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depleted gas fields have served economically and satisfactorily as storage facilities to help meet the wintertime loads and other peak gas consumption periods. However, the amount of gas reserves that will be found and developed with present technology is finite, and new technological concepts must be developed if these reserves are to be extended appreciably. A similar situation exists for depleted gas fields to use as storage reservoirs; all the best ones near the markets have long since been converted to storage purposes. The idea of developing nuclear gas storage cavities underground not only offers a means of making available another type of storage reservoir to fill the dwindling sup ply, but in addition offers the potential of making a new economical form of storage available in areas where there has never been available natural depleted reservoirs to use as storage. These areas of the country have generally suffered, because without economical storage natural gas is at a competitive price disadvantage to markets far removed from gas producing regions.

We support enthusiastically the proposed legislation H.R. 18448 and feel that the public interest will be served by the added impetus of commercial development of this tremendous source of energy to increase the availability of nature's energy and release the wealth of minerals locked in the earth.

Very truly yours,

S. ORLOFSKY.

AUSTRAL OIL CO., INC., Houston, Tex., August 2, 1968.

Re H.R. 18448 and S. 3783 "Plowshare."

Hon. JOHN O. PASTORE,

Chairman, Joint Committee on Atomic Energy,

U.S. Capitol Building,

Washington, D.C.

SIR: I would like to express our sincere thanks to you and your associates for the preparation and presentation of the recent legislation H.R. 18448 and S. 3783 concerning commercialization of the Plowshare Program.

As you well know, our company as well as many others have expressed great interest in the Plowshare Program, particularly for the development of natural resources. It is very gratifying to know that steps are being taken which will allow this commercialization and the birth of a new industry.

As Chairman of the Legislative Subcommittee of the Atomic Industrial ForumPlowshare Group, I have had occasion to discuss this legislation with several of the members, both from industry and State governments, and without exception there is great enthusiasm concerning this first step in legislation. Sincerely yours,

Hon. CHET HOLIFIELD,

G. W. FRANK, Senior Vice President.

CONTINENTAL OIL CO.

New York, N.Y., August 2, 1968.

Vice Chairman, Joint Committee on Atomic Energy,
The Capitol,

Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. HOLIFIELD: As Vice President and General Manager of Research and Engineering of Continental Oil Company and also as Chairman of the Plowshare Committee of the Atomic Industrial Forum, it is my desire to indicate strong support of H.R. 18448 and S. 3783. It is my understanding that these bills will enable the Atomic Energy Commission to enter into contracts to provide services for the detonation of nuclear explosive devices for peaceful purposes both in the United States and abroad.

The Plowshare program has long been pointed toward making the tremendous benefits of the peaceful applications of nuclear explosive devices available to all humanity. I am, therefore, happy and pleased to endorse these bills. Enactment of this proposed legislation would make a significant advance toward a useful Plowshare industry.

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DEAR SENATOR PASTORE: We wish to express our enthusiastic support for H.R. 18448, a bill to amend the Atomic Energy Act to permit the Atomic Energy Commission to supply nuclear explosives for commercial applications, introduced by Congressman Hosmer on July 10, 1968.

It is our opinion that peaceful uses of nuclear explosives must be pressed because of their advantages to the American people. For this to be done without the transfer of nuclear explosives to industry would be an affront to our system of free enterprise and would require unnecessary expansion of the Atomic Energy Commission in terms of both personnel and facilities. There exists a segment of the industrial community which is fully competent to assume the burden of this transfer of responsibilities.

The peaceful use of nuclear explosives is linked with industries which are of direct concern to the American public. Great resource reservoirs will be made available by these nuclear applications. That this will be to the advantage of the general populace is clear from consideration of the shale oil and natural gas applications. Development of the shale oil potential of the United States by providing a large domestic petroleum source would supply a major correction to our deficit balance of international payments. The natural gas beds, which lend themselves to nuclear stimulation, would provide needed gas sources in regions where the existing sources are dwindling. Commercial peaceful use of nuclear explosives appears technically feasible and, with such advantages as those mentioned, seems to be a desirable economic inevitability.

As nuclear devices are made available to commercial interests, important problems of security, safety and nuclear engineering must be met. It is conceivable that these problems could be handled either by the government (AEC) or by private industry. The projected use rate, however, is so great (40,000 devices in 30 years) that complete government control is impractical. It appears way beyond the manpower capabilities of the existing AEC to mount such an effort and, furthermore, it would be an undesirable encroachment of a government agency into private enterprise. Thus, if extensive commercial use is to be made of peaceful nuclear explosives, large portions of the security-safety-nuclear engineering responsibility must be turned over to private industry.

For reasons of national security it is desirable for the AEC to retain the device fabrication function and to monitor closely the use of peaceful nuclear explosives. Beyond these tasks it is desirable and possible for industry to handle the nuclear task itself. The continuing defense effort has spawned a large, security-conscious nuclear industry, which our company represents, which can shoulder the burdens of nuclear engineering and the operational aspects of safety and security.

With the help of the able and enlightened leadership of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, the Atomic Energy Commission and the industry have made rapid progress in the development of peaceful applications of nuclear energy. This amendment to the Act represents another step in continued development and it is an important one in the development of a valuable commercial industry

in this field. Again, we would like to express our enthusiastic support for this bill, and we appreciate this opportunity to give you our views on this important matter.

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DEAR SIR: Holmes & Narver has for many years been participating in the Plowshare Program, both as a Government contractor and as advisor to private companies and technical societies.

It is our opinion that the subject legislation will encourage and hasten the use of nuclear devices for peaceful uses. This opinion is predicated on the concern some potential users have with the Government participation now required by the law but which would be eliminated by the bills under consideration. We endorse passage of H.R. 18448 and S. 3738.

Very truly yours,

DAVID L. NARVER, Jr.

APPENDIX 5-STATEMENTS BY PRESIDENT JOHNSON ON THE
NONPROLIFERATION TREATY AND PLOWSHARE

ADDRESS TO THE UNITED NATIONS-JUNE 12, 1968

"Fourth, we shall continue our research and development into the use of nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes and we shall make available to the nonnuclear treaty partners without delay and under the treaty's provisions the benefits of such explosions."

REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT UPON SIGNING OF THE NON-PROLIFERATION TREATYJULY 1, 1968

"We shall make readily available to the non-nuclear treaty partners the benefits of nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes. And we shall do so without delay and under the Treaty's provisions."

APPENDIX 6

THE BRONCO OIL SHALE STUDY

A study of the feasibility of fracturing oil shale with nuclear explosions, the extraction of oil by in situ retorting, and the design of an experiment to test this concept. Prepared by the United States Atomic Energy Commission, the United States Department of the Interior, CER Geonuclear Corporation, and the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory.

October 13, 1967

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