or
Facilities
at the Eniwetok Proving Ground have been placed on a maintenance
Stand-by status.
Such equipment as can be used elsewhere has
been reassigned while other equipment has been mothballed to
protect it from the corrosive atmosphere.
All activity is being
concentrated on Eniwetok and Japtan Islands.
By maintaining the
Proving Ground under contract, it has been possible to relieve
most of the military personnel from duty there during this maintenance period.
Some 400 contractor employees will be required
to keep the proving ground in this status for the AEC.
Should a decision be made to resume testing at the Eniwetok
Proving Ground, the time necessary to build up and commence testing
would be largely dependent upon the extent of the tests to be
conducted,
as in previous operations.
At the Nevada Test Site, weapons test facilities are also being
maintained in a stand-by status.
However, underground tests
reyuire a long lead time for digging holes and tunnels in which
shots would be fired.
Therefore, some digging has continued in
order that underground testing could be resumed within a few
r
Pr,
months of a decision to do so,
;
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