20. 



V. BASIS FOR EVALUATING THE POTENTIAL HAZARD 



The request from the Atomic Energy Commission to the National 

 Academy of Sciences asks for recommendations concerning the dis- 

 posal of radioactive materials that are specified as to kind and vdthin 

 limits as to quantity and rates of production. The environment into 

 which the activity may be introduced was specified as the coastal 

 waters, meaning the area from the shore line seaward for some fif- 

 teen to twenty -five miles along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the 

 United States. 



The approach that has been taken by the committee is that of 

 attempting to solve several rather general problems that appeared to 

 be essential parts of the specific request, but at first with little 

 regard for actual quantities, specific locations etc. It was felt that the 

 solution to the general problem would provide the solution for the 

 specific one, would provide a basis for evaluating other similar prob- 

 lems, and would form a firm basis for evaluation of the conclusions of 

 this committee with respect to the specific request from the Atomic 

 Energy Commission. 



Our approach to the problems is rather simple, at least so far as 

 outlining the parts and stating what our original demands for the solu- 

 tions were to be. First, we noted that the potential hazards of radio- 

 activity to man can be eliminated, or at least reduced, by one of two 



