1.5.1 High Energy Upper Stage (HEUS) Rocket Tests During the time that the atoll was under the control of the Air Force, two test firings of a developmental rocket motor were conducted on Island Janet, one in 1968 and the other in 1970. The High Energy Upper Stage (HEUS) motors each contained 2,500 pounds of propellant, of which 300 pounds were beryllium. The first test, in April 1968, resulted in a high order detonation which scattered propellant over the western tip of the island. The engine started operating normally, but after a short time exhibited uncontrolled burning which resulted in detonation of the engine. The detonation caused spalling of the concrete blockhouse to which the engine was attached, and spread beryllium metal and oxides over a wide area in a nonuniform manner. Some decontamination was performed prior to the second test.* The second test was successfully conducted in January 1970. The U.S, Air Force Environmental Health Laboratory took soil samples before and after the test and following decontamination procedures. The highest degree of contamination was found in a blackened area adjacent to the pad slightly behind the nozzle where the surface soil was scraped up, bagged, and removed from the area. Areas of soi] known to be contaminated were soaked with water and the surface soil removed by bulldozing. (No statements are made regarding final disposition of the bagged soil nor indicating to where the soil was "removed" by bulldozing.) The question of beryllium contamination on Janet surfaced early in the cleanup project. Review of previous decontamination procedures, coupled with results of new soil samples and an air sampling program, satisfied DNA that no real beryllium hazard to cleanup personnel existed and the matter was given little additional consideration. 1.5.2 Pacifie Cratering Experiments (PACE) The U.S. Air Force has participated in numerous programs involving the detonation of charges of high explosives (HE) at various locations within and outside of the United States. Participation has included detonation of at least 49 HE charges ranging in size from 20 to 500 tons during the period from 1951 to 1972. The Pacific Cratering Experiments (PACE) program was to be conducted on Enewetak Atoll during 1972-73. (PACE, 1973.) The PACE series of tests was designed to provide a means for predicting the impact of nuclear detonations upon strategic defense installations. The program was composed of PACE 1, whose purpose was to assess the nuclear cratering effects by means of geological and geophysical exploration of existing Pacific nuclear craters, and PACE 2, designed to provide an experimentallink between craters in the Pacific and craters in continental areas. The PACE 2 program consisted of a series of detonations of conventional explosive charges of various sizes and configurations. The series was divided into three subsets with the designations Micro Atoll, Coral Sands, and Mine Throw Il. The calibration tests of Micro Atoll consisted of 15 *Available source documents are open to question regarding decontamination efforts and no clear picture emerges. In a project report (Good and Woodmansee, 1968) it is stated that, "The high tides during the lapse period (18 hour period betweentest fire and sample collection) would have inundated a good percentage of the soil sampling points and thus altered the true concentrations at these points." A later report (Robles and Mesman, 1970) states "No actual endeavor was made at the time to determine location or extent of the contamination. An investigation was made at a later date, but the results were equivocal because of the random nature of the contamination pattern." A copy of a Memorandum for Record dated 26 July 1972 was obtained from DNA files. The MFR notes that in a conversation with a member of the staff at Vandenberg AFB the statement was made that, "Decontamination had consisted of washing down the surface area with salt water and plowing under contaminated surface soi." On 16 March 1973, DNA requested by letter 2 copies of the Robles and Mesman report noted above. Attached to this letter is an unsigned brief statement, dated 15 March 1973, regarding beryllium contamination on Site Janet. The statement says, "A decontamination crew thoroughly wet the area of the explosion for a radius of 100 feet and then scraped dirt from the surface and buried it in the resulting crater." The statement goes on to say, "Since that time (1971) erosion of the western tip of the island has occurred to such a degree that much of the contaminated area has been lost to the sea." 16