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Dear Mr. Gates:
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In Acting Chairman Floberg's August 29, 1959 letter to Secretary .
re LY Aeal PL 8 Pel7. a)
McElroy and in your October Bo, 1959 letter to me the AEC and DoD established
agreement that the Eniwetok Proving Ground (EPG) activity could be reduced
in scope to a 12-month readiness status.
That, of course, has since been
accomplished.
Because the likelihood of resuming surface nuclear testing at
EPG in the future is so small, Chief, DASA, Commander, JIF-7, and the
Director of Military Application, AEC, last month appointed a Joint Study
Group to reappraise requirements for EPG, and readiness status and functions
The report of that Joint Study Group,
in part,
short title RETO, prepared
on Mareh 21, 1960,
concluded,
that the EPG should be placed in a
caretaker status.
I concur in that conclusion and would like to implement
it as soon as practicable in order to further reduce AEC costs at EPG.
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famm epre
In the coming months we may find that the ANC (pemegmecisiss need for the
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EPG will disappear completely.
If the Department of Defense has requirements
for retaining Eniwetok and Bikini Atolls,
it would be economically advantageous
to arrange a non-reimbursable interdepartmental transfer of the plant
facilities and the equipment out there before the AEC puts the Proving
ie
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a
ee
of JTF-7.
Ground in caretaker status.
Otherwise, when the equipment and supplies now
stored at EPG are declared excess, probably several million dollars worth will
be disposed of -- equipment which might handily fulfill possible DoD require-
ments in the EPG.
Therefore,
-Prsr
Dey
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tal
uw
I would appreciate knowing of your interest in sotoiaiund
the EPG for possible DoD use.
Additionally if the DoD has no requirement
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