OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 339 



Mr. Lennon. Since there seems to be some concern on the part of 

 some of our people who live along the coasts that we should not con- 

 tinue to use these close-in shore areas for dumping of low-level wastes, 

 I was trying to compare that with the cost of burying that low-level 

 waste material. 



Dr. LiEBERMAN. I think again this depends on the individual cir- 

 cumstances. Conceivably in some situations where the installations 

 were right on the coast it would be cheaper for them to dispose of 

 these wastes at sea. On the other hand, at research installations evolv- 

 ing these low-level wastes that are located in the interior of our coun- 

 tiy, it would be more expensive for them to dispose of at sea and the 

 burial methods would be preferable from an economic standpoint. 



Mr. Lennon. You see no danger in the continued utilization of the 

 ocean floor even fairly close in for dumping of low-level wastes ? 



Dr. LiEBERMAN. If I cau answer the question this way, Mr. Len- 

 non — this perhaps relates to what I will call the AEC program inso- 

 far as it concerns to the report that has been discussed — the way we 

 view it is that based on the best available knowledge the oceanog- 

 raphers and marine biologists have now, as represented by the ex- 

 perts involved in preparation of this report, they have indicated 

 that it is safe, under proper circumstances to dispose of those solid, 

 packaged wastes in inshore areas. They have also made it quite clear 

 that before these areas are put into operation certain detailed studies 

 should be made which in effect would check their general observations. 



We have already started to implement this in cooperation with 

 the Coast and Geodetic Survey, Public Health Service, and perhaps 

 some other organizations in connection with some of the areas off the 

 New England coast. 



Before any of these suggested areas are officially designated, these 

 preuse surveys would be made. I feel sure that before the areas would 

 be officially designated there would be detailed consultation with other 

 Federal and State agencies and other groups tliat are specifically 

 concerned, and rightfully so, in this situation. 



The other point that perhaps I should make here is that these pre- 

 use surveys need not be on the exact latitude and longitude indi- 

 cated in this report. I think this report indicates, that these look like 

 areas along the Atlantic and gulf coasts that could be used based on 

 our present knowledge. But before we actually use them we propose 

 to check the generally available knowledge. 



So that conceivably, for example, the suggested areas off the New 

 England coast, may not be the specific areas that might be designated 

 but they might be close by. 



Mr. Lennon. I yield to you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Miller. I was interested in two things. First, talking of 

 high level wastes, presently all of the high level wastes or a great 

 percentage of them are controlled by the Government, are they not? 



Dr. LiEBERMAN. I would make it more general. I think essentially 

 all radioactive wastes are controlled by the Government. 



Mr. Miller. You are going to build a plant, say, at Shipping- 

 port. A number of them are being built. When you have these low 

 level wastes, these ashes you speak of, in the case of private com- 

 panies and utilities, when the people at Shippingport have had to 

 remove the fuel elements from the reactor and they have this ash, are 



