OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 377 



Mr. Miller. Of course, if these wastes are dumped in the ocean 

 in any great amounts or if high level wastes are dumped in the ocean 

 by any one country, the effect would be universal, would it not, car- 

 ried by the currents and dispersed throughout the ocean ? 



Mr. McHuGH. Even more so, they probably are carried more rap- 

 idly by animals than by currents, because the animals can move across 

 current patterns and go up and down in the ocean, too, you see. 



Mr. McKernan. We know, Mr. Chairman, that there is an accu- 

 mulation of some of these radioactive materials, radioactive metals, in 

 animals. They are carried some distances from the sites by animals. 

 So our Bureau at the present time takes the view that only low-level 

 wastes should be put into the ocean, and then only under very care- 

 fully controlled conditions and after a thorough study has been made. 



Mr. Miller. Is the Fish and Wildlife Service on its own initiative 

 doing any work in this field, or is it only the work which is contracted 

 to you by AEC ? 



Mr. McKernan. We are doing cooperative work with AEC, a good 

 share of it now with our own resources. This is especially true of Dr. 

 Chipman's laboratory. So the answer is yes, we are doing work on 

 our own initiative. 



Mr. Miller. I would like to know if you are doing work and, if you 

 are not doing work, what we can do to have you do this independently. 

 I realize there must be cooperative effort, but the old saying is that 

 the man who pays the piper calls the tune. I am not interested in 

 having a thing quite so important as this filter through one agency. 

 Although it may have the best intentions, it at least has some pre- 

 conceived thoughts about these things. I think we should have a 

 check. 



Do you feel that the work which has been done in this field or 

 that the way it is being done is sufficient at this time, or should we 

 have it stepped up ? 



Mr. McKernan". I suspect that work at a higher level of eft'ort 

 would be very productive, Mr. Chairman, but my relationships dur- 

 ing the past some 21/2 years with AEC have indicated to me that there 

 is no intention on their part to witlihold or to request us to withhold 

 or to cut back on any particular criticisms that we might have of the 

 disposition of wastes into marine environment. In fact, we have been 

 critical at times of this, and have been so publicly. 



Mr. Miller. They have not tried to influence you ? 



Mr. McKernan. They have not. They have been very cooperative. 

 I say in all sincerity that our relationships with AEC on this par- 

 ticular problem have been excellent, and the cooperative work we have 

 carried out has left us perfectly free, with absolutely no connotation 

 of their attempting to quiet down any criticism we might have of 

 this particular program. 



Of course they do have classified programs, and at times they liave 

 asked our review and criticisms of these programs, in fact. But with 

 respect to this matter there has been no intention, to my knowledge, 

 of AEC's attempting to try to get us to withhold any criticism of any 

 procedures in that regard. 



Mr, Miller. Are any of the States engaged along with you in this 

 work, or have you worked with the fish or conservation groups of the 

 respective States ? 



