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411482

mY 12 4h

Frank—Cluff, Safety Advisory Group, NV

DISPOSAL OF SCRAP MATERIAL AT BIKINI ATOLL

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In respoose to your request for consideration of proper disy;oer#nal of
contaminated scrap material for the Bikini cleanup operation, the
following guidance is provided:
Background ~ Past radiological surveys and particularly the LG6T
survey identified a number of locations amonzt the ioelsancs of Bikint
Atoll having quantities of scrap material containing induced rudioactivity.
Such scrap locations are described in the Health and safety

Laboratory report HASL-190 entitled, “External Radiation Levels on
Bikini Atoll - May, 1967," dated December, 1967. These locations,

which are on islunds near former testing Gites, may be identified mac
(a) the Aomen-Iroij Complex in the north-centri:l part of the atoll,
(vo) the island of Nam and the blasted bunker just west of Nwa und

Bravo Crater in the northwest part of the atoll, and (c) an aren

generally defined as the island of Enidrtk and the western portion

of the Aerokoj-Eneman Co.uplex in the south central part of the utoll.
Also, the possibility cannot be ruled out that there may be sone

contaminated scrap on Bikini Island, es increased levels of radiution
were observed there on a cable spool and only a small fraction of the
area was checked due to dense vegetation. Additionally, there ure
three test facility locations in shallow water on the reef between
the Aamen-Lroitj Complex and Nam which were not monitored during the

'67 survey and which should be checked for contaminated scrap.

The Ad Hoc Committee established by AEC to evnluate the radiolosical

huzurda of resettlement of the Bikini Atoll recommemicd a number of
measures one of which was that "Radioactive sacrup should be rewoved
from the islancs adjacent to farmer shot sites."
In discussions on
thet need for such renoval it was pointed out that this mitcrinl ts
ecrap metal containing induced radioactivity and that natives collect
and find use for all auch materiale. The scrap is in the forn of

metul empedcded in concrete, chunks of metal lying on to; of the round
curface, and scrapa of metal mixed with the top layers of gand and uoll.
Tt 16 not expected that removal of the scrap containing tiduced radio}

activity will sake any great reduction in radiation levels on the near
boar te
t6*ance since there are quantities of radionuclides, primarily
l3ics, in the top layera of gand and soil of these islands.

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