4OOS32 . . ‘Capt. Day tests eT « wera waa taminated debris — that length of time for the radioactivity to natural‘ly reduce itself by one-half — ranges: from five years for cobalt 60 to: 24,000 years for plutonium. Theoretical- | ty, the amount of plutonium on Runit Last of three articles. By BRUCE BENSON0°32 clilvertiser Science. Writer .-. -2-- t White: moths danced;in. and out of a truck “) RUNIT ISLAND, Enewetak — the shrubs of scnevola as - adioactivit v of metal debris en rou would have to go through.10 half- lives, or 240,600- years, befora it is jogeled down a rutted road in low debased to an cnvironmental fovel gear toward ground zero. It’s a-safe.:. safe for people toJive here. ve place for a casual visit, said Capt. Chuck Day, but everyone nervously ee ee, ee ee, eee, ee kept giaticing anyway toward his eciger counter. Runit was the site of several nue! clear explosions ia the U.S. weapons- After a cle nup operation now under way, Himited access to tne isJand will be allowed for short pertods but it will remain quarantined to prohibit permanent residents. testing program of the cold war. One To ense tension aboard the truck, felt an overwhelming desire to sud- several bad jokes are told. Fhe troops assigned ta clean up the denly learn more about alpha, beta and gamma rays as the truck radioactive debris at Enewetak are bounced taward two craters at the ordering a special T-shirt, says Northern end of the ttle island. someone. It will have a (Crom -- with The radioactive half-lives of contwo beads — and beneath. the Nr te et ent ee eet 5002bb3 C. le Feenee = ete mutated cr ealure will be saying: te “Rumit." “Hey, Chuck, we're-just radiant .— with enthusiasm aboul this visit.’’ saysanomer. . Survey parties have camped and worked on Runt before without any everyprotective clothing, Sut today s one is fitted our in rubber boots and, two face masks made of paper. one. 4 ever the other. . Runit ts the “hottest’’ of the 40 isjands in the Enewetak atoll, partly becuuse of large amounts of twisted metal debris and partly because two explosions blew a sfood deal of plu- toniuimacross its landscape. One Hawaii scientist wha camped at ine craters for a month was callcd to the Mainland reeeathy for oa whnrte body count of radtenuchess. See RUNIT an Page 3-3 . 2.0AL Ni /G 76- ene See tee ee eae ‘ WN MONOLULL ADVES Tinerede Boe tpn ce cee ene aA ee veer(ine say, abe ol, Vine eT SR en ee Spe ee ny ee oe pt ge Oe aeein er eT ed EO te ee eee Pee ER an ee iol