Ocean dumping of radioactive waste (c. 1946 - 1994)

The use of ocean depths for the dumping of radioactive wastes was a common disposal method from the mid 1940s until the enforcement of its ban in 1994. The study of ocean dumping was an expressed goal of the International Geophysical Year, 1957/1958.

Many countries were involved in ocean dumping of radioactive wastes including: China, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, the United States of America and nearly all the nations of Europe.

Events

1946	The United States of America commences the dumping of 55-gallon drums of radioactive waste near the Fallarone Islands about 50 kilometres off the California coast near San Francisco.
1946 - 1990s	The United States of America dumps hundreds of thousands of drums of radioactive waste in about 50 ocean sites.
1957 - 1958	The Internatinal Geophysical Year, 1957/8 stated as the main expressed goal for oceanographers was to study 'the use of ocean depths for the dumping of radioactive wastes.
1972	Adoption of the 'Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter' at a conference in London. The IAEA was named as the competent body to define high level (radioactive) wastes that should not be dumped at sea.
1975	The IAEA Board of Governors approved the defintion of such wastes proposed by the Secretariat.
1978	The IAEA Board of Governors approved a revision of the defintion of such wastes proposed by the Secretariat.
1983	The parties of the convention agreed to a moratorium on all forms of sea dumping of radioactive wastes.
1986	The IAEA Board of Governors approved a further revision of the defintion of such wastes proposed by the Secretariat.
1993	The dumping of radioactive wastes at sea was formally prohibited.
1994	The ban preventing the dumping of radioactive waste at sea entered into force.