However, the heat and humidity caused them to fail. Radiological cleanup of Enewetak Atoll Full Record Related Research Abstract For 8 years, from 1972 until 1980, the United States planned and carried out the radiological cleanup, rehabilitation, and resettlement of Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The folder also contained sheets on the history and cultural background of the people of Enewetak, a Enewetak Atoll fact sheet, a geological/marine biological sheet on the atoll itself, a brief on the World War II Battle of Enewetak, a Marshall Islands chronology, six 8 X 11 color photographs, and, finally, a 25-page bilingual (Ebon/English) full color bookletThe Enewetak Atoll Today, published by DOE in September 1979. [47] The studies based their conclusions on the data from the monitoring program and the DoD safety procedures. Published 8 years ago by Girard Frank Bolton, III. For example, most of the fallout affected the northern part of the islands, where the tests primarily took place. Attn: RD-NTS (NTPR) The laboratory facility incorporates both a permanent whole body counting system, to assess radiation doses from internally deposited cesium-137, and clean living space for collecting in-vitro bioassay samples. According . The air samplers were placed downwind of the earth-moving operations to assess the potential hazards of contaminated dust becoming airborne. [12] Mark Willacy, It was supposed to be a trip to paradise, instead it sealed their fate, ABC, updated November 28, 2017. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-28/the-toxic-legacy-of-a-deadly-paradise/9168422. [14], All the debris and soil were moved to Runit Island, which was declared too contaminated with plutonium to ever be made habitable. BANISHED BIKINIANS SUE U.S. FOR NUCLEAR CLEANUP. The New York Times. I remember some kind of briefing, but the only thing I remember is watch out for sharks.[22] Army veteran Robert Celestial remembered catching and eating local fish, lobster, and octopus. [30] These activities increased the likelihood of inhaling or ingesting dangerous byproducts of nuclear explosions such as plutonium-239. While special protective gear, such as suits and respirators, was available, the servicemen did not wear the gear for the majority of the time they were there. Enewetak Atoll- 850 miles west of Hawaii. [54] Since many of the military records stated that the atomic veterans were not exposed, many of the claims are denied. Conducted on Bikini Atoll several hundred miles due east of Enewetak, the U.S. Navy moved the 167 natives of the various atoll islands to the nearby Rongerik Atoll to ensure their safety. [21], However, the atomic veterans who worked on Enewetak Atoll tell a different story. These cleanup efforts involved a concrete dome that was built on Runit Island, one of 40 islands that make up Enewetak Atoll, which was used to deposit soil and debris contaminated by radiation. 40 years later, a medal, Green Bay Press Gazette, published October 26, 2018. https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2018/10/26/new-franken-marshall-islands-mike-gallagher/1748968002/. [32] Fact Sheet Enewetak Operation, 10. Lots of fabrications still be pushed by the government. "The government said, 'Oh, don't worry about it be careful swimming because there's sharks out there. In 1958, the United States anticipated the acceptance of a call for suspension of atmospheric nuclear testing and assembled a large number of devices for testing before the moratorium came into effect. Published November 28, 1983. https://www.nytimes.com/1983/11/28/us/bikini-radioactive-cleanup-put-at-100-million.html?searchResultPosition=4. U.S. Atmospheric Nuclear Test History Reports, U.S. Still further testing occurred on locations that spanned from the atolls northwest to nearly east. Published March 14, 1985. https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/14/us/reagan-supports-cleanup-of-atoll-contaminated-by-us-atom-tests.html?searchResultPosition=2. Make sure everyone feels safe. REAGAN SUPPORTS CLEANUP OF ATOLL CONTAMINATED BY U.S. ATOM TESTS. The New York Times. A separate $12 million program for the resettlement of Enewetak was funded through the Department of the Interior (DOI), who inherited governance of the TTPI from the U.S. Navy. Maine veterans facing cancer hoping that atomic veteran bill becomes law. BDN. Trees and green scrub grew out of the coral sand. Phone: (800) 462-3683 / Fax: (571) 203-7997, Website:DOJ Radiation Exposure Compensation Program. [50], The risks of exposure depended on where the servicemen were stationed. He's one of many with such complaints. 