ay
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RADIOLOGICAL CLEANUP OF ENEWETAK ATOLL
functions where children could play, gossip could be exchanged, ang
birthday parties held (Figure 10-7). The number of housesin the clusters
would vary, as would the number of clusters in a wato, depending on the
size of the extended family. The clusters would be situated along the
shoreline of the island, just off the main roads which parallel the beaches.
Garden vegetables would be grown in and around the clusters, while
privies (benjos) and animal pens were to be located around the
peripheries.!2
The new houses would be a departure from traditional Marshallese
residences where separate buildings were used for cooking, sleeping, and
washing. In the traditional pattern, the space between these structures,
which was usually sheltered by shade trees, becametheliving area. Roofs
and walls served only as protection from intruders and the elements. Since
they were constructed of wood with thatch or sheet metal roofs, they
providedlittle security during severe storms.!3 The new houses would be
of reinforced concrete and would incorporate all the living activities,
except the toilet or benjo, under one roof, to provide the residents better
protection from the elements as well as from unwanted visitors. The
standard room size would be 12 feet by 12 feet, while gross squarefeet per
house would vary from 1,138 to 1,600. A typical floor plan and elevation
are at Figure 10-8. Each house would have a 3,780-gallon cistern, in which
rain from the roof would be collected, and a supplemental 3,200-gallon
cistern to assure an adequate water supply during dry spells. The cooking
area would include built-in sink, countertop, and storage shelf, plus a
screened pantry for food storage. Plumbing fixtures in the house would be
limited to a kitchen sink, a lavatory and shower head in the shower room,
and a utility sink on the washing porch. !4
Community centers were planned for Enewetak and Medren. The
centers included: a four-classroom school; a two-bed dispensary with
adjoining health aide quarters; a cooperative store; a council house
containing the magistrate’s office, radio transceiver equipment, a weather
office, and a meeting hall; an open-sided recreation building, an open
nursery; several storage sheds; and a play field. Community center
facilities were to be constructed utilizing existing metal buildings to the
extent possible by using some in place, relocating others, and dismantling
still others for parts.
Rainwater from community building roof catchments would be stored in
large cisterns to provide a reserve water supply. Rainwater trapped in
underground ‘‘lens’’ would provide another source of fresh or brackish
water on manyof the islands. The lens would be tapped with shallow wells
to provide water for washing clothes and,-when rainwater supplies were
low, for washing, cooking and, if necessary, drinking. Other community
utilities would include septic tank leaching fields located near the beach,