350 



Dr. Mattson. Today we have no program underway for high- 

 level radioactive waste disposal in the ocean. We are aware that 

 the Department of Energy (DOE) over the past few years has 

 developed a program to evaluate the technical and scientific feasi- 

 bility of the seabed emplacement of high-level radioactive waste. 

 We receive published information from the DOE program and par- 

 ticipate in informal information exchanges from time to time. The 

 scientific research performed under the DOE program is of high 

 caliber and provides some useful information for our own studies, 

 and our cognizance of the program helps to avoid duplication of 

 efforts. 



SURVEYS OF OLD U.S. DUMPSITES 



Turning now to our surveys of the old U.S. dumpsites, with the 

 passage of the Ocean Dumping Act, the EPA launched a technical 

 program to understand the effects of past radioactive waste dump- 

 ing practices. The program was designed to reflect what we see as 

 both active and passive roles for EPA under the act. That is, we 

 must develop the regulatory framework for evaluating permits for 

 ocean disposal of radioactive waste, we must evaluate ocean dispos- 

 al relative to other methods of disposal such as shallow land burial, 

 and we must impartially evaluate individual permit requests based 

 on the best available scientific information. With all of these roles 

 in mind we began a series of dumpsite survey operations in 1974. 



The results of our site-specific dumpsite survey program have 

 been described in other congressional hearings, including one held 

 by this subcommittee in May 1978. At that time we provided de- 

 tails of our surveys through 1977. And Mr. Dyer will provide you 

 with technical details of our most recent survey in July of 1978 

 which was conducted shortly after your previous hearing on nucle- 

 ar waste disposal. 



These surveys and the contractor and agency reports which re- 

 sulted from them are the beginnings of the technical data base for 

 our development of a regulatory program for any future dumping 

 of low-level wastes. This information will, in part, provide the basis 

 for improving the criteria used to pick dumpsites, the criteria for 

 packaging systems for isolation of the radioactive materials, and 

 the criteria for dumpsite monitoring. 



MONITORING OF U.S. DUMPSITES 



As you are aware, there has been recent controversy about the 

 need for additional monitoring to assure public safety from expo- 

 sure to radiation from the abandoned waste dumpsites. 



Last month, October 1980, we had the opportunity to appear 

 before a subcommittee of the Committee on Government Oper- 

 ations to talk specifically about the Farallon Islands and public 

 health. Three issues arose in those hearings, as follows: 



One, the problem of obtaining and assessing the records of past 

 disposal operations; 



Two, the public health impact, if any, indicated by EPA surveys; 

 and 



Three, the need for future monitoring of existing dumpsites. 



