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The Honorable Norman D' Amours 



December 19, 1983 



Page 4 



and conducted in 1981 and 1982. Nonetheless, the problems of 

 having committee meetings too late in the decisionmaking process, 

 without adequate candor regarding governmental agencys' views and 

 differences, require further attention. 



Question #3: In your opinion, are the international 

 ramifications of ocean radioactive waste disposal being addressed 

 by organizations that represent the global spectrum of 

 perspectives or are the involved organizations predominantly 

 those countries that would benefit from radioactive waste 

 disposal at sea? 



Answer: The principal mechanism for international consideration 

 of ocean dumping issues is the London Dumping Convention (LDC) . 

 Fifty-three governments have ratified or acceded to the LDC. At 

 the meeting that are held under the LDC, twenty-to-thirty of 

 those governments participate, along with several international 

 agency observers and non-governmental observers. In recent 

 years, the views expressed at LDC meetings have become more- 

 representative of the global spectrum of concerns, but there 

 still needs to be greater involvement by other coastal and land- 

 locked nations. The Law of the Sea Convention, when it comes 

 into force, should assist in broadening the spectrum of views 

 since that Convention provides for a de facto application of the 

 LDC to all countries which ratify or accede to the Law of the Sea 

 Convention. 



Question #4: Could you please elaborate on the London Dumping 

 Convention efforts to redefine disposable and non-disposable 

 radioactive wastes or the "de minimus" definition? 



Answer: In my written testimony, I discussed the IAEA's review 

 of the high-level radioactive waste definition, as well as its 

 review of a definition of de^ minimus levels of radioactivity. 

 The IAEA has sponsored several meetings in recent years at which 

 these and other issues have been addressed in the context of 

 IAEA's technical and advisory relationship with the contracting 

 parties to the LDC. The most recent such meeting was held at the 

 IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria beginning November 28, 1983, 

 at which time invited experts from various governments addressed 

 those definitional and other related issues. It is my 

 understanding that an IAEA representative will present a status 

 report of its ongoing review of these issues to the Eighth LDC 

 Consultative Meeting in February, 1984. It also is my 

 understanding that a further technical IAEA meeting is being 

 planned for the fall of 1984 to address these issues, and 

 recommended changes to the existing definitions could be 

 presented to the Ninth LDC Consultative Meeting in February, 1985 

 for approval or other action by the contracting parties. 



