2 believed they
ander control,

-ERSP custody
E-ERSP would
zed that it was

woe eee ee

TAK ATOLL

Runit (Yvonne) Cleanup and Crater Containment

445

toward identifying the appropriate disposition of each item. During the
September 1978 survey, it was estimated that there were approximately
10,000 cubic yards of debris on Runit andits associated reef areas, 4,100 of
which should be disposed of in the crater.190 A resurvey 2 monthslater

estimated that only 2,200 cubic yards need be disposedofin the crater. 10!

uince area and
xcised, but he
remain under

Someofthe higher levels of gamma contamination (maximum intensity
of 25 milliroentgens per hour) were foundin a twisted metal debris pile on
the reef just north the old runway. Other metal located in the area of the

reviewed data
other files and
iterial. Jt was
yags measured

Debris underwater and on the reef had to be surveyed and marked several
times because wave action removed both the paint and the engineer
ribbon used to code its radiological condition. Efficiency of this operation
could have beenincreased greatly if the USAE had been tasked to provide

ats themselves

yncrete or soil
anic content of

slatively low.96

din the Donut

Blackfoot GZ had gammareadings up to 17 milliroentgens per hour.!92

equipment to remove debris as it was being surveyed.!93 By the end of
1978, only 1,724 cubic yards of debris had been cleaned up on Runit, most

of it by the WBCT or during the removal of contaminated debris from
South Runit in 1977. 104

The delays in accomplishing Runit debris cleanup had adverse effects.
The landing craft which had been beached near Station 1310 during the
testing period to provide shoreprotection were sufficiently exposed in 1977

to have permitted complete demolition and removal. However, by late

bris and crater
he cleanup of
than on other

ctor, DNA or
by the concept

iere was a lowtransportation
the end of the

1979, due to settling and shifting sands, only portions of the
superstructures were exposed, and major excavation would have been
required to remove them. These landing craft were not contaminated;
therefore, it was decided to remove the exposed hazards only. The most
serious adverse effect of the delays, however, was that red debris
continuedto be located after containment operations had been completed,

requiring extraordinary measures for containment. These are described in

a subsequent section. In all, 4,120 cubic yards of contaminated debris and
1,482 cubic yards of noncontaminated debris were removed from Runit
andits reef.

out to be ill-

78, the CJTG

using available

interpretation
‘t that all debris

inup continued
‘in July 1977.
haracterization
de in thelatter

imarily toward

“ol, rather than

RUNIT SOIL CLEANUP
Several alternatives for cleanup of contaminated soil on Runit were
considered at the 4 May 1978 Enewetak Cleanup Planning Conference
including:
a. No cleanup;
b. Clean all concentrations over 160 pCi/g immediately;
c. Clean all concentrations over [60 pCi/g after all other soil cleanup was
complete; and
,

||
|
|
|

Select target paragraph3