William J.
Bair
September 13,
bo
Dr.
1978
6.
Contaminated Bunkers--The proposed response is adequate.
I
would suggest we also recommend that the Kickapoo tower anchor blocks
not be removed.
7.
Subsurface contamination--I[ am not in favor of recommending
criteria for subsurface contamination because I am not certain we have .
any meaningful estimates of the possible extent of subsurface contamination
for the Atoll.
I suspect this issue may best be handled as part of the
larger problem I mentioned earlier-that is
the uncertainty of dose
contribution From the major fission products.
I suspect some useful
correlations may exist for cesium and plutonium for many of the test
locations on the Atoll.
8.
General comments--I hope we can avoid providing the JTG with
advice that implies a level of precision or understanding or, in fact,
the existence of information that really does not exist.
I am also
very concerned that no organizational entity appears to have the
responsibility for avoiding another Bikini situation.
R
Once again the
fission product problem.
Why build houses and consider coconut planting
if resettlement may be decades away?
Are the Enewetak people aware of
this possibility?
Which agency has the responsibility for the next
step?
Who will perform a resurvey of the Atoll, and what is the
time schedule for such action? More important verhaps is the question
of who will tell Congress that the job was only partly done.
An
airing of these issues as soon as possible with DOE and others may be
the most imporcant function our committee can verforn.
I am also concerned that the high level of interest shown at our
Livermore meeting on the possibility of rediscussing ocean dumping with
EPA was not recorded in our minutes or those of B. W. Wachholz.
As I have
indicated on previous occasions I believe the placement of transuranic
elements in the crater on Runit island is a relatively short term remedial
action and, in fact, less desirable than ocean dumping.
The issue is not
entirely academic because of the possibility of delaying decisions on what
to do with the materials now in the Aomon Crypt.
It is also possible that
the 13 Atoll survey now underway may also indicate the need for additional
remedial actions. ° In addition there may be other pieces of real estate
in the Pacific and other locations that might require disposal of materials
or soil contaminated with transuranic elements.
JI suspect that in the future
people will question the wisdom of these expensive and rather heroic remedial
measures
to move large quantities of contaminated soil a
few miles
for
fixation in Cactus crater for what may turn out to be relatively short
periods of
times.
I wonder if
the record
is examined at some future date
who would be held accountable for the currence situation.
Sincerely,
C. oR. Richmond
Associate Director for
Biomedical and Environmental
Sciences
CRRitké
ed
500cR Ou