Citation: OPERATION CROSSROADS, RADIOLOGICAL DECONTAMINATION OF TARGET AND NON- TARGET VESSELS Part 2 pp. 42-47
REPORT NO. 7 – EXPERIMENTAL WORK, SAN FRANCISCO NAVAL SHIPYARD
21 September 1946
Friday, 20 September 1946:
At a meeting of Ship Superintendents, Lt. Comdr. Turnbaugh outlined the experimental work yet to be dope aboard the Bikini vessels. The work by ships
(1) USS BENEVOLENCE
(a) Completion of Acid experiment on Evaporators
(b) Flushing salt water system with fresh water.
(c) Washing floor plates and bilges in condenser room with ammonium citrate.
(2) USS HENRICO
(al Flushing salt water system with fresh water.
(b) Opening up, draining pH 6 line on Saturday.
(c) Precipitating and weighing of contents found in acid used to clean flushing lines.
(3) USS LAFFEY
(a) Selection, preparation, and experimentation on 10 foot suction of Cu-Ni ‘irenjatn with steam-cold water shock treatment.
(b) Selection of four sections of firemain 5 to 8 feet in length, for testing as. follows:
- Solution of boiler compound, salt water, circulate through pipe.
- Solution of boiler compound, salt water, let stand in pipe.
- Solution of boiler compound, fresh water, circulate through pipe.
- Solution of boiler compound, fresh water, let stand in pipe.
(c) Selection of firemain sufficiently long to cut into six pieces, each piece to be 4 inches long. Testing in laboratory by Dr. Scott and Mr. Gordon.
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B) USS BOTTINEAU Same as (a) (b) (c) on USS LAFFEY.
(5) USS BARTON.
(a) Fill entire salt water system with pH6 solution except for one head to be kept usable. (Note: one other DD to be treated, tentatively USS LAFFEY.
Work accomplished Friday, 20 September:
Four monitor, assigned to the USS BENEVOLENCE and USS HENRICO to obtain a complete set of readings of the salt water lines for each vessel (in advance of flushing the lines with fresh water) completed these vessels in the morning and afternoon respectively.
Acid circulation in the first evaporator on the USS BENEVOLENCE was begun at 0600 and continued until night when leaks in brine lines necessitated all shells be drained and the lines repaired. The second and third evaporators were flushed with fresh water Jn the , morning. Acid circulation of the second evaporator was not accomplished due to pump failure. The third evaporator had acid circulation between 1800 on Friday to 0330 on Saturday morning.
Saturday, 21 September 1946:
Flushing of salt water lines on board the USS BENEVOLENCE and USS HENRICO was begun Saturday morning and continued through Sunday. All outlets were let run for at least one hour. Drop in pressure prevented more than four outlets being flushed at any one time. Some mains had 12 hours flushing.
It was found in opening up the evaporators at the BENEVOLENCE while awaiting completion of piping repairs that the top half contained highly active scale not touched by acid circulation, and that the inside readings on all shells averaged about 0.24 Beta. It was therefore decided to rearrange the piping and hose connections so as to institute a complete wash cycle. This included all heat exchanger units as before and especially provided for the tilling of all effects completely. All freshwater and vapor lines leading from each shell had to be blanked.
Work on the USS HENRICO evaporators (two 3-effect Griscolm Russell evaporators) with acid was decided upon after consultation with too Production Officer. It was decided at the outset to make this a complete wash cycle as was found necessary on the USS BENEVOLENCE.
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A ph6 standing solution in the 50 inch test section of fire main OSD. The USS HENRICO was opened after 72 hours (1150). The insults of this test on steel piping indicated the same success in removing radioactivity as had been witnessed on the UBS LAFFEY. Readings before and after will be given in a separate monitor’s report.
