Radiation Safety and Cleanup Preparations 181 men from U.S. Army Armaments Research and Development Command with magnetometers to help locate buried debris, a U.S. Army Element (USAE) survey team and backhoe operators, plus 16 members of the newly arrived Field Radiation Support Team (FRST). The survey team located the GZ and established five radials from it with stakes placed at 50- foot intervals. A backhoe was used to dig a trench beside each stake to obtain soil samples and locate any buried debris. Trenches were dug as deep as 6 feet depending on levels of coral rock and ground water. Each trench was checked with an SPA-2 micro-R meter for evidence of contaminated debris. Soil samples were taken from the sides of the trenches at 1-foot intervals (Figure 4-1) and were analyzed by Eberline Instrument Corporation (EIC) in their laboratory at Enewetak Camp. Stringent radiological safety measures were established for the survey. A hot line was established near the personnel pier. Air samplers were positioned downwindofall earth-moving operations. During the engineer survey phase, all personnel crossing the hot line wore rubber boots and double surgical masks. During the trenching/soil sampling phase, all personnel in the area wore boots, anti-contamination (anti-C) coveralls, gloves, full-face respirators and hoods, with tape overall openings where dust might enter. Due to heat stress and discomfort produced primarily by the respirator, personnel were able to work only approximately 2 hoursin the morning and 2 hoursin the afternoon. After a few days’ operations, it was noted that personnel were not fully recovering from the previous day’s fatigue. Thereafter, workers in full anti-C suits were given hourly breaks. Temperature readings of over 90°F were commonplaceas early as 1000 hours. Because of the heat, two FRST members were removed from the survey before it was completed on Il July 1977. The surveyeffort disclosed that there was no contaminated burial site at Erie GZ. The average surface and 1-foot depth activity was 24 picocuries per gram (pCi/g), well below the 40 pCi/g guideline for any surface soil cleanup action. Some subsurface hot spots of 150 to 282 pCi/g, well below the then current 400 pCi/g guidelines for required cleanup, were found. These were roped off during Runit site construction. Concurrent with the survey, contaminated debris found south of the permanenthotline was collected and stockpiled north of that line by USAE personnel working in full anti-C suits, 10.11 The Erie site survey provided a valuable field test of radiological control and safety measures and equipment. Byparticipating in the survey, Field Command’sradiological planners, Dr. Edward T. Bramlitt and Lieutenant Colonel Manuel L. Sanches, USA, and the JTG Radiological Control Division staff, were able to observe and experiencedirectly the application of their plans. This permitted further refinementof the radiological control and safety procedures which wereto be used for the project. eect