ML19338G464
| ML19338G464 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Dow Chemical Company |
| Issue date: | 09/24/1980 |
| From: | Davis A NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | Rampy L DOW CHEMICAL CO. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19338G465 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8010290395 | |
| Download: ML19338G464 (2) | |
See also: IR 05000264/1980002
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9
ENVIRONMENT. ENERGY, AND NATURAL RESOURCES
SUBCOMMITTEE
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
MAYSURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING. ROOM M.1.B.4
WASHINGTON. D.C.
20515
August 28, 1980
Chairman John Ahearne
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Nuclear Regulatory Commission
1717 H Street, N . h' .
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D.
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20555
Dear Chairman Ahearne:
Public attention has recently been refocused on a serious
problem with which this Subcommittee has been concerned for a
number of years.
the history and consequences of the now-
abandoned Federal policy of dumping low-level radioactive
waste off the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
As you are no doubt aware, from about 1946 througa the 1960's,
the Federal government openly pursued a policy of dumping certain
radioactive wr.stes at a number of sites off all three coasts.
Reports in the press, public interest group findings and
academic studies released in the past few weeks have all re-
surrected in the public mind, particularly in California, the
regrettable fact that this program occurred.
The understandable
result has been a high level of public alarm over the possible
implications for human health.
Concern over the potential health problem which may be posed
by this past dumping has been exacerbated by the public perception
that no rne has a clear, comprehensive and up-to-date picture of
how much dumping was done and what the health consequences might
be.
As concerned Members of Congress, we are writing to you to
request your assistance in assembling the necessary information
to tell the public precisely what Federal agencies now know
about what radioactive dumping occurred, what monitoring and
study of that dumping has been done and what we know about the
potential health and environmental impact.
8 010290 M 5
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' Chairman' John Ahearne
. August 28, 1980
Page~Two
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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is a successor
agency to the old Atomic Energy Commission under whose aegis.
this dumping was done.
Therefore we need to know just what
records and-information NRC has pertaining to those questions.
2
On behalf of the Subcommittee on Environment, Energy,
1
and Natural Resources and the-Members who have signed this
letter, I ask your assistance toward that end.
Specifically,
'
the Subcommittee, acting in its capacity as an oversight
Subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Nuclear Regulatory
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Commission, should be provided with the following information:
4
1
1)
a comprehensive list of all ocean sites known to
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th_e NRC to have been utilized by any Federal entity as a
dumpsite for radioactive waste;
2)
a description of what NRC now knows about what
materials werc dumped at each of those sites, the radioactivity
4
of the dumped materials and the dates when those dumps were
made;
3)
any and all data and analyses in NRC possession
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indicating or discussing the health and environmental conse-
i
quences of this past dunping activity.
In addition, we understand that certain preliminary
proposals for renewed dumping of radioactive wastes, possibly
including high-level wastes, are under Executive Branch considera-
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'
tion.
Please include in your submission to the Subcommittee
your understanding of the status of any such efforts and the
current policy position of the NRC on whether and under what
conditions ocean dumping of radioactive materials should.ever
,
be resumed.
s
As you may know, this Subcommittee first began to
i
examine these questions surrounding ocean dumping of radioactive
wastes, particularly near the,Farallon Islands near San
Francisco, in' hearings on September 17, 1976.
In light of
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the renewed public alarm over this matter and the concern of
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the. Members, the Subcommittee must now request the fastest
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possible response-to this inquiry.
The above information
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should be provided by noon, September 15, at the latest.
Earlier delivery would of course facilitate the Subcommittee's
_ work.
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Chairman John Ahearne
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August 28, 1980
Page Three
Should you have any questions regarding this request,
please contact Subcommittee Senior Cou tsel Barry Hager at
225-6427.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
C
I
Tobf Moff tt, Chaif1?lan
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Paul N. McCloskey, Jr., Aanking
Minorify Member
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ohn L. Burton, Member of Congress
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