LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO
THE RECORD
FRCM
J. a,He
SUBJECT
.-
LOS ALAMOS. NEW MEXICO
pate:
87543
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September 16, 1975
411532
CHRISTMAS ISLAND SURVEY 9-16 AUGUST 1975
J-DOT MS 672
SYMBOL
Professor Allyn Seymour, University of Washington; Dr.
Mel Merritt, Sandia Laboratories; and I spent the period of
9 to 16 August 1975 on Christmas Island as guests of the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands Development Authority (GEIDA).
The purpose was to make a general survey,
including radio-
logical, of the island both for the GEIDA and ERDA.
The
island was used by the UK during 1957 and 1958 for the
Grapple series of nuclear tests which included 7 air drops
to the southwest of the island and 2 balloon supported events
on the south end of the island.
During 1962, the US conducted
25 events of which 24 were air drops and the other a Polaris
delivered weapon, ali to the west of the isiand as part of
Operation Dominic.
Subsequent to Dominic the UK maintained
a regiment of Royal Engineers to stabilize and improve the
testing facilities on the island.
This effort was continued
through 1964 at which time the facilities were put into the
care of Atoll Plantations,
Ltd.
under a $23,000
(Australian)
per year maintenance contract which was continued until 1968.
Currently, Christmas Island is administered by the Gilbert
and Ellice Islands Government.
The islands are scheduled for
internal self-government in 1976 and full independence in 1977.
For this eventuality, the GEIDA was formed to better prepare
the Gilbert and Ellice Islands and as a consequence, Christmas
Island.
Christmas is potentially a great asset to the Gilbert
and Ellice Islanders; their islands are overpopulated, short
of food, and their main source of income, quano, is about de-
pleted.
Christmas offers a large land mass, good climate,
excellent fishing, a developed coconut plantation, and much
potential for further growth.
GEIDA has been actively attempting
to develop that potential.
Our purpose in visiting the island was to make a radiological survey as part of the ERDA program in surveying past
US test sites, e.g. the Eniwetok and Bikini surveys, and to
learn the present status of the island which lies near one
of the corners of the triangle in which the US would conduct
atmospheric nuclear tests
in the event of such need.
Kingman
Reef is the site designated for high-yield tests which currently
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