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has -been ratified by the United States and fifty-two other 

 countries. Consistent with our domestic law, the Convention 

 prohibits dumping of high-level radioactive wastes. Low-level 

 radioactive waste disposal is allowed only after certain 

 requirements have been met, including criteria for dumping that 

 have been established by the International Atomic Energy Agency 

 (IAEA) and special permit approval by the Organizations for 

 Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) Nuclear Energy 

 Agency (NEA) . 



A. Dumping Moratorium/Scientific Review 

 As you know, Mr. Chairman, at the February 1983 Seventh Con- 

 sultative Meeting of the Parties to the London Dump-ing 

 Convention, a moratorium resolution (LDC Resolution 14(7)) 

 coupled with a scientific review mechanism was adopted by a vote 

 of 19 nations in favor, with 6 opposed (including the U.S.) and 5 

 abstentions. That resolution called for an immediate two-year 

 suspension of ocean dumping of low-level radioactive wastes, 

 during which time a review of the scientific risks will be 

 carried out by the Parties to the Convention. 



While the moratorium resolution adopted at the Seventh 

 Consultative Meeting is no^ legally binding on any nation, 

 several delegations indicated at that meeting that it should be 

 considered morally binding. Despite that request, three of the 

 four nations which have be^n dumping radioactive wastes in recent 

 years (the U.K., Switzerland and the Netherlands) announced 

 immediately following the adoption of the resolution that they 

 intended to proceed with dumping operations during the summer of 



