253 



Now, why should that legislation go through ? 



Mr. Eamey. Well, my understanding of the Environmental Protec- 

 tion Agency's role, generally, is that in their standard-setting in the 

 radiological area, they have taken over what the Federal Radiation 

 Council has accomplished for the last 10 or 12 years. This language 

 in the pending administration bill would carry forward that general 

 pattern, of an agency setting overall standards, and another agency, 

 as the licensing agency, implementing them. 



Now, I recognize in the case of ocean dumping we are talking about 

 something that from a practical standpoint is of no very great con- 

 sequence. I just think the general pattern as set forth in the bill is 

 consistent with the reorganization plan, and the way the Commission 

 will be operating in the general radiological area. 



Mr. DiNGELL. We keep coming back to the same point: that the 

 Atomic Energy Commission will be doing what the Environmental 

 Protection Agency is supposed to be doing. 



Mr. Ramey. Well, as I said, the Environmental Protection Agency, 

 presumably will be issuing relatively broad scale types of standards. 



Mr. DiNGELL. I am curious as to why we have to have an Atomic 

 Energy Commission doing this work though, and regardless of your 

 organization plan, and the wisdom of it, I do not think we should 

 be debating. 



I happen to be one who opposes the particular organizational plan, 

 so I would like to challenge its validity, but regardless of its validity, 

 why should the Atomic Energy Commission be doing the Environ- 

 mental Protection Agency's work, if you are not going to have any 

 discretion, you will simply be stamping these things approved or dis- 

 approved, according to the standards the Environmental Protection 

 Agency has laid down. 



It seems to me we have a very curious situation before us. 



Mr. Ramey. As I mentioned, Mr. Chairman, in this field of radio- 

 logical regulation, the Commission has by far the greater amount of 

 experience and expertise, particularly in relation to the whole sequence 

 of the fuel cycle. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Excepting that here you shall be issuing permits us- 

 ing the Environmental Protection Agency's standards. That does not 

 indicate that whoever drafted this bill had much greater faith in your 

 capacity to issue permits than set standards, does it ? I am still curious 

 to find out why you folks will be doing essentially what they will be 

 doing. 



"\^^y should you folks be excepted from the act at all ? 



Mr. Ramey. As I indicated, Mr. Chairman, in the whole radiologi- 

 cal field, the Environmental Protection Agency has taken over the 

 responsibility from the Federal Radiation Council to issue standards, 

 so in the future, the Atomic Energy Commission will be implement- 

 ing EPA general standards. 



They will be reviewed from time to time by the Environmental Pro- 

 tection Agency. I do not think we will be exercising anything unusual 

 in this whole subsidiary regulation area, and in the specific licensing 

 of powerplants, and so on, we will not be exercising a ministerial or 

 clerical role. 



I do think in relation to ocean disposal, in view of the fact that we 

 are phasing out even the very small amounts going on, and that any 



