OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 355 



result would be if a container labeled "Radioactive Waste, Dangerous" 

 washed up on one of the lower east coast beaches of Florida. 



Testimony before this committee has disclosed the fact that even 

 our scientific minds are apprehensive as to the ultimate effect such 

 a disposal program would have on the area concerned. This uncer- 

 tainty, together with other unanswered questions involving the nature 

 of radioactivity itself, lead me to request that further consideration 

 of the proposed dumping site immediately adjacent to Fort Lauder- 

 dale, Fla., be abandoned. 



Again I want to express my appreciation to you, Mr. Chairman, 

 and to the members of the committee for permitting me to make a 

 statement on this very important matter. 



Mr. Miller. Thank you, Congressman Rogers. 



We will now hear from Jack Brooks, of Texas. 



STATEMENT OF HON. JACK B. BROOKS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN 

 CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS 



Mr. Brooks. Mr. Chairman, may I first express my appreciation 

 for the opportunity to be heard by you and your fine committee. I 

 believe you are to be especially commended for interrupting your 

 planned agenda of committee business at the earliest possible moment 

 after it became evident that plans are being formulated to dispose of 

 radioactive waste material along the Atlantic and gulf coasts within 

 a few miles of the beaches. 



As you have shovni in your prompt convening of these hearings, 

 you are deeply and properly concerned with these dumping proposals, 

 and I want to assure you that I and the people I represent in the 

 Second Congressional District of Texas are decidedly apprehensive 

 about the dumping of radioactive waste near our coast at this time. 



Our immediate concern, Mr. Chairman, deals with at least one of 

 the suggested dumping sites proposed by the National Academy of 

 Sciences. This site is listed in the Academy's publication No. 655 

 4- by 9-mile area 19 miles from Sabine Pass, where the water is 

 about 42 feet deep. Our ultimate concern is the concern of every 

 American citizen who has the right to know whether or not the present 

 and proposed methods of disposal of radioactive waste material are 

 safe and who has the right to be protected from indiscriminate dis- 

 posal of radioactive waste. 



I have had the opportunity to sit in with several of our colleagues, 

 including our good friend and distinguished member of this commit- 

 tee. Congressman Bob Casey, on an informal conference with three 

 representatives of the Atomic Energy Commission. This was several 

 weeks ago and we were discussing a pending license application to 

 dump radioactive waste in the gulf off the Continental Shelf in 6,000 

 feet of water. I asked the AEC people for a brief, simple, and direct 

 statement to the effect that disposal of radioactive waste material in 

 the manner and location where they were considering would not be 

 harmful to either the marine life in the area or our people. 



To date I have not received any such assurance from the Atomic 

 Energy Commission. And since that time the National Academy of 

 Sciences has suggested 28 additional dumping sites. 



