Chapter 6
OTHER ISSUES
6.2 Island
Although Runit Island is to be off-limits forever, it is pos
that the Enewetak people and others believe th‘3 prohibition to
related to the dome.
This, however, is not the case, and the
emphasizes that its conclusions regarding the safety of the conta
no possible hazard on Runit.
The surface of Runit Island was cleaned up to below the "agri
tural" level of 49 to 80 pCi/g of soil and the southern part of
Department of Energy 1980).
However, there were scme 14 detonatigns
on or near the northern part of Runit, two of which are thought
have
distributed fragments of metallic plutonium on the island and in
fh::
lagoon.
Thus, there is a hazard of uncertain magnitude on Runit fFrea
fragments of pluconium and plutonium dust in subsurface pockets
It is possible that undiscovered pockets contain particles of me
Plutonium that accidentally could be picked up and carried off
island.
In addition, there was a great deal of earthmoving on
general debris and so there are areas tha’ ~ould become exposed
action of rain, wind, and waves where co: =ntrations are more
pei/g.
It is estimated that, exclusive. the contents of the d
there might be about 10 Ci of transuran’
1: on Runit
(i.e., nearlyjas
much as there is sealed inside the dome; (Committee briefing by Rj
Deputy Director for Pacific Operations, Nevada Operations Office,
Department of Energy, May 28, 1980). For these reasons the island
been quarantined since the cleanup operation.
Thus, it seems to the committee that although the hazard pre
by the dome is negligible, the same cannot be said for Runit Isl
a whole.
On the other islands the transuranic contamination was
near the surface, consisted mainly of oxides with very low rates
movement through soil, and could be removed fairly easily by
35
Ray,
has