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