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Runit (Yvonne) Cleanup and Crater Containment
445
roward identifying the appropriate disposition of each item. During the
September 1978 survey, it was estimated that there were approximately
10,000 cubic yards of debris on Runit and its associated reef areas, 4,100 of
which should be disposed ofin the crater, !00 A resurvey 2 monthslater
the crater. 101
estimated that only 2,200 cubic yards need be disposed of in
Someofthe higher levels of gamma contamination (maximum intensity
of 25 milliroentgens per hour) were found in a twisted metal debris pile on
the reef just north the old runway. Other metal located in the area of the
Blackfoot GZ had gamma readings up to 17 milliroentgens per hour, !02
Debris underwater and on thereef had to be surveyed and markedseveral
times because wave action removed both the paint and the engineer
ribbon used to code its radiological condition. Efficiency of this operation
could have been increased greatly if the USAE had been taskedto provide
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equipment to remove debris as it was being surveyed.!03 By the end of
1978, only 1,724 cubic yards of debris had been cleaned up on Runit, most
of it by the WBCT or during the removal of contaminated debris from
South Runit in 1977, 104
The delays in accomplishing Runit debris cleanup had adverseeffects.
The landing craft which had been beached near Station 1310 during the
testing period to provide shore protection were sufficiently exposed in 1977
to have permitted complete demolition and removal. However, by late
1979, due to settling and shifting sands, only portions of the
superstructures were exposed, and major excavation would have been
~
required to remove them. These landing craft were not contaminated;
therefore, it was decided to remove the exposed hazards only. The most
serious adverse effect of the delays, however, was that red debris
continued to be located after containment operations had been completed,
requiring extraordinary measures for containment. These are described in
a subsequent section. [n all, 4,120 cubic yards of contaminated debris and
11,482 cubic yards of noncontaminated debris were removed from Runit
andits reef.
RUNIT SOIL CLEANUP
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Several alternatives for cleanup of contaminated soil on Runit were
considered at the 4 May 1978 Enewetak Cleanup Planning Conference
including:
a. No cleanup;
b. Clean all concentrations over 160 pCi/g immediately;
c. Clean all concentrations over 160 pCi/g after all other soil cleanup was
complete; and