299 



forum for discussion, assessing progress, and planning future ef- 

 forts, coordinate research vessel cruises, share facilities, exchange 

 information, discuss international policy issues, and identify inter- 

 national issues requiring resolution. 



The subseabed disposal program plan includes long-term plan- 

 ning for public participation and compliance with the National 

 Environmental Policy Act. Efforts are being made to identify 

 public concerns at an early date in order to factor them into the 

 planning process for further scientific, technical and environmen- 

 tal investigation. 



Should the subseabed disposal concept prove environmentally 

 and technically feasible, the Department recognizes that institu- 

 tional and public acceptance of the overall concept will need to be 

 gained as well. 



Now, with regard to legal considerations, which were brought up 

 earlier, the U.S. Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act 

 of 1972 prohibits ocean disposal of high level wastes and provides 

 for EPA licensing of all low level radioactive waste disposal into 

 the oceans. Furthermore, it has been suggested that the implemen- 

 tation of subseabed disposal of spent nuclear fuel would be in 

 violation of the cited act and would, therefore, require specific U.S. 

 congressional action before adoption. But further technical and 

 environmental information must be developed before we come to 

 final judgments concerning whether the existing legal framework 

 needs to be modified. Similarly, we have not made a final judgment 

 as to whether our existing international treaty obligations need to 

 be restructured. 



This concludes my statement, Mr. Chairman. I would be pleased 

 to answer any questions the committee may have, and I can in- 

 clude my printed statement for the record, if you wish. 



[The following was received for the record:] 



Prepared Statement of Sheldon Meyers, Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

 Nuclear Waste Management, U.S. Department of Energy 



Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, I am pleased to appear before you 

 today to take part in the discussions on the possibility of disposal of radioactive 

 wastes beneath the ocean floor. I will describe how this concept fits within the 

 President's National Waste Management Program, and outline in some detail the 

 objectives, status, and plans for assessing the technical and environmental feasibil- 

 ity of the subseabed disposal concept. In the course of my discussion, I will also 

 address the related points raised in Chairman Studds' October 30, 1980, letter to 

 Secretary Duncan. 



INTRODUCTION 



The Department's nuclear waste management program, including the examina- 

 tion of subseabed disposal, is based on the President's Message to the Congress on 

 Radioactive Waste Management which he issued in February of this year. In that 

 message, subseabed disposal is viewed as an alternative option for isolating radioac- 

 tive waste. Mined geologic repositories are the focal point of the comprehensive 

 National radioactive waste management program, but the Department will continue 

 to support a limited program to evaluate other disposal alternatives as longer range 

 options. Options currently under assessment include disposal of high-level wastes in 

 very deep boreholes, disposal in space, and emplacement in ocean sediments in 

 regions where the ocean floor is known to be geologically stable. With your permis- 

 sion Mr. Chairman, I would like to submit a copy of the President's cited message 

 for the record. 



The doe's subseabed disposal activities are also consistent with the programs 

 described in hearings before Congressional authorization and appropriation commit- 

 tees and contained in the fiscal year 1981 Appropriations Act (Public Law No. 96- 



