The Low-Level Waste Ocean Dumping Program (LLWODP) was conceived and
executed in the late 1970's and early 1980's to determine whether the
deep ocean seafloor is a suitable site for long-term storage of low-
level nucear wastes (e.g., stripped nuclear submarines).  The program
was funded by the US Department of Energy through Sandia Laboratories.
Selection of the seafloor as a candidate site for this purpose was
predicated partly on the mistaken notion that the seafloor is a quiescent
place, tectonically inactive and without significant currents.

Two study sites were selected, one off the west coast of the US and one
off the east coast - both within or near the 200-mile limit.  The western
site was the abyssal plain SE of Cape Mendocino and south of the Mendocino
Fracture Zone.  Seafloor depths in this region are between 4200 and 4400
meters.  The eastern site was east of Cape Hatteras in an area where the
water is 4000 to 5500 meters deep.

The OSU Buoy Group, headed by Dale Pillsbury, was selected to determine
currents in both regions.  In all, 11 moorings were placed at the western
site, 10 of which were recovered.  These moorings produced 42 useful
current records at depths throughout the water column.  Thirteen moorings,
9 of which were recovered, were deployed at the eastern location, producing
29 current records.  Most of the records are about a year in length.

The current meter records show that vigorous current activity is present
at all depths, at both sites.  From this result and from studies of water
turbidity, seafloor composition, seismic activity, etc. it was concluded
that neither site is an acceptable location for the disposal of
radioactive materials.