TO: Doug Brown FROM: Cicconi RE: Storage of Low-Level DATE: December 1, 1979 0*- MEMORANDUM =NIP UIP ucTear Waste in Texas 6.4 -CLA / Fo)/0,0 ap wea, AmoV. Philig Johnsonlhpresident of the state Radiation Advisory Board, called this 'morning. He conveyed the following: 1. The Texas Radiation Control Program has been regularly ins_pectina the three facilities in the state where low-level waste is stored. The Todd Shipyards facility has been inspected every two weeks. Johnson says all are in compliance. 2. The members of the Radiation Advisory Board (including Johnson) will accompany the inspectors to Todd for a special inspection on Monday afternoon, December 3. They will report the preliminary results of their inspection to the Governor on Tuesday. VI. The Radiation Advisory Board will hold its regular meeting on Saturday, Decem- ber 8 in Dallas, at the Hilton Hotel. They will meet with representatives ot the A7n—TTETTiries that store low-level waste at that time, discuss the problem with them, and possibly forward recommendations to the Governor. 4. Of the three outfits storing low-level waste in Texas, two-- Maloney and Gal- lef7her-- are located in Pearland. The third and largest is Todd. 3. 1,aloney and Gallegher are "small outfits" and get approximately 90% of their waste from within Texas. The rest comes from contiguous states such as Oklahoma and Louisiana. Todd, however, gets "roughly 80% of its waste from out-of-state." Johnson says the majority of that comes from the Eastern sta s. He says he thinks Californis is "only a small pa o gets this waste directly, but also gets it from the smaller facilities in Pearland. Dr. Johnson promises exact, verified figures on all these points by Tuesday. 6. On the question of whether we can stop the storage of out-of-state waste in Texas, Johnson says he knows of no le al recourse to o so. Health Department legal staff is supposedl3'Thtrecking this thbroughly. Johnson feels the arguments against the temporary storage of the drums on Pelican Island are strou: near a heavily industrialized, populated area and slLbject to tidal/storm conditians. He feels Todd would be open to arguments that the waste be stored elsewhere; he also feels they might be open to arguments that acceptance of out-of-state waste be halted, and that we should not attempt to strong-arm them Johnson also says that, to his knowledge, the law is not clear on what authority the state has over such matters. 7. Dr. Philip Johnson is a Houston physician. His phone numbers are: (o) 713-520-1070 (h) 713-468-6640 Mr. David Lacker of the Health Department heads the Texas Radiation Control Program cwhich Johnson calls 'one of the fiiièst in the nation." His phone is 458-7341.
