operation but might result in the premature rupture of a disposal con- 
tainer with possible exposure of personnel to measurable radiation. 
The location of submarine cables along the east coast of the 
United States is shown in figures 5 and 6. Proposed disposal sites have 
been chosen in areas not crossed by cables. 
MAXIMUM RATE OF DISPOSAL 
The maximum rate of disposal should be such that permissible 
sea water concentrations are not continuously exceeded. Several 
problems arise when this criterion is applied to practical disposal oper- 
ations. Firstly, disposal is a discontinuous process and even though 
activity will probably leach slowly from disposal containers for quite 
some time following rupture of the canister, it is highly unlikely that 
the rate of supply of activity to the water will be constant. How then 
should we average such a process? Secondly, the flux of contaminant 
from a disposal container will decrease as the amount of contaminant 
in the container decreases, producing an effect similar to that noted 
above. Thirdly, only a small fraction of the total volume of coastal 
waters will actually pass directly over a disposal area, although a 
much larger fraction of the total volume will be available for dilution. 
Most of these problems involve the averaging of concentrations that 
will be above and below permissible sea water concentrations for un- 
known lengths of time. 
We have solved this problem by using the boundaries of the dis- 
posal area as the spatial limit beyond which the concentration of con- 
taminant should never exceed the permissible sea water concentration. 
Using the relationship shown in equation 1, (p. 20) and assuming that a 
disposal canister will not contain more than 2 curies (approximately 
the limit set by ICC regulations), we find that for a disposal area 2 
miles in diameter (the size of several suggested disposal areas), a dis- 
posal rate of between 200 and 300 curies of strontium 90 per year will 
keep the concentration below the permissible sea water concentration 
at the disposal area boundary. We have chosen 250 curies of strontium 
90 or its equivalent. 
PRE-USE SURVEY AND MONITORING 
A precise evaluation of the quantity of radioactive substances 
that will be returned to man as the result of a stated rate of disposal 
into any one of the selected areas cannot be given. The recommended 
maximum rate of disposal (250 curies of Sr 90, or its equivalent) will, 
even under the most unfavorable combination of circumstances, result 
in concentrations of contaminant outside the disposal areas below per- 
missible levels. 
In order to obtain essential information not now available that will 
permit full utilization of the disposal areas without limiting other uses 
of coastal waters, the committee recommends, (1) a survey of any area 
prior to disposal operations, and (2) the monitoring of an area subsequent 
to the beginning of disposal operations. 
30 
