ord ese | INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT 71 -4re§ oe -"-* uneLAssiE2 Carrerest. Under agreement with the Department of Defense, the AEC had nearly completed the construction of a food irradiation assembly at Savannah River as part of the development work for the HI-FI. The assembly, using spent fuel elements, is to process about 1,500 number 10 cans of food per month beginning July 1. About 4,000 cases, containing a total of 24,000 cans, and 160,000 pounds of various frozen food items were received at Savannah River. Project PLOWSHARE The possible use of nuclear explosives for nonmilitary applications continues under in- vestigation at the University of California Radiation Laboratory at Livermore, Attention is focused on determination of useful and economic applications, and on the technical development of special nuclear explosive devices which would be most suitable for particular uses, A survey to investigate the practicality of using nuclear explosives to excavate an Alaskan harbor was announced on June 9, Probably the first full-scale PLOWSHAREexperiment will be a 10-kiloton shot ina salt formation, tentatively planned for the summer of 1959, to obtain data al concerning power and isotope production. Other applications being investigated are the recovery of of] from oil shales and tar sands, the mining of low grade ore, the creating of aquifers for replenishing water tables and flood control, and scientific studies in selsmology, geology, and special chemical] reactions, AEC will work with industry and other interested government agencies to explore the industrial applications being investigated under PLOWSHARE. (End of UNCLASSIFIED section.) DOE ARCHIVES D UNCLASSIFIED