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pebris Cleanup
FIGURE 5-2. DEBRIS LOADING OPERATION.
was disassembled or broken upfor collection and transport using engineer
tools or demolitions.
The Water-Beach Cleanup Team (WBCT) of the U.S. Navy Element
(USNE) was responsible for collection of debris located offshore; i.e.,
from the high tide line on the beach out to a depth of15 feet in the waterat
jow tide. During the course of the project, five methods were successfully
used to extract debris from the offshore areas (Figure 5-3). As in the case
of land operations, it was often necessary, prior to removing the debris
from the water, to reduce it to a size which could be handled by the
personnel and equipment available. These activities were conducted by the
USNE’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel who assisted
WBCTdebris removal operations.
The basic method of debris extraction from offshore areas was by
manual removal (Figure 5-4). When the debris was small enough to be
handled by one or two divers, they would remove and carry the debris to
beach stockpiles. Once on shore, debris was transported to larger
stockpiles by the USAE for subsequent removal to dump sites. This
procedure was used on virtually all islands of the atoll.
A second method involved the use of divers offshore in combination
with a D8 dozer with winch onshore. This method was used when the
debris was larger than could be handled by oneor two divers and in areas
inaccessible to Navy watercraft. The cable from the winch was connected