76 



Sanctuaries Act (PL 92-532) which proh 

 all high level radioactive waste. 



bited the ocean dumping of 



At the international level, control of radioactive waste 

 dumping in the ocean is addressed in the provisions of the 1972 

 London Convention (Convention on the Prevention of Marine 

 Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter) which went into 



force in 1975 and to which the U.S. is! a party. Specifically, 



I 



this Convention banned the dumping of high-level radioactive 

 wastes and other matter, but, prior to 1993, did not address low- 

 level radioactive wastes. In 1993, thle London Convention was 

 amended to prohibit the ocean dumping of radioactive materials 

 containing more than de minimis concentrations of radioactivity. 

 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was a strong 

 proponent of this amendment . 



Continuing with the international! picture, you have asked 

 about the degree to which international partnerships are 



assisting in prevention of additional 



contamination in Arctic 



waters. These partnerships take two forms; 



(1) formal agreements and mechanisms for cooperation, such 

 as the: 



o Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS) of 

 June 1991, between the! eight Arctic countries; 



