CLASSIFICATION CANCELLED BY AUTHORITY OF DOE/ .O 2resiory ULE “OLLECTION Ly CM- Sweethan (l1o\% & be re ” ” Liye ce eg ff s¢-§ BOXNo £US a 3 3L 6-4 3-o, FoLbeR Dear Mr. LeBaron: MRA 77/ Castev ¢ SLN t It has become evident in the concuct of the IVY operation and in planning for future overseas tests that ins:ifficient land area exists at Uniwetok Atoll to vernit firiny more tan one very hich yield de- vice there during Operation CASTL®. Similarly, present estimates of the dangers resulting fron detonating very wien yield cevices are such as to require the Joint Task Yorce to pliun cvaciation of the “niwetok base complement durin’ cach cuch shot, a cumsersome and e vensive procedure. Since the CASTLES prorran as presently conceived requires land area for possibly three such sots, the Commission on September ll, 1952, approved the use of Bikini Atoll in connection with tie CASTLE program under the program as now conceived: 1. imiwetok Atoll will contime to be the main base of operations as well as the normal location for relatively low yield experimental detonations,. and as necessary avd practicable for high yield detonations. 2. Bikini Atoll wil be used to supplement tniwetok by serving as site for cetonations, particularly for those which may inflict considerable damage on the -niwetok base or other slot island fecilities there, or wheres it is possible by use of Bikini to avoid evacuation of -niwetox. The urgency of the situation with rerard to time necessitated certain preliminary preparatory steps on the assumption of “epartment of Defense concurrence anc support. The Cormission informed the Uepartment of Interior of our intention to send a preliminary party to Bikini about October 1, 1952. This information will be amplified as our plans develop. ‘:e have also authorized the anita Fe Onerations Office, United tates Atomic —_nergey Commission, to proceed with the beachhead phase of construction at Bikini. A We request Uepartment of vefense concurrence in, and support of, he ey Ce overseas operations uncer this proposed program, . .. io | a BEST COPY AVAILABLE