312 



Mr. Anderson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



I share some of Barbara Mikulski's skepticism. 



If we cannot even document what went on in the past, how 

 sound are our studies of these future prospects? 



But, anyway, Mr. Meyers, you state that no new Ucenses for 

 ocean disposal, low-level waste, have been issued since about 1960. I 

 would like to clarify that point. 



Although no licenses were issued to new companies, licenses 

 have been issued since 1960 to companies already disposing of 

 nuclear waste. And I may add that without the benefit of public 

 hearings, is that not true? 



Mr. Meyers. I am not certain about the public hearings but I do 

 know that the companies that were disposing of waste in 1960 

 continued to do so up until 1970 when it was stopped. 



Mr. Anderson. So there were licenses granted to the old compa- 

 nies up until 1970? 



Mr. Meyers. I am not certain of that. Under their existing li- 

 cense, they were able to continue dumping. Whether the licenses 

 were modified I do not know, but again no new licenses were 

 issued. There was continuing dumping up until 1970 when it did 

 stop. 



Mr. Anderson. Am I to understand that that was without the 

 benefit of public hearings? You stated that you were assembling 

 comprehensive data files on all ocean dumping. 



When will this be complete? 



Mr. Meyers. I am not certain. But it is our intention to make our 

 related files available to EPA. 



Mr. Anderson. I would hope you would make this information 

 available to this committee. 



Mr. Meyers. Yes, sir. 



[The information which is very voluminous is being kept in the 

 subcommittee files.] 



Mr. Anderson. When you state that the disposal of high-level 

 radioactive waste into the ocean has never been practiced by the 

 United States, are you using the nonquantitative definition used in 

 the Ocean Dumping Act? 



Mr. Meyers. The only precise definitions of high level waste are 

 the ones that I mentioned earlier, that is 10 CFR, part 50, appendix 

 F, and the 40 CFR, part 227 definitions. 



Mr. Anderson. How do you define high level? 



Mr. Meyers. I believe — I do not recall the exact language, but it 

 has to do with the first cycle solvent extraction from a nuclear fuel 

 reprocessing plant. It is spelled out in that particular context. 



Mr. Anderson. May I read that, so that you will understand 

 what I was pointing out earlier? I mentioned the AEC, they defined 

 low level as 50 millirems, or less per hour, and high level would be 

 2 rems, or more per hour, an intermediate would be those in 

 between. 



Now, that, you can measure that. When you talked about the 

 highly sensitive equipment that you had to measure these things, 

 you could measure that, but when you try to do it with a definition 

 that I think you are working from, a definition states, "high level 

 radioactive waste means the aqueous waste resulting from the 

 operation of the first cycle solvent extraction system, or equivalent. 



