APPENDIX I 



MEMORANDUM TO RICHARD C. VETTER, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, 

 COMMITTEE ON OCEANOGRAPHY 



The Atomic Energy Commission is faced with a problem of 

 ■whether or not to establish sea disposal locations in Atlantic Ocean 

 waters (for low -level radioactive wastes) closer to shore than the 

 present designated areas now^ 100 and more miles out. Would the 

 Committee on Oceanography consider setting up a special working sub- 

 committee to look into this matter to give us the benefit of their 

 deliberations and their recommendations. Time is of the essence, it 

 is most desirable to have definite conclusions as to the feasibility of 

 establishing such disposal areas and if feasible to actually establish 

 these areas by the end of May 1958. 



BACKGROUND 



For several years, a commercial concern has been disposing of a 

 limited amount of low-level radioactive wastes in shallow (50 fathoms) 

 waters approximately 12 to 15 miles from shore. In recent years, 

 this operation' s size has multiplied (the total amount of activity and 

 number of containers disposed are yet a great deal less than the 

 amount disposed by the Atomic Energy Commission) and the indications 

 are that it will become larger still in the future. The Atomic Energy 

 Commission has not strenuously objected to this shallow water disposal 

 in the past because the amounts of racioactivity so disposed were not 

 large (equivalent roughly to what is allowed to be discharged into 

 sewers) and because there w^as no real or valid reason for disallowing 

 it. As the operation becomes larger, how^ever, Atomic Energy Com- 

 mission' s concern increases because of (a) public relations aspects, 

 (b) increasing possibility of contaminating shellfish and filter feeders, 

 and (c) physical obstruction of fishing and trawling areas by the con- 

 tainers holding the wastes. 



Compounding this concern is the strong possibility that this kind of 

 operation naay become larger still. Within the past year. Atomic 

 Energy Commission has received two more applications for licenses 

 from would-be commercial radioactive waste disposers who would like 

 to initiate similar operations. 



On the other hand, sea disposal operations as conducted in cooper- 

 ation with the Navy causes very little concern for the Atonnic Energy 



