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Radioactive Waste Disposal Into Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Waters; a Report From a Working Group of the Committee on Oceanography of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council (1959) / Chapter Skim
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Present Sea Disposal Practices
Pages 4-7

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From page 4...
... PRESENT SEA DISPOSAL PRACTICES With the increasing quantities of radioactive materials that have been used in peacetime applications by both AEC and non-AEC institutions there has been a corresponding increase in the quantities of low level wastes that have no further usefulness, but because they do represent a potential health hazard cannot be disposed of by conventional methods (municipal incinerators, sanitary dumps, etc.)
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From page 5...
... •or | FIGURE I LOCATIONS AND APPROXIMATE QUANTITIES OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES DEPOSITED ON THE SEA BOTTOM DURING THE PERIOD 1951 TO 1956 UNLETTERED AREAS HAVE RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY ZS CURIES <7\\ i
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From page 6...
... Some liquids containing radioactivity in the concentration range of microcuries per liter have been incorporated in cement mixtures or with chemical gelling materials prior to packaging and dumping. Because the wastes and their contaminating radioisotopes are heterogeneous in character, it is difficult to determine accurately the total quantities of radioactivity involved." Most of these wastes have been packaged in fifty-five gallon drums with added concrete to insure proper bulk density.
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From page 7...
... Several industrial concerns and research laboratories licensed by AEC to use radioactive materials have either conducted their own waste disposal operations or have contracted with licensed marine disposal companies to have the wastes carried to sea. The areas in which low level radioactive wastes have been dumped at sea by these operations are the unlettered areas in figure 1.
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Key Terms

  • radioactive wastes
  • level wastes
  • radioactive materials
  • level radioactive
  • marine disposal

  • disposal concerns
  • wastes generated
  • coastal waters
  • sea disposal
  • designated disposal

  • aec wastes
  • disposal operations
  • shallow coastal
  • radioactive substances
  • term low

  • packaged low
  • atlantic disposal
  • disposal container
  • recently aec
  • civilian marine

  • wastes deposited
  • heterogeneous wastes
  • wastes carried
  • atlantic coastal
  • aec received

  • disposal companies
  • disposal practices
  • scheduled disposal
  • fifteen miles
  • aec permission


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