OFFICIAL USE ORLY Copra processing plants which process copra from islands of the western Pacific ere in the Philippines and Japan. The copra is washed and run through a press which extracts the coconut oil leaving a residue which is called copra meal. The oil is used in foods and cosmetics. The oil is reported to have a low mineral content and very low levels of radioactivity. Radioactivity such as 137 Cs in the processec. copra ends up in the copra meal which contains about 20> protein and 5% oil. This meal is a good quality animal feed and is used for dairy cows. 137 Cs in copra meal can be expecved to be On a gran basis the levcl of 5 to 10 times the level in fresh coconut meat. In the case of coconuts from Bikini, if the levels of 137 Cs in future crops are as high as found in the 1969 samples, the copra meal may contain 60C to 1,200 pCi/g. Measures recommended by the Ad Hoe Committee for minimizing levels of radioactivity in Pandanus (removing 2 inches of soil at the plentings site over an area covered by the crown of mature trees) may also be needcd for planting coconut trees on Bikini. determined with present information. Whether this is needed cannot be If needed, tne justification would not be so much the protection of the Bikini people but rather to minimize the level of 137 Cs . in the copra meal that Js a byproduct of production of ccconut oil. OFFICTAL USE OLY arp Sat cs Juhi a BS, * . ah moot nrg oO LOR, : : on!