8725 John J. Kingman Road "The world needs to know. An additional 4 near-surface tests were conducted on towers as part of Operation Greenhouse during 1951. Members of this group are sometimes referred to as atomic veterans or atomic vets. Initially governed by the United States Navy, TTPI provided isolated and easily controlled lands for a variety of national defense purposes. [25] Philipps, Troops Who Cleaned Up Radioactive Islands Cant Get Medical Care., [26] Willacy, It was supposed to be a trip to paradise, instead it sealed their fate., [27] Philipps, Troops Who Cleaned Up Radioactive Islands Cant Get Medical Care., [29] Srubas, John Baenen was exposed to massive radiation at a nuclear bomb test site. 2. [33] Philipps, Troops Who Cleaned Up Radioactive Islands Cant Get Medical Care.. Early analysis of Mike fallout debris showed the presence of two new isotopes of plutonium, plutonium-244 (244Pu) and plutonium-246 (246Pu), and lead to the discovery of the new heavy elements, Einsteinum and Fermium. [52], However, receiving compensation for illnesses that resulted from their exposure to radioactive contamination was difficult. [24] Paul Laird II, Atomic Veterans Cleanup, accessed June 3, 2019, https://www.atomiccleanupvets.com/roster-of-known-survivors/paul-laird-ii/. In a 2018 report by DoD, it was concluded that veterans who took part in the ECUP Washington, DC. | LLNL-WEB-506535 | Contact Us Enewetak Atoll is 50 miles in circumference and comprises about 40 islets surrounding a large lagoon. Defense Threat Reduction Agency [36] Fact Sheet Enewetak Operation, 10. However, the years leading up to the first uses of the new weapon over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki saw only one test of a device of which a great deal was not known. Belfast veteran seeks help 40 years after cleaning up nuclear test site. BDN. Published April 3, 2016. https://bangordailynews.com/2016/04/03/news/state/maine-veterans-suffering-from-cancer-hoping-that-atomic-veteran-bill-becomes-law/. [17] Willacy, It was supposed to be a trip to paradise, instead it sealed their fate.. The Enewetak Atoll was the site of 43 nuclear tests between 1946 and 1958. Initially it was also thought that the northern island of Enjebi would be resettled so that its original inhabitants and families could return. [60], Much like the atomic veterans who witnessed nuclear tests, the atomic veterans who cleaned up Enewetak Atoll feel ignored and betrayed. No Hate Speech or Bullying. Published October 11, 1984. https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/11/us/judge-refuses-to-reject-suit-against-us-by-bikini-island.html?searchResultPosition=4. In March of 1977, a small party of islanders returned to the uncontaminated island of Japtan, on the southeastern rim of the atoll. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, Published December 2, 2018. https://www.enidnews.com/news/local_news/for-many-atomic-veterans-the-fight-for-benefits-continues/article_ad58025b-4205-512c-bd79-b5d5e7500d5b.html. The major exception to this analysis was the island of Runit on the eastern rim of the atoll, which hosted no fewer than 17 of the 43 nuclear detonations on the atoll and was heavily contaminated. However, his applications were denied, because [h]is medical records from the military all said he had not been exposed to radiation. ), (2) removing all soil that exceeded 14.8 Bq (400 pCi) of plutonium per gram of soil, (3) removing or amending soil between 1.48 and 14.8 Bq (40 and 400 pCi) of plutonium per gram of soil, determined on a case-by-case basis depending on ultimate land-use, and 4) disposing and stabilizing all this accumulated radioactive waste into a crater on Runit Island and capping it with a concrete dome. Enewetak Atoll's coordinates are 1130'N 16220'E. The Manhattan Project selected Enewetak Atoll to test atomic and nuclear weapons due to its remote location. [23] Meghan Swartz, Atomic veteran continues fight for radiation compensation, The Guam Daily Post, published July 30, 2018. https://www.postguam.com/news/local/atomic-veteran-continues-fight-for-radiation-compensation/article_fa1b4024-931c-11e8-8401-87c44085fc5d.html. The documents that spoke about Operation Enewetak are in a recently declassified four-box record series (Record Group 59 (Records of the Department of State), Entry UD-14W 115, Subject Files Relating to Micronesia Status Negotiations). More recently, the Department of Energy agreed to design and construct a radiological laboratory on Enewetak Island, and help develop the necessary local resources and technical expertise to maintain and operate the facility on a permanent basis. Some have even claimed that their children suffered from birth defects as a result of their time in Enewetak Atoll. John Baenen, an Army veteran, barely recalled the safety briefing he received when he first arrived. You've got it into the lobsters.". "We're still fighting. The Second World War brought conflict once again to the atoll when the Japanese fortified three of the 40 islands in the atoll (Engebi, Enewetak, and Parry). In fact, he said, The first thing they were supposed to do when we got on the main island was give us a safety briefing. The 10.4 megaton yield obliterated the island, replacing it with a crater in the coral reef nearly 2 kilometers in diameter and 150 meters deep. