RMI Nuclear Justice Documents

2.
2)

R.

W.

Buddemeier,

C.

Gatrousis,

and A.

H.

Bierman,

"Alpha- Sensitive Cellulose Nitrate Track Detectors:
Applications to the Study of Environmental Contaminations,"
submitted to the Plutonium Information Conference, NAEG, 1978.
3)

R. W.

Tritium as

Buddemeier and W.

a Long-Term Tracer

A.

MeConachie,

for Atoll

"Fallout

Soil-Water Processes,"

(abs.), submitted to the International Symposium on Isotope
Hydrology, IAEA, 1978.
4)
Hawaii Institute of Geophysics Data Report
press, 1978).

14.

(in

Scope:
The general objectives remain as stated in the initial
proposal:
the description and quantitative understanding of
the hydrology and groundwater geochemistry of Enewetak Atoll,
and the use of these results to interpret groundwater radioactivity in terms of leaching, cycling, transport and residence
time models, both for the groundwater-soil-vegetation system
of specific locales, and for the atoll as a whole.
The initiation of clean-up and rehabilitation operations
has significantly altered the environment of Enewetak Atoll,
and added new problems and opportunities for study.
Specifically, the principal objectives for FY 78 will be:
1)
Investigation of the effects of denudation of the
islands on the hydrogeochemical regime.
LLL (Noshkin) studies
are expected to address the radiological aspects of the effects
On ground- and soil water of the bulldozing and burn-off of
the vegetation from Enjebi

and other islands,

while

Robison's

group continues to investigate vegetative recycling of radiofNuclides.
The UH effort will be directed toward a study of
alterations in the recharge rate of the groundwater, and
chemical changes occasioned by lack of plant activity and

the breaking of the plant-soil recycling path.

Both of

these may be expected to increase the leach rate of soil
radionuclides, and the artificial denudation of the islands
therefore represents an outstanding opportunity to investigate
the recycling and leaching mechanisms.
2)
Investigation of the effects of the Runit I. encryptment of radioactive scrap.
In addition to monitoring the
integrity of the containment, the encryptment will dramatically alter both the surface and subsurface hydrologic
regimes of the island.
Although direct study will probably
have to await completion of the clean-up, we expect to be
planning for this contingency during FY 78.

Monitoring the effects on water quality and subsurface
3)
storage caused by withdrawal of water from the airstrip wells
on Enewetak (for laundry supply) and the Japtan wells used
by the Enewetak people.

SAU