FPN ee

From:

W. J. Bair

The Advisory Group is of the opinion that the recommended cleanup criteria

as discussed in item 2 below will result in average transuranic radiation
doses to subsequently exposed populations that will be commensurate with
proposed EPA guidelines. The EPA considers its guidance levels to be
equivalent to a lifetime risk of about 14 premature cancer deaths per 100,000
persons exposed and to perhaps an equal number of genetic effects, although
these estimates are based on many uncertain assumptions and are generally
considered to be quite conservative.

An estimate of 14 cancers per 100,900

people would correspond to a 3% chance of one cancer appearing in a population
of 200 people exposed to EPA guidance levels for their lifetime; or
expressed differently, to a probability of one cancer in every 2100 years

(assuming a constant population size).

2.

Considering the physical and ecological limitations to removal of transuranics
from the Enewetak Atoll], the Advisory Group recommends the following. From
the information currently available and used for dose assessment, we believe
that cleanup of all one-quarter or one-half* hectare areas exceeding (with

70% confidence) 40 pCi/g of surface (0 to 3 cm.) soils of village islands

will provide a reasonable expectation that doses in the bone and lung will

be commensurate with the EPA guidance. In terms of radiation dosesparing benefit to future inhabitatants, cleanup of a standard area
on a village island is worth about 4 times as much as cleanup to a
given level on an agricultural island and 12 times as much as cleanup
of the same area to the same level on a picnic island. However, in
the light of existing contamination levels and available cleanup

resources, it would appear that cleanup of all one-quarter hectare
areas on village islands that exceed 40 pCi/g should receive first
priority. Because the other islands may have increased use over that
currently assumed, a second priority should be the cleanup of
agriculture island half-hectare areas exceeding (with 70% confidence)
80 pCi/g. A third priority should be the cleanup of picnic island

half-hectare areas exceeding (with 70% confidence) 160 pCi/g.

If

resources are exhausted, some islands may not be cleaned up; final
dose assessment may indicate that these islands will have to be

permanently quarantined. We note that the soil profile on Pearl is
anomalous since the concentration of transuranics appears to be

uniform with depth. We believe that the possibility of effective
cleanup for use as a village or agriculture island is remote. However,
the possibility of covering Pearl with the less contaminated soil from

the village islands and, perhaps, from the agricultural islands
should be considered for Towering the average surface contamination
levels and reducing the logistics problems of transporting the soil
from the other islands to Runit.

*1/4 hectare if IMP readings are taken on a 25 meter arid; 1/2 hectare if a

50 meter grid is used.

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