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. U.S. Air Force plutonium cleanup mission near Palomares, Spain (1966). However, these records could not be found.[40]. The Veterans participating in cleanup wore protective clothing and radiation dose measuring devices when needed, and had regular radiation checks. A estimated total of 73,000 cubic meters of surface soil across 6 different islands on Enewetak Atoll was recovered by scapping and deposited in Cactus crater on Runit Island. Community structures such as a council house, church, schoolhouse, dispensary, cooperative store, ministers residence, teachers residence, nursery, recreation building, playing fields, cistern, and sanitary facilities were provided in addition to the residences. so many lies to the brass make all this story a fairy tale, it makes good reading for people who know absolutely nothing about radiation or fallout, exposure Correlation factors Over all correlation factors, doses faulty film badges. [43] The 2016 study stated that the highest of the estimated upper-bound total effective radiation doses for any of the included sample assessments is 0.21 rem (2.1 mSv),[44],[45] which is less than the radiation dose from a chest CT scan (approximately 5-8 mSv). The Marshall Islands in the Pacific were subjected to 67 nuclear tests from 1946 to 1958. Although the original project proposal looked to use contractors to perform the work, the slashing of the project budget in half meant that American servicemen (often perceived by civilian leaders as free labor) would be the ones conducting the restoration project. As such, the United States focused on removing the transuranic elements from the soil. . As a part of the operation, the DoD had a program to monitor potential exposure to radiation, especially from inhalation and ingestion. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency is pleased to participate in this open forum in order to increase government transparency, promote public participation, and encourage collaboration. Like Brownell, Grahlfs who was sent to the Marshal Islands in 1946 wrote in his December 2021 op-ed that he has suffered from health complications, including cancer, believed to be a result of his service. Published 7 years ago by Girard Frank Bolton, III. For many atomic veterans, the fight for benefits continues. Enid News & Eagle. They were dumped into a 300-foot-wide crater, called Cactus Crater, on the north end of the island. [48] In some cases, the veterans developed multiple forms of cancer. [20] Leidos, Inc., Radiation Dose Assessment for Military Personnel of the Enewetak Atoll Cleanup Project (19771980), DTRA (Report, Washington, DC, 2018, https://www.dtra.mil/Portals/61/Documents/NTPR/6-Enewetak/DTRA-TR-17-003_ECUP%20RDA%20(Final%204-13-2018).pdf?ver=2018-04-23-141745-250): 29-30. Bikinis Silver Lining. The New York Times. After having lived in exile for 33 years, the people have now lived in the southern islands since 1980. For over a decade beginning not long after World War II, the US carried out dozens of nuclear weapons tests in the Marshall Islands a chain of islands and atolls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Today, residents have very little or no intake of residual radionuclides, with annual radiation doses below U.S. averages. [8] R.R. If youtook part in cleanup ofEnewetak Atoll, from January 1, 1977, throughDecember 31, 1980, VA presumes that you had exposure to radiation. 2018. https://law.yale.edu/system/files/area/clinic/document/friends_of_the_earth_amicus_4.13.18.pdf. Jeff Fortin, an Air Force veteran, remembered being told that there was minimal danger, and that there was a low level, but it wouldnt be anything that would affect [the servicemen] as individuals.[61], Ken Kasik, who worked as a civilian in the military exchange commission on Lojwa Island, summarizes this sense of abandonment: Our boys worked six-month tours on a dirty island, and the government says, You were never there. We were never acknowledgedwe dont exist.[62]. Welcome to the Defense Threat Reduction Agencys website. The DNA fact sheet goes on to detail the work completed: While the cleanup activity was proceeding, DOI representatives met with the driEnjebi (People of Enjebi) and driEnewetak (People of Enewetak) about the resettlement of the atoll. