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UNITED STATES
ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20545
SEP 2 8 1973
Chairman Ray
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General Manager
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ENEWETAK PROGRESS
This is in response to Mr. Gorman Smith's memorandum of September 21,
1973, to Mr. Hollingsworth.
For the past year, the AEC has been izvolved with the Departments of
Defense and Interior in planning for the return of Enewetak Atoll
to its original inhabitants. From October 1972 to February 1973,
the AEC conducted an extensive radiological survey of the atoll
concurrent with a Department of Defense (DOD) engineering study.
This study and our survey will provide a basis for planning the
cleanup of the atoll. Further, the DOD and the Department of Interior
(DOL) are jointly preparing a single Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) for the cleanup and rehabilitation of Enewetak.
These activities are derived from a mutual agreement reeched by
representatives of the three agencies on September 7, i572.
It was
agreed then that the AEC would fund for and conduct a pre~cleanup
radiological survey and provide reccomendations for accomplishing
cleanup; that the DOD would conduct 4 pre-cleanup engineering study,
fund for and accomplish the cleanup; and that the DOI would fund,
plan for, and carry out rehabilitation.
It was further agreed that
the AEC, on a reimbursable basis, would provide radiological support
to the DOD, as requested, during the cleanup operation. When cleanup
is complete, the AEC will carry out a radiological and biolasical
verification program to include periodic monitoring for an indefinite
period.
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Our radiological survey is now the principal AEC activity and will
provide the basis for the judgements and recommendations for cleanup
and rehabilitation now being prepared for Commission approval.
The
Manager, Nevada Operations, with LLL's Radiochemistry Division Leader
as his technical director, planned, organized, and carried out this
survey.
The reduction of data from nearly 4,500 samples of soil,
water, fish, sea and land plants, air, animals, and birds is now
nearly complete with the final report of the survey scheduled to
be published November 1, 1973.
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