340 OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 



they going to dispose of that or is it going to be returned to the Atomic 

 Energy Commission for disposal ? 



Dr. LiEBERMAN. This might be a slightly involved answer. 



Mr. Miller. It is not an involved question. 



Dr. LiEBERMAN. No, sir. First I should make it clear that from 

 a normally operating reactor such as at Shippingport high level wastes 

 are not evolved. There is a solid fuel element that goes into the 

 Shippingport reactor. When it is removed, in other words, the 

 ashes, it is still in solid form. If it were not so radioactive, you 

 could pick it up. It is hotter than a pistol. 



Mr. Miller. It is still hot. 



Mr. CuRTiN. Is that what they call a core ? 



Dr. LiEBERMAN. Yes, sir. These are solid fuel elements. At the 

 present time all the processing plants I mentioned are owned and 

 operated by the Atomic Energy Commission. At the present time the 

 fuel elements from all reactors are shipped to one of the thi-ee places 

 that I mentioned. So the high level wastes we talked about are not 

 evolved at the reactor unless there is some kind of catastropliic acci- 

 dent. They are not evolved until this solid fuel element, shipped in 

 specially designed containers, come to the processing plant and goes 

 through the chemical process to remove the unused fuel, separate it 

 from the fission products or ashes. The use of the word "ashes" 

 in connection with the Shippingport plant is perhaps slightly 

 misleading. 



Mr. Miller. I confused it because you used it. I do not mean to 

 quibble. You put a core in these things, as I understand it. After 

 the radioactivity has been generated, the heat has been generated, 

 and this thing has worn itself down you then have this core that must 

 be disposed of. I suppose if you brought two of these cores into this 

 room, one that was live or had not been used and one that was dead 

 and had been used, the layman could not tell one from the other as 

 far as their physical appearance goes. I assume when you use the 

 word "ash," you use it in the effect of saying this is the one that has 

 been utilized and the life has gone out of it. In effect, it is like the 

 ashes in a fireplace after the coal or the wood is burned down and has 

 no further use ; is that correct ? 



Dr. LiEBERMAN. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Miller. Are we talking the same language now? 



Dr. LiEBERMAN. I think so. There is one big and major differ- 

 ence. The core that would have the ash, the fission products, would 

 be extremely radioactive. You could not get near it. With the one 

 that was fabricated and ready to go in service, you could go up and 

 touch it. 



Mr. Miller. What will happen to this hot core when it is being used 

 by private industry ? 



Dr. LiEBERMAN. At the present time and uj) until at least 10G5 the 

 Commission has indicated that it would supply the chemical process- 

 ing service for any and all reactors, so tliat tliis core would be sent to 

 one of the Commission reprocessing plants. 



Mr. Miller. In other words, it will be returned to the Commission ? 



Dr. LiEBERMAN. This is correct. 



Mr. Miller. Then Uncle Sam will be charged with taking care of 

 that up until 19G5 ? I suppose the half life of some of these things 



