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sive program of ocean pollution research. Finally, NOAA has special responsibilities 

 for protecting living marine resources and their habitat under the Fishery Conser- 

 vation and Management Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered 

 Species Act, Title II of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, and 

 the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. However, other agencies, in particular the 

 Environmental Protection Agency, are the principal regulatory agencies in this 

 field. NOAA's role is principally science and service support and advisory, although 

 we have limited regulatory authority to protect living marine resources. 



In the international area, NOAA has, with EPA, been active in supporting the 

 scientific and diplomatic efforts of the U.S. to the London Dumping Convention, 

 which came into force in 1975. Much of the work under this Convention is focused 

 on standards for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste in the oceans, the 

 monitoring of dump sites, and the enforcement of applicable national laws. The 

 disposal of high-level radioactive waste at sea is prohibited by the Convention and 

 an amendment might be required before the emplacement of such wastes in the 

 deep seabed could be carried out. 



NOAA's current involvement in research assessing seabed disposal of high-level 

 radioactive waste is in those areas where NOAA has traditionally had substantial 

 expertise and responsibilities — areas such as ocean surveying, charting, sediment 

 engineering, pollution assessment, fisheries, and data management. I will describe 

 our projects in more detail in a moment. NOAA's overall policy, however, has been 

 to concentrate research in our established areas of expertise within the limits of 

 available resources and to coordinate closely with the Department of Energy (DOE) 

 so that the two agencies' programs complement rather than duplicate each other. 



2. NOAA-DOE coordination 



Other witnesses have described DOE's lead responsibility for radioactive waste 

 management under the Energy Reorganization Act of 1978. NOAA has a close 

 working relationship with DOE and its contractor, Sandia Laboratories. We are 

 currently discussing with DOE how NOAA can assist in investigating the subseabed 

 disposal option of radioactive wastes. Six areas have been tentatively identified 

 where NOAA may be of help. The areas include: 



Site studies. — NOAA has recently acquired the capability of mapping in detail 

 large areas of the seafloor using a SEABEAM swath mapping system. This may be 

 useful in mapping and geophysical investigations at several potential DOE site 

 study areas. 



Historical data. — NOAA has best quantities of data which, if compiled in appro- 

 priate format, could be of substantial importance. For example, charts of primary 

 productivity, fishing density, water temperature and salinity, and currents are 

 needed for the site selection and risk analysis pertaining to ocean areas under 

 consideration for disposal sites. 



Site data link. — At field study sites where long-term observations will be needed, 

 NOAA could provide the satellite communication link needed to relay field data to 

 a processing facility in the continental United States. 



Deep ocean engineering and technology. — As the DOE Program moves into the 

 engineering feasibility demonstration phase, NOAA could provide data and input on 

 ocean engineering methods and techniques. 



Site monitoring. — NOAA, by virtue of its experience in ocean pollution programs, 

 could assist DOE in developing strategies and techniques applicable to monitoring 

 oceanographic parameters at subseabed disposal sites. 



Peer review. — NOAA has been requested by DOE to provide peer review of DOE 

 research programs and field experiments. 



We hope to sign an interagency agreement with DOE in the near future which 

 will outline specific joint activities. 



3. NOAA Research Activities 



NOAA's current research activities reflect this coordination with DOE. NOAA 

 research projects underway or well into the planning phase include the following: 



MONITORING TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING FOR OCEAN DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE 



WASTES 



This project will identify existing technology and engineering capabilities and 

 requirements for deep-sea radioactive waste disposal site monitoring, and will for- 

 mulate objectives and technical approaches that can be used for technology develop- 

 ment and planning purposes. It began in August 1979 through a two-year grant 

 from NOAA to the Rand Corporation, and the Marine Physical Laboratory of the 

 Scripps Institution of Oceanography. NOAA has worked with DOE to assure that 

 the project will not duplicate DOE research. 



