467 



public must be kept fully informed as to matters that affect 

 the viability of continued reliance on that technology, not 

 the least of which is the effort to arrive at long-term solu- 

 tions to the waste disposal problem. 



The recent citizen outcry over possible health and 

 environmental hazards resulting from previous U.S. dumping 

 operations off the California coast also illustrates the need for 

 informing and involving the public on these issues. Hearings 

 held last month in San Francisco by the Subcommittee on Environ- 

 ment, Energy and Natural Resources of the House Government 

 Operations Committee pointedly demonstrate how the government's 

 failure to attend to the public had contributed significantly to 

 the growing sense of alarm. In addition, these hearings proved 

 that the suggestions and activities of the public were vital in 

 uncovering the full picture of past dumping and its effects. 



GENERIC CONSIDERATIONS 



According to EPA estimates, from 1946 until 1970 the U.S. 

 dropped approximately 95 , 000 curies of low-level radiological 

 wastes into ocean areas off our Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf coasts. 

 Several European countries are currently engaged in a systematic 

 program of dumping low-level radioactive materials into the 

 Northeast Atlantic. In addition, Japan has announced its 

 plans to begin placing radioactive wastes in ocean areas near 

 the Pacific Islands, with 5,000-10,000 barrels of low-level 

 materials scheduled for dumping in 19 81. 



According to Department of Energy calculations, the projected 

 quantities of United States' commercial and military radioactive 



