ML19340E544
| ML19340E544 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/09/1980 |
| From: | Ahearne J NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Clausen D HOUSE OF REP. |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19340E538 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8101140871 | |
| Download: ML19340E544 (2) | |
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jo UNITED STATES
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WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
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CHAIRMAN December 9,1980 The Honorable Don H. Clausen United States House of Representatives Washington, D. C.
20515
Dear Mr. Clausen:
In his testimony before the Subcomittee on Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources on October 7, 1980, Mr. Richard E. Cunningham stated that we would inform you of any additional licenses which permitted introduction of radioactive material in the sea.
These additional uses are summarized in the enclosure to this letter.
We have completed our review of files of firms which were licensed to dispose of radioactive waste at sea.
Our review reveals no acditional information concerning sea disposal.
We hope this information will be useful to you.
Sincerely,
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i John F. Ahearne
Enclosure:
Additional Uses of Radioactive Material in the Ocean cc: Mr. Douglas M. Costle, EPA, w/ enc 1.
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USE OF RADI0 ACTIVE MATERIAL UNDER NRC LICENSE IN THE OCEAN 1.
Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, is authorized to conduct sediment transport studies in the Thimble Shoal Channel, Chesapeake Bay, utilizing curie quantities of ruthenium-103.
The half-life of ruthenium-103 is about 39 days so that through the combination of dispersal and time, the concentration of the radio-active material would be very low in a relatively short time.
Similar studies were conducted utilizing gold 198/199 which has a half-life of about 3 days.
2.
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, is authorized to conduct studies utilizing microcurie quantities of carbon-14 for determination of the photosynthetic rate of marine phytoplankton in the ocean.
The carbon-14 used for the experiments was released in the ocean at the concentration permitted for water in unrestricted areas in the NRC's " Standards for Protection Against Radiation."
3.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts is authorized to use millicurie quantities of carbon-14 for various oceanographic studies in Atlantic Ocean waters.
Although efforts are made to recover the radioactive material, very small quantities may be released into the ocean during the experiments.
In addition to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses, the following information has been reported by the Agreement States. An Agreement State is one which has assumed regulatory authority from the NRC over by-product, source, and less than fissionable quantities of special nuclear material.
1.
Florida reports that it authorized Texas A&M University to introduce 75 mfilicuries of calcium-45 into coral in the ocean off the Florida Keys.
2.
Rhode Island reports that it has authorized the University of Rhode Island to discharge millicurie quantities of tritium into Naragansett Bay.
In 1980, about 4 millicuries were discharged. The radioactive discharge is also authorized by an Environmental Protection Agency Permit.
In addition, millicurie quantities of carbon-14 have been released into the ocean from the University of Rhode Island's research vessels.
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