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) will request this information from DTRA during claim reviews as required. Now you've got it into the fish life. Also, they were restricted access to contaminated islands to further minimize exposure to radiation. The small island ofElugelab hosted the detonation of the very first thermonuclear device, the cryogenically-fueled Ivy Mike shot on Halloween 1952. The meeting concluded with the AEC taking responsibility for conducting a radiological survey of the islands, the DoD conducting the cleanup operations, and Interior rehabilitating the land and resettling the people of Bikini and Enewetak. region: "", Forgotten Hero: Local veteran says hes left out after serving on atomic cleanup tour. KALB. Our main focus is to help each other with information and moral support during challenging times of our declining health. The combined federal effort cost about $100 million and required an on-atoll task force numbering almost 1,000 people for three years, 1977-1980. Published June 26, 2018. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6626017/us-cold-war-nuclear-tests-bikini-atoll-pacific-ocean-video/. [19] Furthermore, a sprinkler system was in place to prevent the soil from becoming airborne during these types of operations. He is currently covered by the PACT Act, which is legislation aimed at improving funding and healthcare access for veterans who were exposed to toxins during their service that was signed by President Joe Biden in August. Visit the Defense Threat Reduction Agency contact page at Contact Us for information on how to send official correspondence. [45] Rem and milliSieverts (mSv) are both units of radiation dosage. [56] Philipps, Troops Who Cleaned Up Radioactive Islands Cant Get Medical Care.. We are but a few of the Survivors of the 1977-1980 Enewetak Atoll Atomic Debris Cleanup Mission in the Marshall Islands. The people of Enewetak remained on Ujelang Atoll until resettlement of Enewetak Island in 1980. '", Atomic veteran Francis Lincoln Grahlfs echoed Brownell's remarks about a lack of knowledge on the dangers of nuclear cleanups, writing in a Military Times op-ed last year that "little was known by the public about the long-term effects of radiation exposure. "There was no running water you couldn't actually wash up. When Tim Snider arrived on Enewetak Atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to clean up the fallout from dozens of nuclear tests on the ring of coral islands, Army officers immediately. [38] https://www.veterans.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/NAAV%20Stmt%20FTR%2006.29.2016.pdf, pg 3. On a typical day, he said he would wear an outfit consisting of just combat boots, shorts, and a hat. You dont get the job done with people dropping over, so everybody wore jungle fatigues cut off into shorts, T-shirts, combat boots, sunglasses and maybe boonie hats that was basically our safety equipment. He claimed that the high-level readings were never recorded. as well as other partner offers and accept our. They need to know how dangerous the radiation is how dangerous nuclear testing is.". [5] Enewetak Radiation Survey, Atomic Energy Commission (Report, Washington, DC, 1973, https://www.dtra.mil/Portals/61/Documents/NTPR/6-Enewetak/AEC%20NVO-140%20Vol%20I%20-%20Enewetak%20Rad%20Survey.pdf?ver=2017-02-07-080243-630): 2. Office of Accountability & Whistleblower Protection, Training - Exposure - Experience (TEE) Tournament, Military Exposure Related Health Concerns, War Related Illness & Injury Study Center, Clinical Trainees (Academic Affiliations), Call TTY if you Curtis, Abigail. By clicking on the publication numbers listed below, you can access electronic versions of the documents available as Adobe PDF files. For example, from September 1978 to January 1979, there was a failure rate of 90% to 100%. [23], Veterans disputed the claim that they received adequate personal protective gear. [5], The main focus for cleanup was Enewetak, where 43 of the 67 nuclear tests were conducted. This cooperative effort was formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Enewetak/Ujelang Local Atoll Government in August of 2000 (MOU, 2000). tok An atoll in the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands in the west-central Pacific Ocean. Published May 17, 1984. https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/17/world/bikini-islanders-seek-un-help-to-go-home.html?searchResultPosition=5. However, even during this early period of cleanup and rehabilitation, the adequacy of cleanup of the northern islands on Enewetak was brought into question because predictive dose assessments showed that ingestion of cesium-137 and other fission products from consumption of locally grown terrestrial foods was the most significant route for human