T2 
Py RNS 
THERE IS A POPULAR BELIEF THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS AN OFFICIAL 
BAN OR MORATORIUM ON OCEAN DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES- WHEN PEOPLE 
HEAR THAT WE ARE THINKING OF INCORPORATING THE IAEA CRITERIA INTO EPA’s 
REGULATIONS, THEY CONCLUDE THAT EPA HAS DECIDED TO ONCE AGAIN ALLOW 
OCEAN DUMPING- ACTUALLY, NO BAN EXISTS, EXCEPT FOR THE PROHIBITION 
AGAINST OCEAN DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES: SINCE WE HAVE 
RECEIVED NO PERMIT APPLICATIONS, WE HAVE NOT HAD TO MAKE A DECISION FOR 
OR AGAINST SUCH DISPOSAL. IF WE RECEIVED A PERMIT APPLICATION, WE 
WOULD EVALUATE IT ACCORDING TO REQUIREMENTS OF THE OcEAN Dumpine Act, 
THE LONDON DumernG ConvENTION AND EPA’s Ocean DumpinG REGULATIONS: 
Status oF PERMIT REQUESTS 
EPA HAS BEEN NOTIFIED BY BOTH THE DEPARTMENT OF THE Navy AND THE 
DEPARTMENT OF EnerGy (DOE) THAT THEY ARE EVALUATING OCEAN DISPOSAL AS 
AN OPTION FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES- THE Navy IS 
EVALUATING ALTERNATIVES FOR DISPOSAL OF DECOMMISSIONED, DEFUELED NAVAL 
SUBMARINE REACTOR PLANTS: DOE Is CONSIDERING THE OPTION OF OCEAN 
DISPOSAL OF SOILS VERY SLIGHTLY CONTAMINATED WITH NATURALLY OCCURRING 
RADIONUCLIDES AS A RESULT OF ORE PROCESSING OPERATIONS UNDER THE 
MANHATTAN PRovecT- EPA HAS ALSO RECEIVED SEVERAL INQUIRIES ABOUT OCEAN 
DISPOSAL OF LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM PRIVATE INDUSTRY, AND 
FROM REPRESENTATIVES OF STATE COMPACTS WHICH ARE EVALUATING WASTE 
DISPOSAL OPTIONS ACCORDING TO THE Low~LeveL RADIOACTIVE WASTE Povtcy 
Act oF 1980. THIS CONCLUDES MY DISCUSSION ON OCEAN DISPOSAL OF 
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES- 
