaminated material. These alternatives lowered the cost to $19.36] million.207 An April 1976 CONPLAN modified the February 1976 version to provide an even greater variety of cost reduction possibilities, including PCS versus TDY personnel, cut-and-cover containment of contaminated material, and having the Services provide their own spare parts. Total cost ranged from 314.469 million to $24.331 million, depending on the option selected. The cut-and-cover alternative was rejected, as it would require lengthy efforts to revise the EIS. 298 A 2 July 1976 CONPLAN was prepared to include crater containment and provide other cost-reduction options. It had a total cost of $24.33] million, which could be reduced by $3.1! million if personnel were PCS instead of TDY, and by $1.156 million if the Services provided spare parts for their equipment on a nonreimbursable basis, leaving a reduced cost of $20.064 million. This edition of the CONPLAN wassent for review to the JCS who in turn sent it to the Services and Commander in Chief, Pacific Command (CINCPAC) for comment.209 This 2 July 1976 version of the CONPLAN (whose genesis can be traced back to the original April 1975 “blue’” CONPLAN), became—after one more major revision—the ““CONPLAN I-76” upon which the cleanup was based. THE LANDMARK HEARING: MARCH 1976 aod his l staff members to promote illi on MILCON fund reques t for $20 milli understanding and approval of the rt C. Nicholas, If, Staff Assistant to FY 1977.295 He arranged for Mr. Robe and , ommittee on Military Construction the House Appropriations Subc tary Mili te Sena the to t Staf Assistan Mr. Vorley M. Rexroad, Johnson LTG any accomp to Construction Appropriations Subcommittee, By the spring of 1976, three of the four cognizant Congressional committees had approved the Enewetak Atoll Cleanup Project. Only the House Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Representative Robert L. F. Sikes, remained to be convinced. The crucial hearing took place on 29 March 1976. The testimony presented by LTG Johnson andothers was the most definitive and thorough explanation and justification of the