262 



referring to. We did not know what we were doing, and now, 50 

 years later, we found that we have messes that are terribly unfor- 

 tunate. 



It is hopeful, that as far as radioactive material is concerned, we 

 were aware from the beginning that there was a major problem. 

 This is no time to back off, because we are desperately searching 

 for newer and better and safe disposal methods. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Studds. Mr. Anderson? 



Mr. Anderson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Mr. Secretary, I 

 want to thank you for your endorsement of my bill, H.R. 8119. 



When the State Department warmly supports one of my bills, it 

 is kind of a surprise, and I want to thank you for it. 



You did put a condition, you said, to the bill, if broadly interpret- 

 ed could be construed to call for a study of the Northeast Atlantic 

 site, and that part I would like to clarify a little bit. 



The bill actually says, for the purposes of carrying out the study 

 required under paragraph 1, the Secretary of, that is Commerce, 

 shall locate and survey those sites within ocean waters at which 

 radioactive wastes were destroyed during the period concerned, and 

 that where less than 6,000 feet in depth, or used for the disposal of 

 high-level radioactive waste, regardless of depth. 



I do not see how you could say that it does not directly have a 

 study of that, and if there is any question in that, I would like to 

 have some help from your Department in tightening it up, because 

 the purpose of the bill is to get at the site, such as the Northeast 

 Atlantic site, and everything else. 



Mr. Brown. Well, Congressman, I suspect this is lawyerly lan- 

 guage inserted by the drafters of my statement. 



We certainly will look at it. If there is a problem, I am sure that 

 it is just the wording of a phrase, or something, so that we want to 

 be sure that the Northeast Atlantic dumpsite is included, that is 

 the one that concerns us all, and not just the ones within our 

 territorial waters, or within 200 miles of the U.S. coast. 



Mr. Anderson. I understand I will be on testifying in a few 

 minutes, and my testimony, for the most part, comes from the 

 Pacific Ocean, from the dumpsite that is, I think 40 miles, AEC 

 dumpsite 40 miles off of San Francisco, and we have reports of 

 dumping maybe 15 or 20 miles, so we are concerned with both 

 oceans, but my bill definitely was not intended to cover the North- 

 east Atlantic site. 



Mr. Brown. If our lawyers have any problems with the specific 

 wording of the bill, we will get back to you. 



Mr. Anderson. Thank you. 



Mr. Studds. It does not mean New England. It means England. 



We are the Northwest Atlantic. How far off the coast of which 

 European country is the European site? 



Mr. Brown. It is about 700 kilometers off of England. 



Mr. Anderson. We are talking about a safe site off England, 700 

 kilometers. 



Mr. Studds. Right. 



Mr. Carney? 



Mr. Carney. I would like to ask a question of the Chairman. 



