212 RADIOLOGICAL CLEANUP OF ENEWETAK ATOLL OTHER PREPARATIONS Shortly after their arrival on 12 October 1977, the Navy Water Beach Cleanup Team began demolition test shots on one of their major objectives, the steel outer pilings of the Medren pier. The inner pilings were sound enough to be used in reconstruction of the pier by the TTP] Rehabilitation Program contractors. However, the outer pilings were in poor condition and had to be removed by explosive cutting as nearto the lagoon bottom as possible. On 29 October 1977, the Army and Navy Elements began test of the causeway pier-barge transportation concept. At near high tide, a two. causeway pier was inserted against the beach on Enewetak Island, using two Armybulldozers as deadmen. A YC barge was docked perpendicular to the pier, and a transition ramp was placed betweenthe barge andpier. A loaded, all-wheel-drive, 5-ton dump truck was driven from the beach, across the pier, up the ramp, and onto the barge with relative ease. Tests with a 20-ton dump truck were halted when its radiator was damaged during an attemptto drive ontothe pier.®> That same day, the FRST and USAEbegan clearing brush from the causeway between Aomonand Bijire (Tilda) where the Aomon burial crypt was located. Magnetometersurveys of the area gave several positive readings, indicating buried metal. Excavations made during the following week confirmed these readings by revealing contaminated metal debris. The high water table in the causeway precluded excavations below 6 feet.66,67 With the beginning of the Cleanup Phase (15 November 1977) fast approaching, and with BG Tate’s direction to shift the priority from Enjebi to Lujor, Boken, Aomon and Runit, the JTG developed a revised plan in October 1977 to begin simultaneous debris and soil cleanup first on Lujor, then on Boken, then on Aomon, and otherislands. In conjunction with these operations, debris was to be removed from several smaller islands where there was no contaminated soil, such as Taiwel (Percy) and Bokenelab (Mary).68 CJTG forwarded the plans and schedule to Field Command and began preparations to implement them on 1S November 1977.69 It was assumed by CJTG that the soil cleanup criteria for Lujor, Boken, and Aomon would be firmly established by the beginning of the Cleanup Phase. However, developments at the Washington levelrelative to the application of Federal guidelines and soil removal criteria were generating challenges to the cleanup concept (discussed in Chapter 6), and the Director, DNA directed Commander, Field Command to hold the execution of soil cleanup in abeyance. He was determined thatscarce soil cleanup resources would not be squanderedcleaning islands in an order of