To: From: Hal Hollister 3 W. J. Bair In the next few weeks the following should be accomplished to improve the capability to make dose assessments and guide cleanup activities: a. b. c. The analysis of coconut and associated soils now in progress at LLL should be exnedited. The urine bioassay data from Bikini should be obtained and analyzed for use by the Advisory Group. We believe it would be informative to compare estimates of the body burdens of transuranics in the people who have been living on Bikini with the levels of transuranics in the environment and in the food harvested from Bikini islands. A data bank that accumulates all data from all organizations participating in Marshal] Islands studies should be started and made available to all persons involved in the Marshal] Islands program. d. The organization and responsibilities of all DOE contractor personnel should be reviewed and clearly defined. e. Questions raised concerning possible bias in IMP 241 am readings f. relative to soil Am and Pu levels should be resolved. An inventory of all current Enewetak projects for use by the Advisory Group should be provided. Further suggestions will be forwarded following the next meeting of the Advisory Group the week of June 5, 1978. We plan to review the calibration of the IMP and the Am-Pu soil data; review new data Dr. Robison expects to bring from Enewetak; comment on the draft dose assessment report; consider long-term issues related to final phases of the cleanup operations, certification and reassessment of dose based on contamination levels remaining after cleanup; and review organizational responsibilities. Plowing may reduce the surface soil concentrations and hence reduce the potential inhalation problem. Plowing is unlikely to reduce plant uptake, Since it merely redistributes the transuranics in the plowed area. Decisions on plowing should await the results of the proposed plowing experiment to be conducted at Enewetak. We recommend that a statistician participate in the planning of the experiment and analysis of the soil sampling data. Since DNA has requested advice on this technique, the experiment should be conducted as soon as possible. It has also been drawn to our attention that on Enjebi, for instance, the depth to beach rock is variable and hence consistent plowing to depth may be impracticable. In addition, experience has shown that there are large quantities of unexploded ordnance and other dangerous hardware in the subsurface. These pose to the operators a potential risk that may outweigh the benefits to be obtained from plowing. cc: cc by mail: Task Group Members Tom McCraw Joe Deal