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empty into the Arctic, as we've heard from a number of the other 

 witnesses. 



More data needs to be gathered to determine the concentrations 

 and characteristics of the radionucHdes present in the Arctic. In ad- 

 dition, the behavior of various radionucHdes in Arctic waters and 

 sediments needs to be evaluated to include such parameters as 

 sediment erosion velocities, water/sediment partitioning coeffi- 

 cients, benthic bioturbation, prevailing currents and ocean circula- 

 tion patters, for example, in the Barents and Kara Seas. 



Also of particular importance are potential biological transfer 

 pathways to man, including any short circuit mechanisms similar 

 to the lichen-to-caribou transfer of radionuclides on land. 



A concerted and systematic monitoring program, coupled with 

 appropriate transport models, could provide many of the answers 

 regarding the impact from the inventory of radionuclides in the 

 Arctic environment. Russian marine scientists are currently coordi- 

 nating with Norwegian marine scientists to conduct a survey of the 

 Barents and Kara Seas, using a Russian oceanograph vessel. EPA 

 is currently trying to obtain sediment samples from this mission for 

 radiochemical and geochemical analysis at our laboratories. This 

 effort could provide information to help determine the levels of ra- 

 dioactivity that may have resulted from disposal of reactor vessels 

 from the icebreaker Linin, or from radioactive waste disposal 

 drums, or from radioactivity released to the seas from pollution of 

 the northward-flowing Russian rivers. 



We are currently undertaking a second joint survey of the Black 

 Sea to expand our knowledge of the distribution and concentration 

 of radionuclides in the marine environment. On May 13th of this 

 year, EPA representatives met with the Executive Secretary of the 

 U.S.-Russia Bilateral Agreement and Russian Ministry of Ecology 

 to discuss further and future cooperative studies and the status of 

 work already under way. The participants in the discussions 

 agreed that EPA could expand its cooperative studies pertaining to 

 the protection of marine ecosystems with its appropriate Russian 

 partners. It is expected that a number of activities could be under- 

 taken within the existing resources. Some of those that are cur- 

 rently being considered include establishment of a joint 

 intercalibration program; utilization of geographic information sys- 

 tems for site characterization; evaluation of models for predictive 

 assessment and forecasting; demonstration, testing and evaluation 

 of remedial technologies for cleanup; and initiation of bioeffect 

 studies focusing on environmental impacts from radioactive con- 

 tamination. 



EPA currently participates in an additional program conducted 

 by NOAA, which its primary objective is to determine the long- 

 term trends of toxic contaminations Euid bottom feeding fish, shell- 

 fish, and sediments. In 1986 EPA initiated an informal working 

 agreement with NOAA to establish monitoring stations and obtain 

 samples for radionuclide analysis. Samples have been collected 

 from the former ocean disposal sites in the Atlantic and Pacific. Re- 

 sults for radionuclide analysis of sediment and biota samples that 

 were obtained from this found that they were within the range of 

 expected fallout from past nuclear weapons testing. No other fur- 



