TO AMEND SECTIONS 3 AND 4 OF THE ACT APPROVED COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Washington, Chairman JOHN O. PASTORE, Rhode Island A. S. MIKE MONRONEY, Oklahoma E. L. BARTLETT, Alaska VANCE HARTKE, Indiana ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina NORRIS COTTON, New Hampshire FREDERICK J. LORDAN, Staff Director UNITED STATES OF AMERTOR CONTENTS Page Hon. Robert B. Anderson, Chairman, Atlantic-Pacific Interoceanic Canal Commission. Accompanied by: Commissioner Kenneth E. Fields; John P. Sheffey, Commission's Executive Director; Brig. Gen. Charles C. Noble, Commission's Engineering Agent; William Oakley, Assistant Director of the Division of Peaceful Nuclear Explosives, Atomic Energy Lt. Col. James H. Tormey, Deputy Engineering Agent, Atlantic-Pacific TO AMEND SECTIONS 3 AND 4 OF THE ACT APPROVED SEPTEMBER 22, 1964 (78 STAT. 990), PROVIDING FOR AN INVESTIGATION AND STUDY TO DETERMINE A SITE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SEA-LEVEL CANAL CONNECTING THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 1968 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, The committee was convened at 10:10 a.m., in room 5110, New Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., Hon. E. L. Bartlett presiding. Present: Senators Bartlett and Moss. OPENING STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN Senator BARTLETT. The committee will be in order. I want to welcome to the hearings today Ambassador Robert B. Anderson, Chairman, Atlantic-Pacific Interoceanic Canal Commission; Brig. Gen. Charles C. Noble, the Commission's Engineering Agent; as well as Mr. William Oakley, Assistant Director of the Division of Peaceful Nuclear Explosives, of the Atomic Energy Commission. On February 7, 1968, at the request of the Commission, the Chairman of this Committee, Senator Warren G. Magnuson, introduced S. 2948, to amend sections 3 and 4 of the act creating the Commission and providing for an investigation and study with respect to a sea-level canal between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This bill would amend the enabling law to provide additional time, until December 1, 1970, and authorize sufficient funds up to $24 million for the Commission to complete its work. The committee members were pleased to learn that both Cabriolet and Buggy I, the two nuclear excavation experiments conducted by the Atomic Energy Commission this year, were successful. Buggy Ỉ, I understand, was the first nuclear row-charge detonation we have tried. I am sure that Mr. Oakley during his testimony will advise us further as to the results of these experiments and their contribution to the study program of the Commission. I might say at the outset of this hearing that the Commerce Committee is committed to the principle of unrestricted shipping through Staff counsel assigned to this hearing: Joseph R. Fogarty. |