541 



14 



reactor plants. EPA organized a team of 30 technical specialists to 

 thoroughly review this EJ.S, including experts in oceanography, 

 radioecology , ocean modelling, statistics, bioeffects, geology, 

 radiochemis try , radiation dosimetry, corrosion analysis, economics, and 

 cost analysis. These experts came from within EPA, and national 

 laboratories through ongoing interagency agreements, or were hired by 

 EPA as expert consultants. EPA gave this EIS a careful review, because 

 It represents the first serious consideration of ocean disposal of 

 radioactive materials submitted to EPA since we were given 

 responsibility to regulate such disposals by the Ocean Dumping Act of 

 1972. EPA initially submitted extensive comments to the Navy 

 Department on June 29, 1983 and additional comments on July 29, 1983. 



Ocean Dumping Act Amendments 



The amendments to the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries 

 Act of 1972, as contained in section 424 of the Highway Improvement Act 

 of 1982 (.PL 97-424), are similar to language proposed earlier in H.R. 

 6113. The Agency's views on that bill were presented by Mr. Steven 

 Schatzow at a hearing on June 16, 1982, before the Subcommittee on 

 Water Resources of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation of 

 tne House of Representatives. Briefly, we believe that the 

 requirements listed for a site-specific radioactive material disposal 

 impact assessment largely duplicate existing requirements contained in 