SAN FRANCISCO NAVAL SHIPYARD
San Francisco 24, California
23 September 1946
From: J. B. Shirley, Comdr., USN
To: T A. Solberg, Rear Admiral, USN
Subj: Progress of Work at San Francisco Naval Shipyard
Enel: (A) Copy of Memorandum from Captain Maxwell to Commander, U. S. Naval Shipyards at Puget Sound and Terminal Island.
- Captain Maxwell went to Bremerton Naval Shipyard Sunday, 22 September 1946, and will return Tuesday, 24 September 1946.
- Enclosure (A) was prepared in order to have in writing a confirmation of topics that would discussed with the Commanders of the Shipyards.
- A telephone conversation was held with Captain Maxwell today.
As a result, the following recommendations are forwarded:
a. That another monitor be sent to the U.S. Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, –
b. That a coordinating officer be sent to each Shipyard where, work on non-target vessels will be performed and that the coordinator integrate the monitor’s findings and Yard work,
c. That a definite policy be set up with respect to clearance of the non-target ships, and d! That a set of instructions regarding the clearance of these ships and what the clearance entails be forwarded to the District Medical Officers.
- Work on the USS BAYFIELD was started at Puget Sound,
- The following destroyers, USS LOWRY, USS BARTON, USS WALKE AND USS O’BRIEN are to be drydocked Thursday, 26 September 1946, at Hunters Point.
- Work on the USS BENEVOLENCE evaporator plant was delayed by finding leaky valves, drain lines completely corroded through, and unremove scale in the upper parts of the shell. This work is going ahead and
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should be completed by Tuesday, 24 September 1946. New Drain lines are being manufactured and the valves repaired. The valves were dipped in a twice normal solution of muriatic solution from ten (10) to thirty (30) minutes and scrubbed, followed by a rinse. This reduced reading to 0.0. Length of time in the solution appeared to be a function of Geiger readings as well as the amount of foreign matter present.
- Work on the USS HENRICO evaporator plant is progressing satisfactorily and should be complete about Wednesday, 25 September 1946.
- Fresh water flushing of firemains carried out on the USS BENEVOLENCE and USS HENRICO did not result in a significant change in readings even though some sections had fresh water passing through for a period of twelve (12) hours.
- Sandblasting of the bottom of the USS LAFFEY should be completed by Wednesday, 25 September 1946.
- Results of tests on firemain section tests:
[CHART see page 46 of the PDF file]
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[Chart continued]
- Flushing of the USS BARTON firemain with an ammonia citrate solution should start Tuesday, 24 September 1946.
- The firemain sections and valves of the USS LAFFEY have been removed and are ready to be tested, starting Tuesday, 24 September 194$ for
a. Copper-nickel and steel with a saturated boiler compound in fresh water.
b. Copper-nickel and steel with a saturated boiler compound in salt water.
c. Copper-nickel and steel with a thermal shock treating, using steam and cold water, and
d. Copper-nickel and steel small sections in various strength muriatic acid solution.
Sections for (d) above were cut with hacksaws. The hacksaw blades had a reading of 0.0 after the work was completed, even though the sections – themselves had a high Geiger reading.
- The USS CHICKASKIA has started thermal descaling of the low pressure plant, internal readings will be taken Tuesday, 24 September 1946.
- The Shipyard has initiated additional tests based on present findings to try to determine amount of foreign matter and material of pipes and valves removed by the acid solution.
J. B. SHIRLEY
cc: Captain Maxwell (without enclosure)
Captain Walsh (without enclosure)
Li. Comdr. Turnbaugh (without enclosure)
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Source: OPERATION CROSSROADS. RADIOLOGICAL DECONTAMINATION OF TARGET AND NON-TARGET VESSELS. VOLUME 2 , DNA ltr, 21 Apr 1982, THIS PAGE IS UNCLASSIFIED, DIRECTOR OF SHIPTECHNICAL INSPECTION REPORT. Radiological Decontamination of Target and Non-Target Vessels, VOLUME 2 OF 3.
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