'umun PTTUZYDN ZNR 2500552 MAY 72 - - I 48044 FN ROBERT NILLER MGR DSAEC NVOO LAS VEGAS NEV TO DNA USAEC NASNDC AF OPERATIONAL SAFETY USAEC VASNDC DNA SAMTEC VANDENDERC CALIF INFO KIRTLAND AFB FC DNA NIRTLAND AFB AE BI . USE RADIOLOCICAL CONDITIONS RUNIT ISLAND (YVONNE) ENIVETON ATOLL TNE OF NDCLEAR DEVICES EXPLODED ON AND SUBSEOUENT EARTN AND DEBRIS NOVINC ACTIVITIES RAVE RESDLTED IN A COMPLEX RADIOLOSICAL SITUATION IN VNICN EACH UNIT DIVISION OF ISLAND Is ONIONE FRON ADJACENT DNITS. HISTORICAL RECORDS CONTAIN CONTRADICTORY REPORTS OF RADIOACTIVE VASTE DISPOSAL ACTIONS AND RESULTS VHICN MAKE THIS APPROACH TO SITDATION EVALUATION DNREILIABLE. . ACTNAL SURVEYS HAVE BEEN HAVE IDENTIFIED THE . . 4'70 PAGE 2 USE 7 PRESENCE OF A PLUTONIUN BEARING SAND LAYER OUTCROPPING ON THE OCEAN SIDE OF THE NIDISLAND AREA AND THE SOLID PLUTONIUN BEARING CRUNNS, GRAINS AND OTHER PARTICULATE ON ISLAND SUREACE. THE AREAS CONTAINING TRIS SURFACE CONTANINATION ARE NOT YET DELINEATED BUT APPEAR TO BE SCRAP METAL DEBRIS IS EXTENSIVE, LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND. NEARLY ALL SUCH METAL APPEARS ACTIVATED VITR INDIVIDUAL PIECES INDICATING AS MUCH AS NINETY CONTACT. GENERAL ISLAND EXPOSURE RATES HOWEVER ARE USUALLY DUITE LON ABOUT 5.- 10 MICRO VITN TNE NAXINUN AROUND THE CACTUS CRATER AREA OF ONE- THE ISLAND CAN BEST BE DESCRIBED AS A HETEROGENONS CONGLONERATION OF NUCLEAR TEST DEBRIS OF VARIOUS FROM THE SURFACE TO TUE NANINUN SOIL DISPLACE- MENT (I. E., NATER HHICH THE ACTUAL RADIOLOGICAL . CONDITIONS CAN BE EVALUATED ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL SAUPLE BASIS. QTNE ABOVE SITUATION RECOGNIZED AND AEC-SPONSORED PERSONNEL AT THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR SURVEY OF MAY 17, 1972. IT RAS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL NITR PACE PERSONNEL AT ENIVETON VITU CERTAIN PROCEDURAL RECOMMENDATIONS. - ml I PAGE 5 USE . HOHEVER, AT THAT TIHE THE EXISTENCE ON ISLAND OF PIECES OF METALLIC Pu, THONGH HAS NOT ESTABLISHED. PARA. DNA AND PACE REPRESENTATIVES HERE INFORMED OF THIS SHSPICION AND HERE ASSURED THAT EVERY EFFORT VONLD BE MADE TO OBTAIN A LABORATORY DETERMINATION ON AN BASIS. THREE METALLIC HITH CENTIHETER RANGE DIMENSIONS HERE HANDCARRIED TO - UNIVERSITY OF NASHINGTON FOR ANALYSIS. BY A REPORT.VHICH REACHED HVAJALEIN EARLY MONDAY, MAY 22, THE ASSISTANT MANAGER -FOR OPERATIONS, NV, HAS INFORMED THAT THE LABORATORY DETERMINATION HAS I BASED UPON THE HISTORY OF TEST-ACTIVITIES ON RNNIT, IT MUST BE THAT THERE ARE BOTH LARQER AND SHALLER FRAGHENTS ON THE ISLAND, THAT THE QUANTITY IS ONDOHBTEDLY LARGE AND THAT FIELD DETECTION, IDENTIFICATION AND RETRIEVAL HILL BE EXTREMELY ALTHONGH IN THE PAST NE HAVE BEEN PRINABILY CONCERNED NITH THE RADIOLOGICAL SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE HORHING IN POSSIBLY CONTAMINATED AREAS, THE PRESENCE OF DISCRETE PIECES OF METAL HEAVILY CONTAMINATED PRESENTS A NEH AND VEHICLES INCLUDING TRACHEO VEHICLES ARE HNOVN HAVE BEEN USED ON RUNIT AND TO HAVE TRAVERSED THE AREAS OF may PAGE A USE f? CONCERN. EACH OF THESE VEHICLES As HELL As EACH PERSON THE ISLAND AND OTHER ISLANDS OR RETURNING To EHIHETOK ISLAND PRESENTS A POTENTIAL VEHICLE FOR THE SPREAD . THROUGHOUT ENIHETOH ATOLL, THE TRANSPORTATION CONUEYANCES AND ELSEWHERE, BECAUSE THE SITE MANAGER AND THE HOST AGENCY, SAMTEC, HAVE AT ENIHETON ATOLL NEITHER THE NECESSARY PROCEDURES NOR THE NECESSARY RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE PROCEDURES, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE TO THE THAT HE IMHEDIATELY OUARANTINE .RUNIT ISLAND. I THE OF THE RECOMMENDATION TO-CG, SAMTEC HAS As USAEC HNR MAY 72; 4 . PRELIMINARY LABORATORY ANALYSES 0F SAMPLES TANEN DURING RECENT SURVEY A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS RADIATION HAZARD ON RUNIT ISLAND (YVONNE) 0F ENIWETOKVATOLL. IT IS STRONGLY YOU GUARANTINE THAT ISLAND IMMEDIATELY, THAT-IS CEASE ALL .OPERATIOHS THEREOH-AND DO NOT REMOVE ANY VEHICLES, EGUIPMENT OR - MATERIALS UNTIL ADEQUATE DECONTAMINATION PROCEDURES CAN BE ESTABLISHED. FURTHER DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS HILL BE MADE FROM, USAEC NVOO ASAP.: - r73 5 NE HAVE NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT ACTIVITIES To DATE HAVE CAUSED SIGNIFICANT PERSONNEL EXPOSURES..THE ABOVE RECOMMENDATION. IS INTENDED PRIMARILY TO PREVENT FURTHER AOCRAVATION THROUGH DISPERSION OF AN ALREADY EXTREMELY DIPFICULT CONTAMINATION PROBLEM. . SANTEC LNO NVAJALEIN HAS INSTRUCTED O. L, ENIVETOH TO INPLENENT THIS INSTRUCTION PENDING YOUR PORNAL DIRECTION. I SEE ROGER RAY. NV HAS INFORMALLY OFFERED TO CONSULT NITH AND ASSIST BOTH DNA AND SANTEC IN DEVELOPING FUTURE COURSES OF ACTION. THIS: REITERATES AND PORNALIZES UT I #0111 - I