Martin B. Biles
*.
.
. quiring disposal is not known exactly, but the quantity that may have to
be removed to meet the ERDA puides has been estimated by H&N to be
about 79,000 yd3. This would be:
79, 000 yd? X 764 M3/yd? X 10° em*/M?> = 60.4109 em3
With the density of Enewetak soil at about 1. 2g/cm?, this would
be:
60.4 X 109 cm3 X 1, 2g/em> = 72.5 X 10%
If all Enewetak soil above 400 pCi 2395, per gram of soil is cleaned
up plus sorne concentrations less than this, one could assume that the
overall average level of 23 9Pu in the. 79,000 yd? of soil may be about
1,000 pCi/g. This should be a high estimate.
*: 72.6 X 109g X 1,009 pCi/g=®
72.5% 10 12
pci
239
Pu
This is about 73 curiegs of 2395, or:
73 Ci X16 Ci/g =
1,168¢ or about 1.2 kg.
The net result of all of this is that the International Regulations would
allow the dumping of 16,000 kg of 239Pu into one site in one year.
The total we would needto dump for Enewetak would be only about
1,2 kg of 239Pu, These two numbers are four orders of magnitude
apart.
The argument in behalf of ocean dumping of Enewetak Atoll debris
I would like to make, is that 1.2 kg of £59Pu mixed with 79, 000 ya?
of soil dumped in the deep ocean is an almost negligible amount
considering the International Agreement and a tiny amount to worry
about from the view of concern for contaminationof the Pacific.
Bs
ever, it is not so unimportant if we think of a kilogram of
Pu located in one area in some limited life container near the
surface ona emall island under the fect of the Enewetak people.
Eleven miles northeast of Enewetak Atoll, the oceanis 12, 000+
feet deep. This is the place for the Enewetak debris, put on the
bottom in a concrete matrix, dropped there in simple steel containers
vented to avoid crushing, In my opinion, land burial of this debris
on Enewetak Atoll would be a serious mistake, a never cnding expense
to the taxpayer, and an unnecessary threat to the Enewetak people
OFFICE >}
BURNAME >
DATS >
Form ABC-318 (Rev. 9-53) AECM 0240
peeemes
w* Us 6) GOVEANMENT PRINTING OF FICE! 1074-886-166
*
r