544 



17 

 and food resources, we favor an approach to waste management that would 

 allow consiaeracion of all reasonable disposal options consistent with 

 our international obligations and a careful evaluation of the 

 environmental effects of these options. Such an integrated waste 

 management approach would allow waste disposal decisions that optimize 

 protection for all parts of the environment. 



Revision of EPA Regulations 



EPA first issued draft regulations governing sea disposal of 

 low-level radioactive wastes in 1973. These regulations expressed our 

 policy that radioactive materials should be contained to prevent their 

 direct dispersion or dilution in ocean waters. Furthermore, under 

 these regulations these materials must radiodecay to environmentally 

 innocuous levels within the life expectancy of the containers or their 

 inert matrix. These requirements were included in EPA's Final Ocean 

 Dumping Regulations (40 CFR Part 220-222) published in 1977. 



In 1975, the United States also became obligated to additional 

 requirements for ocean disposal of radioactive materials as a 

 Contracting Party to the Interntional Convention on the Prevention of 

 Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, also known as 

 the London Dumping Convention (LDC) . Annex I of the LDC prohibits from 

 ocean dumping: 



"Hi^-Level radioactive wastes or other high-level radioactive 



