October 26, 1956
4001 4"
Mr. Merrill Eisenbud
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
New York Operations Office
P. 0. Box 30, Ansonia Station
New York 23, New York
Dear Merrill:
We returned from the Rongelap trip yesterday and are having the
coconuts, pandanus, water, and soil samples for NYOO packed. for |
immediate shipment.
The shipment will be sent via MATS to the
ZI and then by rail.
Your other samples will be dried before shipment which should be
within the next two weeks. We expect to leave here about
November 7.
Following are notes concerning the samples now being shipped.
At
Rongelap Atoll, collections were made at Kabelle, Labaredj and
Rongelap Islands:
Coconuts - from each island, one coccnut was taken from each
of five trees.
Pandanus - one sample from each of five trees on Rongelap
Island.
Soil
- A circular template one-half square foot in area
was used. Two samples were taken from each island with the top three inches of soil placed in
a one galon can and the next three inches of soil
placed in a second can.
Sample No.
1 and 2
3 and 4 5 and 6
7 and 8
9 and 10
11 and 12
Island
Kabelle
Kabelle
Labaridj
Labaridj
Rongelap
Rongelap
Area
Open area
Grass area
Open area
Meter Reading, m.rep./hr.
Surface
3" below
3. RS
oR
Under a tree
0.6/7.0
Grass, near well 0.3/0.9
Papaya cluster, 0.3/1.0
Schoolhouse
0.3A
.05/0.3
0.1/0.5
6" below
0.2/0.9
0.2/0. 2
08/0, 5
.07/0.5
.05/0.2
0.1/0.4
The meter readings were made with a Beckman MX-5 one inch above ground
with the shield closed followed by a reading with shield open. Backgrourn
for this instrument wasas0.05.
All the samples were from areas that
OFFICIAL USE ONLY /2
cOPY
90019990