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4

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‘

Demobilization

cleaning procedures used on retrograde shipments. He reported that th

measures were more than adequate to assure that Enewetak shipme
would have no problem passing USDA inspections at U'S. ports of entry

During the period 22-28 June 1979, the USS ALAMOprovided »

well repair service to the U.S. Navy Element (USNE) craft at Enewetak

addition, the ship loaded 2,894 measurement tons of retrograde cargo

Pearl Harbor and 1,585 measurement tons for San Diego, includin

disabled Army LARC-LX. The disabled craft was towed by anot

LARC-LX from the beach at Enewetak to the USS ALAMOduring

hours of darkness without incident.20.21 Personnel from the U.S. Ar
Element (USAE), USNE, and H&N-PTD worked well into the night

complete loading of retrograde aboard the ship.

MONITORING AND DECONTAMINATING RETROGRADE
One of the primary concernsof radiological control was to assure tl
contaminated equipment was not removed from a radiologically contro!
island to an uncontrolled island within the atoll. Before equipmentv
removed from a controlled island, it was monitored by the Field Radiat
Support Team (FRST) and, if necessary, decontaminated before be.
released. The release of an item was logged in the FRST Team Chie

report for the island. This procedure also was used for retrograde

equipment from controlled islands during most of the project.
Prior to monitoring, all equipment had to be cleaned by the owning
using activity to remove accumulated mud, grease, oil, concrete, or ot!
foreign matter that potentially could trap contamination or could interfi

with monitoring. To determine fixed contamination, the equipmentv

monitored with portable field instruments for alpha, beta, and gam
activity. The amount of removable contamination was determined
using paper swipes to wipe an area of 100 square centimeters. Then, '
swipes were analyzed for alpha and beta activity either in the FR

laboratory or in the J-2 office. 22

The areas to be monitored and/or swiped were selected as thi

locations mostlikely to contain or entrap contamination, such as radiatc
floor boards, air cleaners, and wheel wells of vehicles. Contaminat
limits for release of equipment to clean areas were based on d:
American National Standards Institute Standard Number N328-1976

amended by DOE-NV.Limits were as follows:
Alpha:

1000 dpm/100 square centimeters fixed or 20

dpm/100 square centimeters removable.

Select target paragraph3