OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 353 



Mr. Miller. Thank you very much, gentlemen. 



Dr. Seymour, you have Dr. Dunham and Mr. Loewenstein with you. 

 The hour is late, but do you wish them to say anything ? I would like 

 to recognize their presence here. Is there anything they would like 

 to say ? As long as we can hold Mr. Curtin here, I am all right. 



Dr. Dunham. I am Dr. Charles L. Dunham, Director of the Divi- 

 sion of Biology and Medicine of the Atomic Energy Commission. 



I am very happy to be present today and to hear this very inter- 

 esting hearing. I have nothing to offer at this point except in answer 

 to Mr. Curtin, that so far as we know, the development of immunity 

 to radiation, as one develops immunity against typhoid fever from 

 vaccination, is impossible at the present time. 



Mr. Curtin. So we have to keep those levels below what is the 

 maximum safety level if hmnan beings are to survive. 



Dr. Dunham. Yes. 



Mr. Curtin. Thank you. 



Mr. Loewenstein. Mr. Chairman, I am Robert Loewenstein of the 

 General Counsel's office. I have nothing to add to what has been 

 said. 



Mr. Miller. I want to thank you gentlemen ; and Dr. Seymour, I 

 want to thank you for a very instructive dissertation on this rather 

 involved subject. You have us rather at a disadvantage inasmuch as 

 you know the meanings of all these words and I had to interrupt you 

 to get very simple ones defined. 



Dr. Seymour. It was not long ago that we did not understand them, 

 either. 



Mr. JVIiLLER. Thank you. 



We will now hear from Charles E. Bennett from Florida. 



STATEMENT OF HON. CHARLES E. BENNETT, A REPRESENTATIVE 

 IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA 



Mr. Bennett. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate this opportunity to tes- 

 tify today on radioactive waste disposal into Atlantic and gulf 

 waters. My interest in this subject arises out of the i-ecommendation 

 by the National Academy of Sciences that two of tlie disposal loca- 

 tions be in the Atlantic Ocean 18 and 83 miles respectively from our 

 district's beaches. This is uncomfortably close. Not being an atomic 

 scientist, I cannot speak authoritatively as to whether any radioactive 

 danger to the district which I represent would result. However, I 

 note in the report which recommended these locations that it is 

 axiomatic that there will be some escaping radiation. The report says 

 at page 1 : 



The primary objective of the study has been to provide an estimate of the 

 rate of return of radioactive substances to man, arising from stated rates of 

 disposal into the coastal areas. 



Thus, the report admits there will be some rate of return. The rec- 

 ommendations in the report are for the purpose of reducing this ad- 

 mitted "rate of return" to safe levels. 



Perhaps those in charge of the program will tell you tliat they can 

 easily accomplish this reduction to safe levels. Nevertheless, there 

 is a danger that utilizing locations so close to our beaches will have 

 a damaging psychological effect in our area. Adjacent to these lo- 