exposure to residual fallout contamination on atolls affected by the nuclear test program. [9] Radiological cleanup at Enewetak Atoll, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. HELL ON HIGH SEAS: Pacific death zone where nuke tests caused thousands of cancer fatalities 60 years after spreading radiation around the world. The Sun. [7] The dri-Enewetak view their homeland location to be the center of the world. Economy was to be the order of the day in conducting the atoll cleanup and decontamination. [53] Willacy, It was supposed to be a trip to paradise, instead it sealed their fate., [54] Philipps, Troops Who Cleaned Up Radioactive Islands Cant Get Medical Care.. [58] H.R.3870 Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act, 2015. https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3870. [41] Leidos, Inc., Radiation Dose Assessment for Military Personnel of the Enewetak Atoll Cleanup Project (19771980), 123. A ground zero forgotten. The Washington Post. Operation Castle involved a single nuclear test on Enewetak in 1954 and 5 high-yield tests on Bikini. In the two years prior to establishment of the TTPI, a new weapon, the atomic bomb, went from being an extremely secret weapon to a very visible symbol of American military superiority. Veterans who participated in the cleanup at Enewetak Atoll encountered low levels of radiological contamination, and have a low risk of health problems. All rights reserved. In 1962, these former residents of the atolls sued the US government, demanding either compensation for being forced from their homes or to be allowed to return. [48] Willacy, It was supposed to be a trip to paradise, instead it sealed their fate., [49] Philipps, Troops Who Cleaned Up Radioactive Islands Cant Get Medical Care., [50] Willacy, It was supposed to be a trip to paradise, instead it sealed their fate.. Radiological cleanup of Enewetak Atoll (1977- 1980). Two detonations took place to the southwest, one inside the reef and one outside. The Veterans Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction (VBDR) was established by the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 to represent the Veterans interest, to make sure Veterans' claims are handed correctly, fairly, and as expeditiously as possible, and assist in communicating information on the Dose Reconstruction Program: eligibility, how to apply for a claim, and the description of the program. He also said he didn't receive any prior training in radiological cleanups and that the potential dangers of the mission were never properly addressed beforehand. Enewetak Cleanup Project (ECUP) from 1977 to 1980.The purpose of the ECUP was to remove irradiated soil and debris so that the U.S. could return the islands to itsresidents. To enter and activate the submenu links, hit the down arrow. BRIEF OF AMICUS CURIAE FRIENDS OF THE EARTH IN SUPPORT OF APPELLANT, VICTOR B. SKAAR. Attorneys for Friends of the Earth. From April through August 1958, 22 near-surface nuclear denotations were conducted on Enewetak Atoll either on platforms, barges, or underwater, 10 tests were conducted at Bikini Atoll, 2 tests near Johnson Atoll, and a high altitude test conducted about 100 kms west of Bikini Atoll. Be Kind and Courteous. The joint Department of Energy (DOE, the successor to ERDA)/DNA survey of the atoll determined that the radiological contamination that resulted from the extensive weapons tests was confined to the top soil levels on almost all of the affected islands and islets. , from January 1, 1977, throughDecember 31, 1980. , VA presumes that you had exposure to radiation. [60] For more information on the bills introduced, please follow the links:H.R.5980. Brownell and other veterans have been fighting to be covered by government services that could provide compensation and other care. Both studies concluded that the servicemen on Enewetak Atoll were not exposed to high levels of radiation due to the structured and effective radiation protection program they worked in[41] and that the controls in place were effective in protecting the workers from internal contamination.[42] The 1980 study looked at 12,000 film badges, finding that 83% of them did not show exposure to gamma radiation, and more than 5,000 air samplers, half of which showed zero transuranic element activity. Published April 7, 2017. https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2017/04/07/veterans-share-frustrations-hearing-agent-orange-radiation-resolutions/100061782/. HUYGHE, PATRICK and DAVID KONIGSBERG. 