d C mo el A HOTA ALES UNITED STATES ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOP ME '' _ MAY 12 1976 Clerk PROTECT EX mt incn Joe Deal, ; ot PROIECTOrie pea. PROG2A*A Sree arn ot pe er he JA eh ra, OT Assistant Director a INIT ~— | Ee ADMINISTRAT YECoE SEND C7PY TO. Hes! Division of Safety, Standards and Compliance, HQ SEE DIRECTOR MAY 14 are A) LE NT AWERAL QI NEVADA OPERATIONS GEFICE P.O. BOX 14100 LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 89114 L. 77 PASO ROUTING SLIP : — — AEUANIS, “| BIKINI (CROSSROADS) SHIPS | In recent years a number of scientists have expressed concern regard- ing the potential ecological impact of the ships which lie at the bottom of Bikini Lagoon. These ships, a variety of naval vessels in full combat- ready condition, were sunk during Operation Crossroads in 1946 and have since remained undisturbed, although some of them were visted by a motion picture production crew in 1973. Officials of the Trust Territory administration have expressed concern as have the people of Bikini. In March 1976, during a visit to Bikini by the United Nations Visting Mission, a spokesman for the People of Bikini made a direct request that the ships be removed from their La- goon. During the same visit, Mr. George Allen, attorney of record for the People of Bikini, signified his intention to pursue the possibility of a commercial salvage operation, with the People of Bikini as beneficiaries. Although the locations of the Bikini ships are fairly well known, little is known about their condition, the desirability from an environmental standpoint of salvage, or the probable timing of a potential release of the contents (fuel, munitions, etc.) to the atoll environment. There appears to be at least some evidence (from Truk Lagoon) that sunken wrecks can be environmentally beneficial, or at least that leaving them in place may represent the lesser of the evils. This letter is occasioned by the potential availability, in the Marshall Islands, of the capability to make a condition survey of the Bikini ships. ERDA's Mid-Pacific Marine Laboratory at Enewetak is planning for the use during July and August, 1977, of a small research submersible. This submersible, st & 2 oS x w , OWTOMy i {%, 776 .\g1® &, et y 4 o = & ~ supported by ERDA's Marshall Islands Research REPOSITORY COLLECTION BOX Ne. FOLDER (pok L[ASO DOE,LsWV. fs2tx O92 ~ sole P no qT . a ”