242 



Mr. Rogers. Let me ask you a final question liere. 



Do you see any reason why you should continue to permit radio- 

 active wastes to be dumped in the ocean ? 



Mr. Ramey. Essentially, no ; except in very minor situations. 



Mr. Rogers. Would you have the Commission review this, and let 

 this committee know whether you are gomg to continue these existing 

 permits ? 



Mr. Ramey. As I indicated, we are not going to do any dumping. 



Mr. Rogers. Wlien are you going to take action ? 



Mr. Ramey. Existing licenses are in the process of being phased 

 out now. 



Mr. Rogers. Wliat is the time element ? 



Mr. Raiiey. I would say 6 months, a year. 



They are essentially research activities, you understand, Mr. Rogers, 

 by these agencies. 



Mr. Rogers. To dump wastes ? 



Mr. Ramey. They are using radioactive materials for their research, 

 as I understand it. 



Mr. Rogers. But you plan to phase all of this out ? 



Mr, Ramey. Yes, sir. Now, the report by the Environmental Quality 

 Council did indicate that there may be in the future situations where 

 in balancing the risk and benefit, that some type of disposal might be 

 necessary, but again 



Mr. Rogers. Would you file an impact statement in that instance ? 



Mr. Ramey. Yes, sir ; we would be required to. 



Mr. Rogers. That is clear 



Mr. Ramey. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Rogers. Thank you very much. 



Mr. Dingell. Mr. Keith. 



Mr. Keith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Were any of you gentlemen on the Commission in 1960 ? 



Mr. Ramey. Mr. Price was Director of Regulations, and Mr. Hen- 

 nessey was Associate General Counsel at that time. 



I happened to have been the Staff Director of the Joint Congres- 

 sional Committee of the Atomic Energy Commission at that time, 

 watching this situation. 



Mr. Keith. Well, good. 



Were the casts identifiable ? Were they marked in case one of them 

 washed ashore so you would know the contractor that put them there 

 and where they came from ? 



Mr. Price. They were required to be, as far as I know. 



Mr. Keith. Do you happen to know what action was taken to get 

 damages for failure to comply with the terms of the contract ? 



Mr. Price. Well, sir ; I will have to go back to the record. 



You mean on those few that washed up on the shore ? 



Mr. Keith. Yes. 



Mr. Price. ]My recollection is they vrere never positively identified 

 as containing radioactive material. 



Some of them had some labels on them, but I would have to check 

 back. 



Mr. KJEiTH. You are hung by your own statement. 



You just said they were identified. 



