378 OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 



Mr. McKernan. Mr. Chairman, indirectly we have. We are the 

 research arm of the AtLantic States IMarine Fisheries Commission 

 and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. This matter has 

 come up before both of these State commissions, and there has been 

 a rather thorough airing of this particular problem among the scien-. 

 tists and administrators at these particular commission hearings. So 

 I think you would consider this to be in a sense a cooperative venture, 

 at least in an examination of the things that are being done in this 

 regard. 



Mr. Miller. I am concerned with two phases: One, this subcom- 

 mittee or our parent committee, the Committee on Merchant Marine 

 and Fisheries, is charged with the preservation of the fisheries of the 

 United States, as you well know. We want to make sure that nothing 

 will be done to destroy them. In the past, unfortunately — and I think 

 acknowledged in your own statement, as I interpret part of it — we 

 have seen what the effect of the pollution of some of our streams 

 has been on our fisheries. We are now fighting to force control on 

 industi*y. We know this is a long and very hard fight, but one which 

 must be carried on if we are to maintain fish life in our streams, bays 

 and estuaries. I think you subscribe to that statement. 



Mr. McKernan. I certainly do, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Miller. We would not like to see this condition reproduced 

 with respect to the atomic wastes, waiting until half the damage is 

 done before we begin to correct it, and then be confronted with an- 

 other herculean task of rolling back time. That is our interest. 



We realize that our industry, and perhaps our very way of life, 

 must depend on atomic energy in the future because other sources of 

 heat and power can be dissipated or can give out, but falling water 

 to generate electricity and atomic energy will be with us for perhaps 

 a long time to come. 



We are not critical, but we do want to make sure that all of the 

 protection necessary is given to us. After all, you are the arm of the 

 Government we have to look to for this. 



Mr. McKernan. Mr. Chairman, I could not subscribe more fully 

 to your statement in this regard. It is my general feeling, as a matter 

 of principle, that right along with the development of various uses 

 for nuclear power and atomic power should come studies into mattei-s 

 of disposal of these particular wastes, just as there should have been 

 studies by our industrial plants to develop methods of disposal of 

 their wastes early in the industrial uses of our great Avater systems. 



We have been through that mistake once, as you aptly mentioned. 

 I think those of us in the Bureau believe and, in fact, it is my impres- 

 sion that the Atomic Energy Commission believes also that we need 

 study and development in order to take care of these critical waste 

 materials so we do not repeat the destruction of great natui-al re- 

 sources and great natural waterways for all kinds of ])urposes, not 

 only for fish but for i-eci-eation and for other human uses as well. 



We certainly intend to ])ractice diligence in this respect, Mi*. Chaii-- 

 man, and we intend to look at this ])roblom with a very fisliy eye and 

 attempt to protect the ])resent aquatic resources to the very inaximum 

 extcTit. 



I do not mean to imply that there are not problems oi- tliat the w'u^ip 

 thing is simple or easy. To my knowledge there is no conij)lete 



