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4.7.3
Operhtions
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In support of TG 7,j and 7.5 at both Bikini and Eniwetok, check points
were established as required. Main check points utilized at all times at
both atolls were located at the air dispatcher’s office and the marine land~
ing. All personnel entering or returning from a radex area were processed
through the check points. An area was considered as a radex area if the
contamination exceeded 100 mr/hr. Full protective clothing was required
for entry into a radex area. Limited radex areas were established when
the contamination level was above 10 mr/hr, but less than 100 mr/hr.
Clothing requirements varied with the situation in the limited radex areas.
An area contaminated to a level less than 10 mr/hr was considered nonradex, The following is a summary of rad-safe processing:
1. A total of 1560 parties, containing from 1 to 50 men per party,
were processed through the Eniwetok check points from May 5, 1956, to
July 20, 1956, Approximately 9500 personnel were processed through Bikini
check points during the same period.
The personnel decontamination station
at Eniwetok handled a total of 1558 individuals, while the facility at Bikini
processed 3350.
2.
At the equipment decontamination facility at Eniwetok a total of
225 vehicles, ranging from jeeps and trailers to large mobile cranes, were
processed.
In addition, all equipment from three camps was decontaminated.
Six helicopters, contaminated on aerial surveys, were also decontaminated.
At Bikini, approximately 100 vehicles were processed.
The majority of the rad-safe surveys of radex areas at both atolls
were conducted by helicopter.
-
Normal operations included a pre~entry sur-
vey with CTG 7.1 at H + 1 to 3 hr, a detailed survey at H + 6 to 8 hr, and
detailed surveys on the morning of D + 1 and 2 days. Additional surveys
were made as required. Instruments used in the surveys included special
Jordan ionization chambers and standard AN/PDR-39’s converted to read to
500 r/hr.
quired.
Ground surveys of islands in the atolls were conducted when re-
During the entire Eniwetok operational phase, the contamination from
any one shot did not materially interfere with preparations for the next
all events local contamination was quite high, with the exception
aancot. Contamination resulting from the WES:ot required
that the camps on Rojoa and Teiteiripucchi be closed up. The E>
DEQEMMshots gave significant amounts of alpha (plutonium) contamination on
Aomon,
Contamination from Bikini shots was such that Enyu could be used as
a base of operations during the entire period. No significant delay in prep-
arations for any shot resulted from contamination found in the atoll area.
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