2. Stay up to date with what you want to know. In the wake of the fighting, the natives living on the islands of Enewetak and Enjebi were evacuated first to Meck Island in order to make room for military and naval support facilities. The Nuclear Test Personnel Review (NTPR) program is a Department of Defense (DoD) program that confirms veteran participation in U.S. nuclear tests from 1945 to 1992, and the occupation forces of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. [52] Fact Sheet Enewetak Operation, 2. There were five feasible approaches considered by the Defense Nuclear Agency (NDA, 1981) for cleanup of Enewetak Atoll. Lindsey, Max. [56], In response to the atomic veterans who cleaned up Enewetak Atolls experiences with the VA, VA spokesperson Ndidi Mojay wrote in an email to Bangor Daily News in 2015: The data accumulated over the three years of the project do not indicate any area or instance of concern over radiological safety. Typically over 900 men worked on the decontamination project at one time, mostly service personnel with some contractors and civil service employees. To access the menus on this page please perform the following steps. It's hot, hard work, shorts became the work uniform. The classic coral atoll of Enewetak and its small population had seen much change during the 20th century as compared to the relatively quiet nine previous centuries since humans first came to the atolls islands. That wasn't the end though. Snowwhite fairy terns and darker noddy terns glided and wheeled over the island, about 15 miles from Enewetak. By clicking on the publication numbers listed you can access electronic versions of the documents available as Adobe PDF files. These survivors, who are now in their late 50s and 60s, have cancer and are fighting for their lives. [6] The cleanup of Enewetak Atoll began in 1977 and ended in 1980. Over a period of more than a decade, the US military conducted dozens of nuclear tests in the Pacific. [37] Girard Frank Bolton, III, Health Challenges Survey Report, Atomic Veterans Cleanup, accessed June 3, 2019. https://www.atomiccleanupvets.com/2015/11/15/health-challenges-survey-report/. Radiological cleanup of Enewetak Atoll The U.S. conducted 43 nuclear tests on Enewetak Proving Ground at Enewetak Atoll from 1948 to 1958. Most nuclear tests conducted on Enewetak Atoll were detonated in the northern reaches of the atoll and produced highly localized fallout contamination of neighboring islands and the atoll lagoon. For example, Paul Laird discovered that he had kidney and bladder cancer at 52 and developed another form of kidney cancer a few years later. [34], Another method was collecting potential gamma radiation, using film badges. The government began planning the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll in the early 1970s, after deciding to return the atoll to the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Out of 4300 servicemen, less than 300 are alive. [39]Fact Sheet Enewetak Operation, 10. [46] A 2018 DTRA fact sheet showed 99.97% of urine samples were negative for plutonium intake. Many of these structures were adapted from the existing military/testing facilities on the three islands. Published February 19, 2018. https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-02-19/seawater-infiltrating-nuclear-waste-dump-remote-pacific-atoll. A total of 11 nuclear tests were also conducted on Enewetak in 1956 as part of Operation Redwing including an air burst from a balloon located overwater. While plutonium undergoes alpha decay, some of its daughter nuclides (the element that results from the decay of another element) release gamma particles when it decays. Some of them recalled being told that the radiation levels were low and would not cause any harm. His job included excavations and pouring concrete. The cleanup units would use the crater formed by shotHardtack I Cactus as the disposal site. This matrix then surrounded the debris. [38], Lastly, a biodosimetry program, which included taking blood and urine samples, was implemented to monitor exposure to radiation. The debris mostly consisted of military equipment and concrete left over from the nuclear tests. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Bullying of any kind isn't allowed, and degrading comments about things like race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, gender or identity will not be tolerated. Government says personnel were not exposed to heavy radiation doses of course not badge readings were for 1-5 days of exposure. The government began planning the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll in the early 1970s, after deciding to return the atoll to the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. During alpha decay, alpha particles (atoms with two protons and two neutrons) are released. Subscribe to Nuclear Vault http://bit.ly/SubscribeNuclearVaultThis video shows the actions being taken to cleanup the islands comprising Enewetak Atoll so th.
enewetak atoll cleanup