RECOMMENDATIONS
After careful review of all available radrological data
recommendations are us follows
the
Task Ciroup members! specific
LR
The people of Lnewetak Atoll may be safety returned to their
provided certain actions are taken and precautions observed.
2,
In the interest of achieving a minimum practicable radiation ose for
Lnewetak people the Task Giroup recommends that:
homeland
the
a.
the first villages and resifiences be construeted on ELMER, FREI,
DAVID, or on any of the southern tslands (ALVIN-KLITH) that the
Enewetak people choose.
be
Growth of all subsistence crops such as pandanus, breadfruit, tacea,
pigs, etickens, and all other terrestrial food stuffs except coconul be
e.
Subsistence and comiuerttal coconut may be grown without remedial
measures on any island in the Atoll except ALICE, BELLE, CLARA,
DAISY, IREN 1, JANET, and } VONNE,
ltuiited to islands ALVIN-KEITH.
qd.
bishing be permitted anywhere.
e
Travel be unrestricted to all islands except YVONNE.
f.
oP
g
h.
When the Pu
containination on YVONNE ts removed, the restriction of travel to
that island canbelifted.
vild birds and bird's eggs be collected anywhere.
Coconut
crabs
(ALVIN-KEITH),
be
collected
only
on
the
southern
islands
Wells which are intended to provide lens water for human consumption
or for agmcultural use be dnlled only on
the southern islands
low levels of radioactivity. The Task Gireup recommends the second approach
as one having minimal adverse impact on the island environment.
Ihe researeh program in 3 above should also include a deteriaination of
radioactivity levels tn coconut and other food crops produced on PiLARL,
CLARA, ALICk, and BELLL. YVONNE should also be included after removal
of plutonium contaminated soil.
All pachoactive scrap
operations,
b.
Spemfically
included
in
this
will establish a background trom whieh plans ean be nade for recovery of
plutomum on YYONNE,
a.
“ team of experts should be assembled who can uake and interpret
field radiation and radiogctivity measurements, advise on cleanup
actions envolyving plutonium and other radionuclides, and provide
necessary health physics support including protection of workers,
decontamination of workers and equipment, and packaging and
handling of collected contaminated inaterals,
A
Public
Health
Service group, which is now part of the tnvironmental Protection
Apeney, LP A, provided radiological assistance for cleanup of
Stoll
Hikint
Similar support should be sought from TPA for Lnewetak
( teanup.
be
Deeontamimation of YVONNE 1s seen as an interactive process,
namely, feinoval of soi, momtomng of radioactivity levels, and
removal
of
more sou.
Thrs amounts
to
a
search
for
the
higher
plutomum levels in soil with removal arcoming to the guidance
provided.
o
The objectives of the cleanup are twee
a
would be within acceptable enteria bul no sail removed.
In either case, housing consteuction and planting of subsistence and conmmercial
crops would be deferred until research with test plantings showed acceptably
removed.
island beginning at a line drawn froin the ocean reef to lagoon 60 meters north
of the tower (Hardtack Station 1310) to CACTUS Crater, See tig. 152, page
I-17, Appendix IL Presented are some of the requireinents and objectives that
it 1s reasonable to expect that one day the island can be
Conduct of studies using Lest plantings to determine when exposures
be
The distribution of plutoniuin contamination on YVONNE ts sufficiently
complex that specific recommendations for cleanup cannot be presented, It 1s
expected that the true picture of this contamination will unfold as the
decontamination effort proceeds.
The area observed to have pieces of
plutomurs and the highest soil concentrations 1s the interior and shoreline of the
resettled. There appear to be two possible approaches:
Soi removal followed by studies using test plantings to deterinine
when exposure for Enjebi residents would be within acceptable criterta.
should
\toll before cleanup is begun or before completion, an authonty responsible for
enforcement of the quarantine should be identified and should be in residence in
the Atoll when people return.
on that sslagd. The island contains three ground zero locations from nuclear
tests and was within about 3 miles of the Vike event that had a@ total yield ot
about 10 Vegatons, According to the survey results presented in NV-140,
a.
too
ihe quarantine of YVONNE, put into effect by the Air Force on ‘ay 26, 1972,
should be continued in effect until the cleanup of plutomum contamination on
that islend has been completed. Should any Enewetak people return to the
well is approved for use.
of the Vtoll,
tt
removed,
It is recognized that the people of Lnjeti have @ strong desire (o return to live
Lnjebi was the most heavily contaminated of the larger islands in the Atoll,
the
recommendation are the three locations on SALLY and one on ELMER where
contammated debris is Known to be buried. This deoris should be exhinmed and
{ALVIN-KEITH).
When drilled, water from each well should be
checked for bacteria, salimty and radioactivity content before the
The Task Group has been unable to determine any way in which radiation
exposures can he brought within the acceptable eriterta, that ts both rehiahle
and feasible, in order to resettle Enjebi at the same time as islands in the south
inetal and contaminated debris identified during
Holmes and Narver Engineering Survey should be removed. If additional
contaminated debris is discovered in the course of cleanup and rehabilitation
Recovery
of
the
pieces
of
ptutoniun
that
have
been
observed on of near the island surface. Some contain
milligram quantities of plutonrum imetal and are easily
detected with held survey instruments such as the FIDLER.
(2)
Recovery of
plutonium
contaminated
soil.
‘lo
a
approximation, the focation of the zones of ligher
coucentrations are shown In the survey profile samples.
FIGURE 2-2. RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE REPORT BY THE AEC TASK GROUP ON RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR CLEANUP AND REHABILITATION OF ENEWETAK ATOLL,JUNE 19, 1974.
first
Pu