The aec and the nuclear industry have long been heavily committed to research and development work on a broad front — radiation effects, thermal effects, and ecology —so as to obtain a better understanding of the interaction of nuclear plants with the environment. The aec is cur­rently spending about $70 million annually on environmental research and development.

A few examples can be cited to illustrate the scope of the aec’s re­search in environmental science. Since 1944, millions of dollars have been spent in studying the effects of radionuclides and thermal releases in the Columbia River system. A computer program developed in the study of thermal effects has been applied to other rivers in the country, including the Upper Mississippi. Another example is a study aec is sponsoring on the environmental aspects associated with siting power plants on Lake Michigan. The Argonne National Laboratory will have primary respon­sibility for the planning and conduct of this study. It will be coordinated with appropriate government bodies, educational institutions, and indus­trial organizations in the Lake Michigan area. In this important study, principal attention will be given to observing any differences in the ecology at locations where heated water is currently being released to the lake and to characterizing the ecology at undisturbed locations and at proposed power plant sites.