555 



Q Cesiuin-137 

 n Tritium 



135 kCi 



sSSiiill 



Figure 3. Total Acrivity of Liquid Radioactive Waste ('^^Cs and tritium) Dumped in the Irish Sea from the 

 Sellafield plant (Great Britain), by Year [11], 



Sweden performed one RW dumping in 1969 at a single site in the North Atlantic at a depth 

 of 4,000 meters. It dumped 2,895 containers weighing 1,080 tonnes with a total activity of 3,240 

 GBq (0.09 kCi). 



The U.S. dumped 34,282 containers (weight not specified) with a total activity of 2.94 PBq 

 (79.4 kCi) (some of them at a minimum depth as low as 1 1 meters!) between 1949 and 1967 at 1 1 

 sites in the Atlantic (the number of operations has not been reported). 



Between 1946 and 1970, the U.S. performed dumpings (number of operations not specified) 

 of 560,261 containers (weight not specified) with a total activity of 554,000 GBq (15.0 pCi) at 18 

 sites in the Pacific Ocean at a minimum depth of 896 meters. 



According to some data [12], RW dumpings by the U.S. in the northeastern Atlantic exceed 

 the amounts specified in ofiBcial reports. In at least one case in 1957, the U.S. Navy sank radioac- 

 tive materials in the open sea. 



In 1960 alone, the total activity of wastes dumped by the U.S. along the California coa^t was 

 about 1 PBq (27 kCi). Almost as much was dumped in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean [15]. 



During the era of the nuclear submarine fleet (i.e., since the mid-50s), the U.S. Navy has lost 

 two NS's: the Thresher in April 1969, and the Scorpion in May 1968. Both submarines sank after 

 accidents in areas of heavy maritime shipping and active fishing. Besides its reactor, the Scorpion 

 carried two Astor nuclear torpedoes, according to expert opinions [14]. About 270 kCi (10 PBq) 

 of fission products was deposited at the site of the Thresher's sinking on the bottom of the Atian- 



13 



^ 



