266 RADIOLOGICAL CLEANUP OF ENEWETAK A’ Nuclear Agency (DNA) would do its best, as the Director had indic: Congress, to clean up Runit using the remaining available reso. Howeverit was apparent to the planners that, under this approac possibility existed that cleanup of Runit soil might not be possible the constraints of the Military Construction (MILCON) funds and Then it would be necessary either for the Department of Defense ( to go back to Congress to seek additional funds or to leave the quarantined. !9.11 Plans for implementing this strategy were developed on the incorporated into the USASCH Cleanup Phase Operation Order presented to the new Commander, Field Command, Brigadier G Grayson D. Tate, and his staff in a briefing at Field Com headquarters on 12 August 1977.!2 Meanwhile, the basic concepts | cleanup were being challenged again. A CHALLENGE TO SOIL CLEANUP CONCEPTS The week of 27 June 1977, the ERDA-Nevada Operations (ERDA-NV)began providing soil sampling supportat the atoll thro: ERSP Rad Lab. That same week, the ERSP Project Manager an deputies were in Livermore, California, for a workshop review ERDA programs in the Marshall Islands, including ERSP. Theyre! iP + to ERDA-NV with an unsigned draft position paper which raised again, the same doubts and objections regarding soil cleanup and di: which they and some ERDA headquarters personnel had unsuccessfully more than 3 years earlier. 13.14.15 The position paper questioned whether the Atomic Energy Comn (AEC) guidelines for soil removal were supportable and objected removalof topsoil from Enjebi and otherislands. It also indicated tl amount of plutonium to be removed from the islands wasinsigr compared to the total amountin the lagoon and commentedthatit leak from the crater into the lagoon. These same objections ha considered and rejected by the top-level ERDA, Environ: Protection Agency (EPA), and DNA leadership in February | Those former DNA leaders had now been replaced by a new Dire new Commander, Field Command, and new key staff member: would hear the old objections for the first time. The position paper was forwarded to ERDA’s Assistant Admin. for Environment and Safety, although none of the Marshall Workshop attendees had signed the draft.!7 The ERDA-NV le transmittal indicated that the ERSP professional staff was being pl the position of advising upon and participating in a soil cleanup