b'C H A P T E R 17S C I E N C E I N T H E D E S E R Ttake the concept well beyond EBR-II employees but also for downwind resi- ment on a field of crested wheatgrassand the only other operating breeder dents beyond the NRTS. To do that near the southern edge of the Site, thereactor in the country, the Fermi plant required a method of predicting how the IDO requested funds for a multi-yearin Detroit. It appeared, although it was iodine would behave. In addition, the program. not yet certain, that funding would be information might improve the reactorapproved and that Argonne-West might siting criteria used at the NRTS. 29In setting up the Experimental Dairy see FARETunder construction in Farm, the scientists called upon local1965. 28 The pathway of I-131 from the air to county agents and others to help themgrass to cows to milk and to humans decide how much acreage would sup-Not all nuclear research at the NRTShad been generally understood since the port how many cows, what kind of veg-was conducted at reactors. 1950s. But local doses could be calcu- etation was typical on nearby ranches,Environmental and health studies con- lated only if local transfer patterns were and the details of cow management.tinued, and in 1963 the IDO went into known. Previous studies elsewhere had Montana State University lent Herefordthe dairy farm business. Partly because taken place mostly in laboratories. No cows for the testing season. Because ofof the growing frequency of destructive one had tested how iodine actually this, John Horan observed later, Wetests at the NRTS, each of which behaved in a natural environment. 30 had some of the best pedigreed animalsreleased small amounts of radioiodine- in the world. 31131, the IDO Health and Safety Division The IDO knew there was nothing like awanted to get a firm handle on the field study to answer questions and cre- The dairy farm project, managed byimpact of these releases. If a large acci- ate predictive models. What amount of Clyde Hawley, used twenty-seven acresdental release occurredand one had an I-131 release would deposit on the of flat ground about seven miles north-occurred in England in 1957 because of grass? After a cow ate the grass, how east of the Chem Planteasy to get toa fire at Wincaes reprocessing much radioiodine would go to its thy- and easy to cultivate. He set up a gridds lplantthe IDO wanted to be ready with roid, through its body, or to its milk? of detection instruments, dotting thebetter emergency plans, not only for Site After conducting a feasibility experi- pasture in regular lines and rows. Pressreleases went out, describing the pur-pose of the project and seeking bidsfrom local farmers to care for the farmand six cows, irrigate the pasture, andkeep milking records. 32The program was called CERT(Controlled Environmental RadioiodineTests) and would involve many experi-ments over several years. Typically themanager ran tests at different times ofthe year. When ready for a given test,he would order iodine-131 generatorsfrom Oak Ridge and set them up at theupwind edge of the pasture and triggerInside the barn at the Experimental Dairy Farm.INEEL 69-5648167'