APPENDIX

SAFETY PROCEDURES AT THE NUCLEARTESTINGSITES
PACIFIC TEST SITES
General

United States atmospheric nuclear tests were held in the
Pacific at Bikini (1946, 1954, 1956 and 1958), Eniwetok (1948,
1951, 1952, 1954, 1956 and 1958), Johnston Island (1958 and
1962) and Christmas Island (1962). These remote sites were
selected after extensive search for possible areas where the
tests could be conducted safely.
To conduct atmospheric nuclear weapons tests in the Pacific,

Joint Task Forces have been organized consisting of designated personnel from U.S. Military Services and AEC. ACommander for each Joint Task Force was chosen from one of the

three Military Services with a Deputy from each of the other

two.

The technical programs have been under a civilian

Scientific Deputy.
In each series an exclusion area was declared around the
test islands for the purpose of warning air traffic and ships
(fig. 16). Notification of locations of these areas and times
that the restrictions were in effect were made by issuance of
Notices to Airmen through the Federal Aviation Agency and
Notices to Mariners through the Commander-in-Chief of the
Central Pacific Fleet. The Department of Defense, State Department and other agencies of the Executive Branch of the
Government were notified so that shipping authorities and air
traffic control authorities could be alerted.
Since there have been some changes in details over the years
of the organizations concerned with safety within the Joint
Task Forces, the following description applies to Joint Task

Force 8 that conducted the 1962 Pacific tests.

Weather predictions were conducted by the Task Force

Weather Central composed of Navy and Air Force meterolo-

gists. To assist in analyzing the weather data and to predict
other results such as fallout, blast and thermal effects, a
Hazards Evaluation Unit was formed to advise the Joint Task
Force Commander and his Scientific Deputy.
Radiological safety activities on-site were conducted by a
special unit of Joint Task Force 8 and off-site surveillance pro-

grams by the U.S. Public Health Service.

45

Select target paragraph3