OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 313 



It is important enough to warrant consideration along those lines 

 in my opinion. 



Already, and for some time, I understand since 1955, they have been 

 dumping this atomic waste material at certain sites approximately 100 

 miles off the shore. 



I would like to be reassured as to just how safe this dumping is. I 

 would like to know whether there are controlled checks made at pe- 

 riodic intervals to see whether this material is kept intact and is not 

 radiating into the waters there. 



I would like to know if this dumping is supervised by the Atomic 

 Energy Commission. 



I would like to know if drift or if storms would cause that material 

 that is dumped to move in closer to shore, or possibly to break the 

 containei-s and allow harmfid radiation to escape. 



These are some of the things that I would like to know. 



I would also like to file with this committee, if there is no objection, 

 a letter dated July 10, 1959, from Dr. William J. Hargis, the director 

 of our Virginia Laboratories, to Dr. Dayton E. Carritt, chairman of 

 the special working group on disposal of radioactive waste into the 

 Atlantic and gulf coastal waters. 



Dr. Hargis has gone into the matter pretty thoroughly, and in this 

 letter he cites specific objections to site No. 4, which is the one located 

 just 35 miles off of Little Creek. 



I think it would be interesting for the committee to have this in 

 its files. 



In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I would like again to say that I must 

 protest against any further consideration of dumping of atomic 

 waste materials so close to our shores of Virginia as 35 miles, not only 

 because of the harmful effect it might have on marine life and human 

 beings but also the psychological effect which could hurt the economy 

 of this area. 



I appreciate the opportunity of appearing before you. 



Mr. Miller. I will be happy to have filed the letter to which you 

 referred, written by Dr. Hargis. It will be made part of the record. 



(The letter referred to follows :) 



July 10, 1959. 

 Dr. Dayton E. Carritt, 



Chairman, Special Working Group on Disposal of Radioactive Waste Into Atlantic 

 and Oulf Coastal Waters, Chesapeake Bay Institute, Johns Hopkins Univer- 

 sity, Baltimore, Md. 

 Dear Dr. Carritt: After careful study of Publication No. 655 "Radioactive 

 Waste Disposal Into Atlantic and Gulf Coast Waters" and consideration of the 

 sites proposed to serve Norfolk, Va., we have come to the conclusion that al- 

 though the amounts to be disposed of are small, the containers will hold the 

 material for some time, and the hazard from radioactivity probably slight, we 

 cannot approve site 4. As you recall, site 4 is 36°49' N and 75°27' W, near 

 the location of a v^^reck which is in 11 fathoms of water. Our objections are as 

 follows : 



(1) We believe that the net circulation over this site is into Chesapeake Bay. 

 Drift bottle experiments seem to indicate a shoreward movement, particularly 

 toward the Capes, in this area. We anticipate further observations of the cur- 

 rents in this area in connection with another problem. 



The committee, itself, has stated several times in the report that it is advisable 

 to avoid contaminating estuaries and shallow places where there is a significant 

 shoreward water movement. 



(2) According to our information, trawlers frequently work in the vicinity 

 of this particular site. Even though the committee has attempted to avoid 



