265 



Mr. Studds. Most of the questions to you have concerned, in one 

 way or another, the question of low level waste. 



With respect to the possible future subseabed emplacement of 

 high-level waste, does the United States believe that that is prohib- 

 ited by the London Dumping Convention? 



Mr. Brown. The Legal Adviser's Office has advised us that high 

 level radioactive waste could not, under the present circumstances 

 as we understand them, be emplaced in the seabed consistent with 

 our obligations under the London Dumping Convention. 



The legal question of the scope of the convention has not been 

 fully resolved in reaching this conclusion. Until seabed emplace- 

 ment is studied further, we must assume that it cannot be under- 

 taken without significant risk to the marine environment. 



Therefore, under any reasonable interpretation of the conven- 

 tion, this activity would now fall within the scope of the conven- 

 tion. 



Mr. Studds. But that is the U.S. position. Have other nations 

 signatory to the convention stated their views on that question? 



Mr. Brown. We are not aware of any. 



Mr. Studds. So it may well be an open question in the minds of 

 other countries? 



Mr. Brown. It may well be. 



Mr. Studds. Thank you very much. 



Did you wish to add to that? 



Mr. Brown. No. 



Mr. Studds. All right, thank you. 



I must inform the next witness that he is not who he thinks he 

 is. Prior to our going to the Department of Energy, we have a 

 request from a member of this committee to present some testimo- 

 ny, and the Chair will call on Congressman Anderson of California. 



STATEMENT OF HON. GLENN M. ANDERSON, A REPRESENTA- 

 TIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA 



Mr. Anderson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will be assisted in 

 my presentation by John CuUather of the committee staff. 



I would like to thank the distinguished subcommittee chairman. 



Perhaps we better wait until 



Mr. Studds. It is a vote, but we can proceed for 5 minutes, if you 

 like. 



Mr. Anderson. It will take a little over that but I will go ahead 

 and go as far as I can. 



I would like to thank the distinguished subcommittee chairman 

 for the opportunity to testify on the present problems that have 

 resulted from ocean disposal of radioactive nuclear materials. As 

 most of us in this room today are aware of the present crisis at the 

 Love Canal chemical disposal site and the many others across this 

 country, we too should be made aware of the dangers of the hap- 

 hazard practices of disposing of nuclear wastes in our ocean envi- 

 ronment. 



It is for this purpose that I introduced H.R. 8119 to provide for a 

 through study to determine the effects of certain past ocean dump- 

 ing of radioactive wastes in our marine environment. When Dr. 

 William Rowe, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Radiation Pro- 

 grams in EPA, testified before this subcommittee in 1978, he stated 



